# Before Packaged Chips Existed: 6 Homemade Foods Our Grandmothers Packed for Long Journeys That Never Spoiled for Weeks

> In the age of bullock carts, boats and early trains, Indian families carried homemade foods built to survive long journeys without a fridge. Here are 6 traditional travel staples, how they were made at home, and why they still matter.

**Category:** Food · **Published:** 2026-06-13 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/food/jaba-phrija-aura-paiketa-chipsa-nahin-the-dadi-nani-ke-vo-6-gharelu-pakavana-jo--411

These days a quick stop at a shop for branded wafers and vacuum-packed biscuits is all it takes before a trip. But long before that convenience existed, travel food was made at home and chosen with real thought. The rules were simple and strict: it had to be easy to carry, calorie-rich enough to sustain you, resistant to spoiling even in fierce heat, and tasty on top of all that. Foods that met every one of these demands were what kept travellers on bullock carts, boats and the earliest trains going. Here are six such homemade staples — what they were, why they were chosen, and how families prepared them.

## Khakhra: A Roti Dried to Last for Weeks
This thin, crisp flatbread from western India is essentially a roti that has been cooked and dried, and its biggest virtue is that it keeps for a long time. A very thin disc of wheat-flour dough is rolled out and toasted on a griddle without oil, which gives it its crunch. Families would wrap it in cloth, smear on a little ghee and store it in a tin. It was eaten plain, with jaggery, or alongside pickle. Its light weight paired with a long shelf life made it an ideal travel companion.

## Thekua and Sweet Laddus: Sweetness Was the Real Preservative
Bihar's hard, wheat-and-jaggery thekua and an assortment of laddus — made from gram flour, sesame or coconut — were classic travel sweets. The sugar or jaggery in them was what actually kept them safe for days, while their dry, solid texture protected them from crumbling. At home they were made in advance and wrapped in leaves or paper, with ghee and roasted flour used to cut down on moisture. The payoff was twofold: they delivered quick energy and doubled as festive treats.

## Sattu and Roasted Chana: The Oldest Protein Standby
Roasted gram flour, or sattu, along with whole roasted chana or groundnuts, served as an ancient and effortless source of protein. Sattu was carried as flour and simply stirred into water or buttermilk and drunk whenever needed. Roasted chana and groundnuts could be eaten straight away with no preparation and released energy slowly. Travellers in central and eastern India kept sattu in small earthen pots; mixed with curd or jaggery, it became a filling, cooling meal that lasted far better than fresh dal and rice.

## Murmura and Chivda: Light Yet Filling
Puffed rice, or murmura, and its spiced mix, chivda, are the best example of light travel food. Both shopkeepers and households made it in large batches, tossing in groundnuts, roasted lentils, curry leaves and a touch of lemon or salt. Despite being light, murmura is satisfying, which made it a great way to stave off hunger on long journeys. It does not spoil quickly even if it picks up a little moisture, and it could be scooped out of a tin a little at a time, again and again.

## Pickles and Preserved Chutneys: A Small Jar, a Big Difference
Even a tiny jar of pickle could turn a plain meal into a flavourful one. Pickles made from oil, salt and vinegar or raw mango added taste while also acting as a preservative. Fruit and vegetable pickles steeped in oil or thick sugar syrup held up through heat and long journeys without going bad. Small, sharp and tangy, they could improve the taste of even stale roti or rice — especially when fresh, hot food was simply not an option.

## Aam Papad and Sun-Dried Fruits: A Sweet-and-Sour Balance
Sun-dried aam papad and other fruit preserves turned fruit into thin, pliable sheets that were extremely easy to carry on a trip. In the same way, sun-dried bananas, mangoes and other fruits lost their moisture, which kept them from spoiling quickly and deepened their flavour. They were often wrapped in wax paper or banana leaves and tucked among the luggage to stay dry. Amid all the savoury travel food, they added a welcome sweet and tangy note.

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