The bhel puri is a street food of Gujarat where it is sometimes known as pani puri or paniyaram. It is a crisp-fried savory ball of spiced potatoes, peas, and a few other ingredients. It is a snack that is a favorite in many parts of India and Britain, and is typically eaten as a side dish with drinks, especially alcoholic beverages.
When I was a kid, the only bhel puri that I could ever imagine eating was the kind that my mom made. It was a a small bowl of rice, bits of vegetables, a layer of bhel, and a topping of Indian chutney that she would make in the kitchen on a day that I was home from school. As an adult that same dish is some of the best food that I have ever had, and it is now a staple in my diet on a daily basis.
If you’ve ever had bhel puri, you know how filling it must be. But, if you haven’t had bhel puri, then, well, how do I explain it to you? It’s a spicy snack with a variety of fillings and toppings. Some of these fillings are made up from the common ingredients of other snacks; like, ajwain and coriander, which are used in making samosa and potato pakoras. But, the other fillings, are made up from the ingredients of the east; like channa and dal.
Everyone’s favorite and well-known in India is bhel puri. It’s a street dish, and each chaat seller has their own recipe for bhel puri. Everyone has their own bhel puri recipe and knows it by various names in their homes and other locations. Different types of mixes (crispies) are now available in ready-made packages, such as cornflakes mixture, bhel mixture, and boondhi. Bombay bhel is another such combination that may be used to create delectable and scrumptious bhel puris.
Ingredients
-
- 1 cup ready-made Bombay Bhel mixture
- 2 tbsp onion
- 2 tbsp cucumber
- 1/4 teaspoon green chili
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder (roasted)
- Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tomato
- 1 to 2 teaspoons raw mango
- 2 tbsp tamarind chutney
- 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp green chutney
- Optional: golgappa or papadi – 2
- 2 tbsp. boiled potato
Garnishing
- Chilli powder (to taste)
- a pinch of cumin powder (to taste)
- Masala chaat – to taste
- Sev – a smattering
- a few coriander leaves (chopped)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pomegranate (Anar dana)
- Tamarind chutney (as desired)
Method
- Place a cooked potato in a bowl, crush it, add a sprinkle of chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, or chaat masala, and a bit of salt, mix well, and set away.
- To begin, finely chop all of the veggies and have them on hand.
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (Bombay bhel, onion, green chilies, roasted peanuts, crushed golgappa or papdi, smashed potato, raw mango, roasted cumin powder, and chilli powder).
- Mix in 2 tbsp tamarind chutney, 1 tbsp green chutney, and 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds.
- Serve in a dish with sev, pomegranate, tamarind, and green chutney, as well as coriander leaves, to taste.
- Delicious and tasty bhel puri is ready.
Notes
- You may gently bake your puffed rice in a vessel to make it crispy, depending on how fresh it is.
- Bombay Bhel puri mix is sold in shops, or you may make your own using any crispies combined with puffed rice. Just purchase it and add your favorite chutneys and seasonings.
- Add the spices to your liking; some people like sweet, while others prefer hot.
- Add the chutneys to taste, since each household prepares green chutney (mint chutney) and tamarind chutney (tamarind chutney) differently.
Bhel puri is an Indian food traditionally eaten for breakfast, which consists of a mixture of puffed rice, boiled potatoes, raw onions, and a spicy mixture of chickpeas, crisp fried brinjal, and fried puffed rice (dahi puri). It is generally served with chutney and sambar.. Read more about instant bhel puri recipe and let us know what you think.