Bhel Puri

इस व्यंजन को हिन्दी में पढ़ें

Bhelpuri is a very famous chaat item from India especially from Mumbai. Bhelpuri is a mix of puffed rice (murmura/laiyya), peanuts, roasted gram, some fried crispies etc. To this crispy stuff are added some vegetables such as, boiled potatoes, chopped tomatoes, raw mangoes, chopped coriander(cilantro) leaves, chopped green chilies etc. Then this mix is flavored with tamarind and coriander chutneys and garnished with a puri (fried crisp bread/ papdi) on top. It is a mouthwatering, tangy roadside snack - a perfect example of Indian street food. This delicious bhel poori is low in calories and high in taste - What else do we need! You can be innovative and make various versions of traditional bhel poori....

For kids’ parties, you can plan a "craft and eat" project. Make paper cones with kids and serve their favorite crispies in that cone. Make sure to use acid free papers for the cone. You may avoid adding spicy chutneys in the mix. You can also serve nuts and dried fruits or even trail mix in the paper cones. It is fun for them. It can be a perfect light after school snack with milk also.

Sometimes guests get tired of eating rich festive food so this festive season try this light, delicious and crunchy bhel poori recipe for a change. Bhel poori is also a good munching option for mid night eating after Diwali puja while you are playing cards with family and friends. So try this recipe and please do share your thoughts, Shuchi

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 5 minutes

Approximately 100 calories in each serving

Ingredients For puffed rice frying

Puffed rice 4 cups
Oil 2 tsp
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp

Some other ingredients to make Bhel mix:

Roasted peanuts ½ cup
Roasted gram 1 cup
Namak pare 1 cup
Papdi/ Poori 6 to serve
Bhujiya/sev to garnish ½ cup

Ingredients to serve Bhel poori:

Raw mango (cari) ¼ cup, cut into small pieces
Boiled potatoes 2 medium, peeled, cut into small pieces
Tomato 1 medium, cut into small pieces
Onion 1 medium, cut into small pieces
Chopped green chilies 1 tbsp
Tamarind chutney ½ cup
Coriander chutney ½ cup
Red chili powder ¼ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Method of preparation For puffed rice frying

Heat a wok on low heat. Add 1 tsp oil. Now add turmeric powder and mix it well in oil. Add puffed rice and mix well. Fry for 4-5 minutes on low heat or until the puffed rice are crisp. To test- take one puffed rice break it into two pieces, if it breaks with a crunch then the bhel is ready.

For Making Bhelpuri -

I arrange everything on the table. Starting with the youngest peron in the family and friends, I let everyone choose from the variety of crispies, veggies, and chutney in their bhelpuri. Then I mix it thoroughly in a bowl and garnish it with a papdi (crisp poori). Now it is upto you ; you can make a big bowl of bhelpuri by mixing the entire quantiy and serve it or you can make it separately as required and as per individual taste....

In a mixing bowl take about ½ cup roasted puffed rice. Add 1 tbsp of roasted peanuts, 1 tbsp of roasted gram, some namak pare, little bit of chopped potatoes, tomatoes, raw mangoes, a little bit of chopped coriander leaves.
Add a pinch of salt, and a pinch of red chili powder.

Now add 1 tbsp tamarind chutney, and 1 tsp coriander chutney. Mix all the ingredients well.
Garnish the bhelpuri with sev/bhujiya and top it with a papdi/poori.
Delicious and crunchy bhel poori is ready, Serve immediately otherwise the bhel gets soggy.

Some Tips/ Suggestions :

In Eastern India, there is a trend to add raw mustard oil in the bhel mix. So feel free to add some mustard oil if you like the taste.
Bhel poori is a completely vegan chaat.
Mathris can also be used in place of papris if you want to. The only difference between papris and mathris are that papris are not poked. You can also buy readymade papris - these are easily available in Indian stores.
Instant meethi chutney can also be used instead of tamarind chutney.

Serving Bhel poori in a paper cones for Kids party :

For Kids Birthday parties, You can also serve bhelpuri in a paper cone. It is specially fun for kids to have bhelpuri in a cone - like roadside vendors.

You can use different colors acid free papers to make paper cone. It is really easy to do that.
Make paper cones in advance and use as needed. Or you can plan a kids craft project for the party. Make paper cones with kids and then let them fill their bhel poori in the cone.

For international birthday parties, keep everything separate and add things as per kids taste. Avoid spicy green chutney for kids bhel poori.
You can also plan this bhel cone for international night at kids school.