Bhavna
Bhelpuri is also known as Bhel (Maharashtra), (Gujarat), Bhela, Churu Muri / Churmuri (Karnataka), Jhaal Muri (Kolkata), Jhāla Mudhi (Orissa).
The main ingredients in Bhel are Puffed rice, sev, Chana, Potato and chutneys.
Some other variations of Bhel are Sevpuri, dahi puri, sev papdi chaat.
Bhelpuri (Marathi: भेळ, Gujarati: ભેળ, Nepali: चट्टपटे) is a savoury snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is made of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce.
One doesn’t have to stick to traditional ingredients but jazz it up with your own twist. I also add sprouted moong beans in Bhel for more nutrition.
When mango is in season I love to throw some finely chopped semi ripe mango and also pomegranate taste amazing in bhel. I always have homemade chutneys in my freezer anytime I crave for street food. I also freeze boiled chickpea (chana), sprouted moong, so easy to assemble chaats anytime I feel like spicy food.
Bhel is often identified with the beaches of Mumbai, such as Girguam or Juhu. Bhelpuri is thought to have originated within the Gucafes and street food stalls of Mumbai, and the recipe has spread to most parts of India where it has been modified to suit local food availability. It is also said to be originated from Bhadang (भडंग), a spicy namkeen from Western Maharashtra. Dry Bhel is made from Bhadang, The Kolkata variant of Bhelpuri is called Jhalmuri (meaning “spicy puffed rice”). A native Mysore variant of Bhelpuri is known as Churumuri or Churmuri in Bangalore. A dry variant of Bhelpuri popularly known as Bhadang is consumed after garnishing with onions, coriander and lemon juice.
Bhelpuri is made from puffed rice and Sev (a fried snack shaped like thin noodles made from besan flour) mixed with potatoes, onions, Chat masala and chutney and mixture (a mix of different types of fried snacks), as the base of the snack.Bhelpuri has a balance of sweet, salty, tart and spicy flavors, with different textures as well, including crispy and crunchy from the puffed rice and fried sev. Other commonly used ingredients include tomatoes, and chilis added to the base; In northern India recipes also made by adding boiled potatoes cut into small pieces.
Different chutneys impart a sweet, tangy or spicy flavour. There are two popular chutneys used: a dark brown sweet one made mainly from dates and tamarind (saunth chutney) and a green spicy chutney made from coriander leaves and green chillies.
Bhelpuri is also made by sprinkling the puffed rice mixture with chunks of diced raw-sweet mango. The finished snack is often garnished with a combination of diced onions, coriander leaves and chopped green chilies. It is sometimes served with papri puris, a deep fried small round and crispy wheat bread.
Sevpuri – a mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi and sev.
Dahi puri – a mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi and savoured with lot of yogurt.
Sev papdi chaat – a lot like sevpuri but with 2-3 types of chutney, potatoes, chat masala.
Churmuri – In this finely cut pieces of onion, tomato, coriander leaves along with chilli powder are mixed adding few drops of coconut oil. Sometimes fried or roasted groundnuts may be added.
Mumbai Bhelpuri
Ingredients
- 1 cup of puffed rice
- ¼ cup of finely chopped deseeded ripe tomatos
- ½ cup of finely chopped onions
- ¼ cup of boiled roughly mashed potatoes
- 1 tsp of grated ginger
- 1 cup of crushed chaat papdi papad
- 1.5 cups of nylon sev
- 3-4 tbsp of green chutney
- 2-3 tbsp of red chutney
- ½ tsp of black salt or to taste
- ½ tsp of garam masala or chaat masala
- ¼ cup of roasted peanuts salted or unsalted
- ¼ cup of chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice more or less to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chutneys first. You can do this a few days before and store them in the refrigerator too.
- For green chutney, grind together mint leaves, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, chaat masala, lemon juice, and rest of ingredients to a smooth paste with water. You can find detailed recipe for green chutney here.
- Here are the detailed instructions for sweet date tamarind chutney.
- Once you have the chutneys ready and have boiled the potatoes, putting together the bhel puri is a breeze.
- To assemble the bhel puri:
- Reserve half a cup of sev and add all other ingredients to a wide bowl.
- Give it a good mix and taste test to see if the sour vs sweet vs spicy is good and suits your taste. Adjust the ingredients (add more sweet chutney, salt, etc) to make it perfect.
- You can serve in paper cones or simple bowls with generous amounts of sev and coriander leaves for garnish.
