Bhel Puri: A Favorite Indian Snack
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The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
312 | Calories |
9g | Fat |
51g | Carbs |
10g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 312 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 9g | 12% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 261mg | 11% |
Total Carbohydrate 51g | 19% |
Dietary Fiber 6g | 21% |
Total Sugars 8g | |
Protein 10g | |
Vitamin C 114mg | 569% |
Calcium 197mg | 15% |
Iron 11mg | 59% |
Potassium 1329mg | 28% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
A snack with almost iconic status in the western region of India, bhel puri (or bhelpuri) is a low-fat, nutritious, and delicious food. It is a chaat, which is a spicy food that is typically sold via street carts throughout the region.
Bhel puri a puffed rice snack that can be eaten by the spoonful or scooped onto a flatbread or chip. Some places serve it in a paper cone and it's eaten directly from there. Bhel puri is enjoyed both hot or cold, either way, it is a tasty snack.
In general, bhel puri is made with puffed rice and sev (a vermicelli-like snack made from gram flour), both of which are available at Indian markets. These dry ingredients are then mixed with onions, potatoes, and chutney. It is spicy, but also sweet, tart, and salty and can be adapted to enhance any of those characteristics. The versatility in taste is the beauty of bhel puri.
Click Play to See This Bhel Puri Puffed Rice Snack Recipe Come Together
"Indian street food at its best, this recipe is an exploration of authentic flavors such as puffed rice, chutney, sev, and papdi. These ingredients are tossed together with more traditional ingredients to make an irresistible snack that you will make again and again." — Diana Andrews
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Ingredients
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3 cups puffed rice
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2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and chopped into tiny cubes
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1 large onion, finely chopped
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1 large tomato, finely chopped
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1 3/4 ounces (50 grams) coriander, about 1/2 bunch, finely chopped
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1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and salted
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1 green chile, finely chopped, or more to taste
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2 tablespoons tamarind chutney, or mint-coriander chutney, more to taste
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Kosher salt, to taste
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1/3 cup sev, for garnish
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1 handful papdi, coarsely crushed
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
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In a large bowl, mix the puffed rice, potato, onion, tomato, coriander, peanuts, and green chiles together.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
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Add the tamarind chutney or mint-coriander chutney according to your own taste preferences.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
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Mix the contents of the bowl together. Add salt to taste and toss again.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
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Garnish with the sev and papdi. Serve and eat immediately. Enjoy.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
Tips
- Assemble the bhel puri just before you are going to eat it to prevent the puffed rice from getting soggy.
- To make this snack even more quickly, simply store the puffed rice, sev, and papdi (savory biscuits made from flour) in air-tight containers. Pre-make and either refrigerate or freeze the chutney. This allows you to toss the wet and dry ingredients together on a whim and prevents that unwanted sogginess.
- Various chutneys give bhel puri different flavors. A saunth chutney, for instance, is a dark, sweet chutney derived from tamarind and dates. In contrast, a green spicy chutney uses green chiles and coriander that leaves for a very distinctive taste. If you have another favorite chutney, try that as well.
Variations
Try adding 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons of chat masala when mixing the puffed rice, peanuts, potato, onion, tomato, coriander, and green chiles together for any extra boost of flavor.
Bhel Puri Goes by Many Names
Some say that this snack originated in Mumbai, which, according to research, is a common belief. The dry version of bhel puri is known as bhadang, which is spiced with lemon juice, coriander, and onions. The Kolkata version is called jhaal muri. Another kind is known in Bangalore as churumuri or churmuri.
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