Bhelpuri (an Indian street food) recipe

[radhuni]

Bhel puri is a very popular street food of north India and it is also my favorite street food. I am giving the recipe here:

2 cups puffed rice (moori)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
50 g crushed potato chips
50 g salted peanuts
1 tbsp. sweet tomato sauce
50gm jhuri bhaja or bhujia
1 spoonful finely chopped coriander leaves
1 spoonful finely chopped coconut
0.5 tsp. salt or to taste

Method:

• Mix the puffed rice, chickpeas, potatoes, onions, coriander leaves, coconut, jhuri bhaja or bhujia, potato chips and peanuts. Add tomato sauce and salt, mix well.
• You must enjoy the Bhelpuri immediately after preparing the mixture otherwise the puffed rice will turn soggy.

 

[AllenOK]

Can you enlighten me as to what the jhuri bhaja or bhujia is/are? I have an half-way decent Asian grocery store that I shop at every now and then, and might be able to pick some up.

 

[Yakuta]

Hi Allen,

Actually I would recommend that you make the bhelpuri using a ready Bhel Mix that is available at any Indian store. It has the puffed rice and sev or bhujia in it.

Sev is basically a type of super thin vermicilli that is made with chickpea flour. It is fried in oil and is crunchy (think of it like a fried rice noodle but it's much much thinner than the thinnest rice noodle).

Also it's interesting to see Radhuni's recipe and tells me how much recipes vary from region to region in India.

Bhelpuri originated in Mumbai where I was born and I don't use sweet tomato sauce in my bhel nor do I use peanuts in my bhel or coconut. Though they do sound interesting and I would be willing to try.

I only use the bhel mix with some sweet tamarind chutney, corrainder chutney (all of these readily available in any Indian store), finely chopped onions and boiled and diced potato. I normally put a liberal sprinkling of freshly chopped cilantro, squeeze of lime juice, some chaat masala (it's a mixture of spices) and some fresh jeera powder (cumin powder) and stir and devour.

 

[radhuni]

Bhujia is a snacks made from gram flour. Small sticks of deep fried gram flour.

 

[foodisfood]

This looks awesome! I think I may try it tonight...

I was considering making this curry i found on some forum... which one do you think would be a better date meal to make with someone?

I know, I'm a cornball, but I am curious haha.

 

[Yakuta]

To me bhelpuri is a snack and goes well as an appetizer. I don't think curry and this can be compared.

To me bhelpuri has a great wow factor since it's pretty much like an exotic sweet, sour and spicy check mix type of snack. I think if you are doing a dinner then this is not appropriate. If you just doing snack then it would be good.

 

[foodisfood]

To me bhelpuri is a snack and goes well as an appetizer. I don't think curry and this can be compared.

To me bhelpuri has a great wow factor since it's pretty much like an exotic sweet, sour and spicy check mix type of snack. I think if you are doing a dinner then this is not appropriate. If you just doing snack then it would be good.

Thanks! I plead ignorance!

 

[radhuni]

Also it's interesting to see Radhuni's recipe and tells me how much recipes vary from region to region in India.

In Calcutta sweet tomato sauce, peanuts and coconut are must in Bhelpuri.

The type of Bhelpuri you are referring we called that 'Jhalmuri' here.