Description
A vibrant Indian street food snack, this Bhel Puri bursts with contrasting textures and flavors. Crispy puffed rice mixes with tangy chutneys and crunchy toppings for a delightful treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups puffed rice cereal (lightly roasted)
- 8-10 flat papdi crackers
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium potato, boiled, peeled, and cubed
- 1 large tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons green mango, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt (kala namak), or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/3 cup nylon sev
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Date and Tamarind Chutney (makes about 3/4 cup):
- 1/4 cup tamarind paste
- 6-8 pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons jaggery or brown sugar, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- Pinch of black salt
Green Chutney (makes about 1/2 cup):
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1-2 green chilies, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
Make the chutneys (can be prepared ahead):
- Make the tamarind chutney: combine the tamarind paste, dates, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until the dates are completely soft. Blend smooth (an immersion blender works). Stir in the jaggery, cumin, chili powder, and black salt. Adjust sweetness and tartness to taste. Cool completely. Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
- Make the green chutney: blend the cilantro, mint, green chilies, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and water in a blender or food processor until smooth, adding water as needed to reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Store refrigerated up to 1 week.
Assemble the bhel puri:
- In a large bowl, combine the puffed rice with the chopped onion, cubed boiled potato, tomato, peanuts, and grated mango. Mix well.
- Add 2–3 tablespoons of the tamarind chutney, 1 tablespoon of the green chutney, black salt, red chili powder, and chaat masala. Toss to coat everything evenly. Taste and add more chutney as desired.
- Top with the nylon sev and crushed papdi and toss lightly. Garnish with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately — bhel puri turns soggy quickly.
Notes
Bhel puri waits for no one — assemble and serve immediately, as the puffed rice will lose its crunch within minutes. Both chutneys can be made days ahead and refrigerated; having them ready is what makes this snack quick to pull together.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Indian