Bhelpuri - A Spicy Puffed Rice Snack
Bhelpuri or Jhaal Moori
Ritika Gupta
Bhelpuri, one of the street foods of India, is a snack popular in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Mumbai (Bombay), usually sold by street hawkers. Kolkata recipe is slightly different from Mumbai recipes. In Kolkata, a teaspoon of mustard oil is also added, which gives it a strong 'jhal' or kick and it may not contain the chutney.
It is quite easy to assemble once you have the ingredients. It has puffed rice (bhel), mixed with Besan sev, a kind of savoury vermicelli, finely chopped boiled potatoes, boiled chickpeas, red onions, tomatoes, green coriander leaves, green chillies and crumbled Golegappas. It is served topped with various chutneys like Green Mango Chutney and Tamarind Chutney. The amounts given here are only a rough guide, assemble according to your own preferences. Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 cups puffed rice, buy from Indian grocers
1 cup very fine besan sev (chickpea flour vermicelli); buy from Indian grocers
1 red onion, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped (according to taste)
1-2 firm tomato, de-seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
1-2 potatoes boiled, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
Salt to taste
5-6 Gole Gappa, crushed (you can use corn chips instead)
1 tsp. mustard oil (for Kolkata/Calcutta version only)
Juice of half a lemon
To Serve;
Tamarind Chutney/Sauce. You can buy it ready made in bottles, like Maggie's Tamarind Sauce.
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix gently but thoroughly.
Serve immediately in individual plates, topped with tamarind and green chutneys. You can also serve bhelpuri in good quality, unsweetened ice-cream cones.
Alternative way of serving is to leave all the ingredients in small bowls on the table along with chutneys, and let people mix their own, according to taste.
Notes
Also see Chaat Selection.
