Bhel puri is a popular Indian snack, part of the chaat family, made with a combination of fruits, vegetables, and spices. It can be served hot or cold, and is easy to make with ingredients available in most supermarkets.
Bhel puri is a snack which is a common part of Indian cuisine. As a favorite snack around Mumbai, the dish is generally regarded as a form of chaat, a family of snacks that are normally served on small plates that fit easily in the palm of the hand. While there are a number of different recipes for bhel puri, most include a combination of fruits, vegetables and spices.
There is some difference of opinion as to exactly when Bhel Puri was first created. Many connoisseurs believe that early recipes called for the use of puffed rice combined with various fried snacks, some of which were made using chickpea flour. Adding to the flavor and texture of the snack, diced tomatoes, fresh onions and hot peppers are topped with puffed rice and crunchy flour ingredients. It’s not unusual to add some sort of fruit to the batter, such as diced mango, shredded coconut, or some type of sweet chutney.
For seasoning, coriander is often employed in conjunction with some type of mustard oil. All the ingredients are mixed just before serving, as the small amount of liquid from the tomatoes or fruit would soften the crunchy elements and leave the bhel puri a bit soggy. To accompany the chaat, small flat pieces of crusty bread are usually served on the side. The bread acts as a scoop for the bhel puri thus facilitating snacking without the aid of any kind of eating utensil.
Bhel puri can be served as a hot snack or as a cold snack. When a cold snack is preferred, all the ingredients can be prepared, stored in separate containers and placed in the refrigerator. Since it only takes a few minutes to combine the ingredients, you can let them cool until just before serving the chaat.
While bhel puri is more commonly available in India, the popularity of the snack has started to spread to other parts of the world. Due to the increased availability of Indian cuisine in countries like the US, Canada and the UK, many ethnic food shops carry all the basic ingredients needed to make authentic bhel puri. However, there is no need to refrain from making this type of chaat if there are no ethnic grocers in the community. Since most of the ingredients are also available in most supermarkets, it is possible for anyone to prepare this Indian food as a snack or even finger food for casual social events.
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