Bhelpuri

Bhelpuri

Bhelpuri
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Bhelpuri (Mumbai), Bhela, Churu Muri (Bangalore), Jhaal Muri (Kolkata), Jhāla Mudhi (Orissa)
Place of origin	India
Details
Main ingredient(s)	puffed rice, sev, (a fried snack made from besan flour)
Variations	Sevpuri, Dahi puri, Sev papdi chaat

Bhelpuri (Hindi भेलपूरी, Marathi भेळ) is a savoury Indian snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce.

Bhelpuri is often identified with the beaches of Mumbai (Bombay), such as Chowpatty. Bhelpuri is called Jhaal Muri in Kolkata (meaning "hot puffed rice"). A native Mysore variant of Bhelpuri is known as Churumuri in Bangalore. A dry variant of Bhelpuri popularly known as Bhadang is consumed after garnishing with onions, coriander and lemon juice.

History

It was created by a Gujarati migrant to Mumbai, whose decedents run Vithal Behlwala, near Victoria terminus railway station, Mumbai.

Commonly used ingredients

Bhelpuri is made from puffed rice and Sev (a fried snack shaped like thin noodles made from besan flour) mixed with potatoes, onions, Chat masala and chutney and mixture (a mix of different types of fried snacks mixed together), as the base of the snack. Other commonly used ingredients include tomatoes, onions and chilis added to the base; In northern India recipes also made by adding boiled potatoes cut into small pieces.

Different chutneys impart a sweet,tangy or spicy flavour. There are two popular chutneys used: a dark brown sweet one made mainly from dates and tamarind and a green spicy chutney made from coriander leaves and green chillies.

A street-side vendor preparing Bhelpuri

Variations

Bhelpuri is also made by sprinkling the puffed rice mixture with chunks of diced raw-sweet mango. The finished snack is often garnished with a combination of diced onions, coriander leaves and chopped green chilies. It is sometimes served with papri puris, a deep fried small round and crispy wheat bread.

The other variants of Bhelpuri:

• Sevpuri - a mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi and sev.
• Dahi puri - a mixture of helper, chutney, papdi and savoured with lot of yogurt.
• Sev papdi chaat - a lot like sevpuri but with 2-3 types of chutney, potatoes, chana masala.
• Churmuri - In this finely cut pieces of onion, tomato, coriander leaves along with chillipowder are mixed adding few drops of coconut oil. Sometimes fried or roasted groundnuts may be added.

Serving

Bhel puri although can be served in any way as pleased, it is usually served in a paper folded in the form of a cone and it is consumed using a paper spoon or by the 'papdi' which is itself an edible component of the 'Bhel Puri'.

See also

• Bombay mix
• Sev mamra
• Ghugni