Bhel puri

Bhelpuri

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

Bhelpuri (Hindi भेलपूरी, Marathi भेळ) is a puffed rice dish with various vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is a type of chaat, or small plates of savoury snacks, particularly 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.

Bhelpuri is best consumed as soon as it is made. If left for a while, the juices from the tomatoes, chutneys, etc. combine to render the sev and puffed rice soggy. A dry variant of Bhelpuri popularly known as Bhadang is consumed after garnishing with onions, coriander and lemon juice.

Commonly used ingredients

There is much disagreement on what goes into the "original" bhelpuri, even among chaat experts. Most recipes include puffed rice, sev (a fried snack shaped like thin noodles made from besan flour), 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; northern recipes also add boiled and cut potatoes.

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

A street-side vendor preparing Bhelpuri

Another variation is to sprinkle the chat with chunks of diced 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 result is a sour/pungent/sweet tasting evening snack that is a treat for the taste buds and a good source of carbohydrates and minerals.

There are many variants of Bhelpuri:

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

Bhel Puri Serving

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

See also

• Bombay mix
• Sev mamra
• Ghugni