Bombay bhel puri or Mumbai Bhel puri is similar to life at Mumbai.It is a mix of various flavors and taste. Although you may not like everything but together everything makes sense.There is spicy flavour, little sweetness and tangy crunch in this street food.Spicy mint chutney and tamarind chutney, crunchy nuts give it a great flavor. Rice flakes make it vegan and gluten-free too.
You don't need to be a chef for this snack. Add or subtract any ingredients as per your choice. There are many variations of bhelpuri recipe. Sukha bhel or dry bhelpuri and geela bhel which has chopped tomatoes and tangy, spicy & sweet chutney added to it. Dry bhel puri has Murmura, dry farsan and roasted peanuts added to it. Some people like to add boiled potato, fried curry leaves, turmeric powder along with dry spices and roasted chutney dal to it. Basically, it does not have the spicy chutney added to it.
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Importance of Street food
Mumbai is known for its fast life and street food.Be it pav bhaji, sev puri dahi puri, pani puri, misal pav or ragda patties.Most people love to go to Chowpatty or Khau gully every weekend if they stay far and enjoy these delicacies. Finish the evening snacks with a falooda or kulfi or just have some masala chai. You are so full that your dinner is done.Mumbai is a place of dreams.A city where time is money.You also travel a lot between home and work.Hence, Mumbaikars love snacking. Beach comes alive every night where locals throng for some cool breeze.Some want a quick bite or just want to unwind after a long day.
You can easily make bhel poori when you come home from work. You will also find Bhelpuri chat stalls in canteens & weddings. Bengalis call the same bhelpuri Jhaal muri.There is just a slight variation.We saute rice puffs in mustard oil for this recipe. Unlike pani puri which needs prep like boiled potatoes and jaljira, this is more easy to make instantly. This is my go to recipe.
If it is raining,you definitely feel like having something fried like pakodas or have a tikki chaat. Bhelpuri satisfies your appetite and the craving for junk food.Yet it takes care of waist line as all of it is not fried. Add roasted nuts to it instead of fried sev and you can have it without being concerned about your weight.I always store some mint and date chutney in freezer for this instant fix. Just thaw the chutney and serve with any snack you wish to eat. Be it samosa vada pav or aloo tikki.
How to make a diet bhel puri or low cal bhel puri ?
To make this a low calorie recipe, reduce the namkeen or sev by other healthier ingredients. I prefer to add grated carrot in this recipe to increase the volume and reduce the number of calories in the recipe. Carrots also add to the nutrient content and helps you with Vitamin A. Great way to disguise them when your kid refuses to eat it.
Ingredients for bhel
- Murmura - Puffed rice
- Namkeen - trail mix/snacks
- Onion - chopped
- Tomato - chopped
- Chutney - Coriander / mint and Tamarind/ dates chutney (for an iron rich version)
- Pomegranate seeds (optional)
- Green chilies
- Carrot - grated (optional , only if you want to make it healthy)
- Fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a bowl except salt and mix well.
- Add salt in the end just before you serve so that it remains crunchy.
- Serve in paper cups or bowls.
Variations
You can make the snack as spicy or as mild as you want. Make a spicier version by adding more chopped green chillies. Add paprika or mild red chili powder to make a milder version by avoiding green chilies. Add some chaat masala or raw mango powder for tangy flavor. You may go with lemon juice on top for extra vitamin C.Just go as per your taste buds. You may add fried sev or bake sev and store it at home. Add crushed roasted peanuts if you do not have trail mix at home.Make it spicy or sweet as per your mood.Indian street food can pep you up instantly however bad your day might have been.
Storage
Make and store the chutney in a plastic jar in the freezer. Thaw in warm water before serving. This way you can make bhel anytime.Better than buying it ready made, which has preservatives or sugar added for longer shelf life.
You cannot mix all ingredients and keep together as it gets soggy. Best to chop ingredients fresh and add just before eating.
Related links
Bombay Bhel | Mumbai Bhel puri recipe
Ingredients
- 1-½ cup 'murmura' or puffed rice
- 1 tomato chopped
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 -2 tbsp. green chutney mint,coriander chutney
- 1-2 tbsp. tamarind or date chutney
- ¼ cup Bombay mixture or any spicy trail mixture optional
- ¼ cup nylon sev
- 1 small green chilli finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds optional
- A pinch of salt as per taste
- Handful Coriander leaves finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a bowl except salt and mix well.
- Add salt in the end just before you serve so that it remains crunchy.
- Serve in paper cups or bowls.
Notes
FAQ
Quinoa, sorghum and amaranth.
Puffed rice by heating or tossing rice kernels. These days you also get wheat Murmura.
Bengali variant is called jhalmuri, while those in Karnataka call it churmuri.
Food safety
- Always wash your raw ingredients properly before usage. Keep the food covered if eating later.
- If it is cooked, better to reheat rather than having on room temperature.
- Keep the kitchen well ventilated while cooking on high heat.
Conclusion: Crispy papdi, nuts, trail mix, ground spices, spicy tangy chutneys, fresh coriander leaves, puffed rice, crunchy onions combined with soft tomatoes, make it the ultimate anytime snack. Hungry?
lajju says
Lovely
Very nice