Tangy, Spicy, and Sweet Bhel Puri is a popular Indian street food. Made with crispy puffed rice, crunchy gram flour noodles mixed in spicy green chutney, sweet-tangy tamarind chutney, and ground spices garnished with cilantro and pomegranates. A flavor-packed vegan snack that is quick and easy to make and a crowd-pleaser dish that is easily customized to your taste.
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What is Bhel Puri
Mumbai street food, Bhel Puri is a variation of Chaat - food with layers of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. The main ingredient in Bhel Puri is the Bhel itself. Bhel is a crunchy delicious snack that is often enjoyed as it too. Bhel is a mix of Sev (crunchy gram flour noodles), Mamra (crispy puffed rice), and spices.
To make Bhel Puri, the dry Bhel is mixed with spicy, sweet, and tangy chutneys, finely diced onions, and tomatoes and is garnished with additional dry spices and cilantro. Crushed pieces of Papdi (crunchy fried puris) are also added for additional crunchy textures to the dish.
Ingredients
- Bhel - This main ingredient is readily available in Indian grocery stores. There are a few brands that make Bhel some spicer than others. I love Deep brand Bhel as it is not overly spicy and also includes pieces of Papdi in it
- Chutneys - cilantro mint chutney for spicy flavors and tamarind chutney for a sweet and tangy flavor
- Potato - steamed, peeled, and cut into small cubes
- Onion and tomato - finely diced onions and tomatoes. Both are optional but add lovely texture and flavor
- Spices - Kashmiri red chili, ground cumin, and chaat masala add earthy warm flavors
- Garnish - Sprinkle over lots of finely chopped cilantro and I would also recommend adding pomegranates for a pop of color and fun texture!
How to Make Bhel Puri
- Add the Bhel mix to a bowl. Layer with onion, tomatoes, and boiled potatoes (photos 1 - 2)
- Drizzle over green chutney and tamarind chutney. Sprinkle red chilli powder, ground cumin, and chaat masala on top (photos 3 - 4)
- Garnish with cilantro and pomegranate seeds (photos 5 - 6)
Serving
Bhel Puri is best served immediately as it will get soggy over time. To serve for a party, you can prepare all the add-ons and keep them in individual bowls as shown in the ingredient photo earlier in this post. Mix just before serving or have your guests mix Bhel Puri to their liking so they can add more or less of the chutneys, yogurt, spices, etc. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright tangy flavor.
Tips for making Bhel Puri
- The best way to enjoy Bhel Puri is to serve it immediately so it does not get too soggy.
- Chutneys can be prepared 2 to 3 days ahead
- Steam the potato a few hours ahead or even a day before
- You can also serve the Bhel dry by skipping the chutneys
- Add a handful of roasted peanuts for added proteins
Is Bhel Puri Healthy?
In moderation and when made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, homemade Bhel Puri can be a relatively healthy vegan snack.
The variety of vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, provide essential vitamins and minerals. Homemade chutneys and spices are rich in antioxidants, and vitamins and are immunity boosting.
In addition to low-calorie puffed rice, Bhel mix also had other fried ingredients such as sev, papdi, etc that are high in fat and sodium and should be consumed in moderation.
More FAQ's
All South Asian grocery stores carry puffed rice. You can choose to buy the puffed rice separately and use it in recipes like Mamra Chivda or buy a pre-made Behl mix.
Bhel Puri can be easily adjusted to your spice levels. In this recipe, I use mild Kashmiri red chili which makes it medium spicy and can be adjusted easily to your spice level. Store-bought green chutneys can be very spicy too, I highly recommend my homemade green chutney which is flavorful but not overly spicy. And lastly, if you do enjoy spicier bhelpuri, add finely chopped green chilies to the Bhel.
Bhel Puri and Sev Puri are both popular street foods in India. While they have a few similar ingredients like sev and chutneys, Sev Puri is assembled differently and also uses sweet tangy yogurt. For more details, check out this mouth-watering sev puri recipe.
More Chaat Recipes
- Papdi Chaat
- Dahi Sev Puri
- Tater Tots Chaat
- Aloo Chaat
- Dahi Bhalle
- Ragda Patties
- Banana Avocado Chaat
Recipe
Bhel Puri Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz bhel mix 2 cups
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup tomato finely diced
- 1 small potato boiled, peeled, and diced small
- 2 to 4 tablespoons green chutney
- 2 to 4 tablespoons tamarind chutney
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add the Bhel mix to a mixing bowl.
- Layer with onion, tomatoes and potato.
- Drizzle over green chutney and tamarind chutney.
- Sprinkle red chili powder, ground cumin, and chaat masala on top.
- Garnish with cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately
Video
Notes
- The best way to enjoy Bhel Puri is to serve it immediately so it does not get too soggy.
- Chutneys can be prepared 2 to 3 days ahead
- Steam the potato a few hours ahead or even a day before
- You can also serve the Bhel dry by skipping the chutneys
Sona W says
Quick question - is the BHEL mix gluten-free?
Archana says
Hi Sona, Deep Bhel Mix is not gluten-free. You can buy sev-mamra mixture that is gluten free from Indian grocery stores