Usha Singh

Bhelpuri—introduced to Mumbai by migrant workers from Gujarat, is one of the most commonly sold chaat on the streets of Mumbai and along Chowpaty Beach (Mumbai). Almost every street corner has a ‘bhelwala’ (street vendor selling bhelpuri) and he has his own blend of ingredients, chutneys (sauces) and masalas. This dish has now spread to all parts of India and even beyond Indian borders. As it has spread its wings, so has the recipe been tweaked to suit local and seasonal food availability.

‘Bhelpuri is a delectable savoury Indian snack that is made using mumra (puffed rice), sev (Indian noodles made from chick pea flour), papadi (fried Indian bread), an assortment of cooked and raw vegetables, a sweet and tangy tamarind and date chutney, and a green chutney made up of coriander leaves and green chillies. The proportion of the various ingredients and chutneys depends on one’s personal taste. Providing you have the basic ingredients and frozen chutneys this dish can be whipped up in a jiffy. The typical balance of sweet, salty, tart and spicy flavours and the different textures including crispy and crunchy, is synonymous of Gujarati cuisine.

A typical and authentic ‘Bhelpuri’ is made up with a good few deep fried snacks, but with a few tweaks and substitutions my Bhelpuri can be turned into a Healthy Bhelpuri that retains all the crunch and texture and still packs a flavourful punch with all of the chutneys

Authentic Bhelpuri as served on the streets of Mumbai

The above picture in this post is the only one sourced from the internet.

 Dry Ingredients-Serves 6

 750ml mumra (puffed rice)

500ml sev (fried chick pea flour noodles

500ml crushed crisp puri (fried Indian bread)

125ml finely chopped onions

375ml boiled and chopped potatoes

 Wet Ingredients

20ml lemon juice

200ml imli and khajur chutney (tamarind and date sauce)

100ml coriander chutney

10ml chaat masala (optional)

Garnish

 75ml crushed crisp puri

50ml finely chopped green mango (optional)

75ml sev

75ml finely chopped fresh dhania (coriander)

My Healthy Version Bhelpuri

Dry Ingredients

750ml mumra (puffed rice – you could use rice crispies or puffed wheat)

500ml noodles (use rice or 2 minute noodles & heat in microwave to crisp)

500ml roasted and crushed papadums (roast the papadums in the microwave-papadums are made of various lentil flours—so the health benefit)

125ml finely chopped onions

250ml chopped and boiled potatoes

250ml mung bean sprouts

250ml cooked chick peas

125ml finely chopped baby marrows

250ml finely chopped spinach

 Healthy Option on Garnish

75ml roasted and crushed papadums

50ml grated green mango (optional)

75ml roasted noodles

75ml finely chopped fresh dhannia (coriander)

 THE ABOVE IS JUST GOUIDELINES, EVERYTHING CAN BE ADJUSTED AS PER YOUR PERSONAL TASTE OPTIONS

Dhania (Coriander) Chutney

3 cups tightly packed dhania (coriander) leaves

6-7 cloves of garlic

1 chopped green chilli (optional)

2ml sugar

5ml salt

10ml lemon juice

15ml oil

Method

• Place ½ the dhania (coriander) leaves into a food processor and add the garlic, chilli, sugar and salt
• Process the mixture on high speed and slowly add in the balance of the dhania(coriander) leaves
• Once the mixture forms a paste add the lemon juice and oil and process for a few more minutes
• Adjust the seasoning as per your personal taste
• This is another versatile chutney that can be used to serve a number of snacks – you can take about 2 tablespoon of the chutney and mix into some low fat cream cheese and use as a spread on your grilled vegetable sandwich
• Also serve with samoosas, spring rolls and etc.
• This chutney can also be frozen

Imli (Tamarind) & Khajur(dates) Chutney

500ml pitted and chopped khajur (dates)

200ml pitted imli (tamarind)

125ml (jaggery or dark brown sugar)

5ml ground green chillies (optional)

10 roasted and crushed cumin seeds

5ml ginger powder

5ml salt

Toppings (optional)

60ml sesame seeds

60ml desiccated coconut

60ml nibbed peanuts

Method

• Place all of the above ingredients (except the topping ingredients) in a large pot and add about 4 cups of water
• Bring to the boil and lower heat and simmer for about 15minutes and allow to cool before blending in a blender
• If necessary strain the mixture and then add in the optional toppings
• This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for 3-4 months
• It is can be served with bhelpuri, samosas, spring rolls, pies and the list goes on

Notes & Assembly

• The above is just a guideline and you can add and adjust the quantity of ingredients per personal taste—for example I do not use the sugar as I am quite content with the sweetness of the dates
• You can also use less tamarind—if you do not like it to tangy
• Place all of the dry ingredients into a small serving bowl, top with the fresh and raw vegetables that you will be using and lastly pour the Dhania and Imli & Khajur chutneys over the mixture
• Give it a light mix and serve–eat immediately as you do not want the crispy ingredients to get soggy under the cooked ingredients and chutneys
• This dish can be served as wonderful salad or even as a main meal for vegetarians-if you add all of the lentils and sprouts and vegetabtables-it becomes a very tasty well balanced meal