Bhel puri
Photo: Mdsmds0 · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Bhel puri originated as a Marwari snack and crossed over to Mumbai street-food culture in the early 1900s. Chowpatty Beach and Juhu Beach became the canonical sunset venues; carts assemble each portion to order with their own house chutneys, varying the tamarind-date sweet, the mint-coriander green and the level of chilli to taste. Most Mumbai households still keep a packet of bhel ingredients ready for monsoon evenings.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Peanut

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g puffed rice (kurmura)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped fine
  • 1 boiled potato, chopped (optional)
  • 50g sev (thin chickpea noodles)
  • 20g roasted peanuts
  • Handful of coriander, chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped fine
  • 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
  • 2 tablespoons green chutney (mint and coriander)
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • Lime wedges and a fried puri broken into pieces for serving

Method

  1. Combine puffed rice, chopped onion, tomato, potato, chilli and coriander in a large bowl.
  2. Add tamarind and green chutneys, chaat masala and lime. Toss to coat evenly.
  3. Add sev and roasted peanuts; toss once more.
  4. Serve immediately in paper cones with the broken puri pieces on top.

Tip from the editors. Bhel goes soggy within minutes; mix only at the moment of serving and serve immediately.

Where to eat bhel puri

Bhel puri in Mumbai

Chowpatty Beach Bhel and Chaat Carts ★ 4.4

$ Street foodChowpattyCash only

Chowpatty Beach sunset means dozens of bhel and chaat carts firing up. Bhel puri, sev puri, pani puri, dahi puri from numbered carts down the promenade.

OrderA round of bhel puri followed by pani puri.

TipCart numbers 1 to 10 are the established ones; cash easiest.

Directions

Juhu Beach Chaat ★ 4.3

$ Street foodJuhuCash only

Juhu Beach's evening chaat strip runs from sundown until past midnight. Pav bhaji on butter griddles, dahi puri assembled to order, ragda pattice and bhel.

OrderRagda pattice and a round of dahi puri.

TipCart numbers 11 to 20 are the established ones; cash easiest, ask for the spice level.

Directions

Elco Restaurant and Market ★ 4.4

$ Street foodBandra West

Elco on Hill Road has been the Bandra chaat benchmark for decades. The pani puri counter is at the front, the seated restaurant at the back.

OrderPani puri with sweet and spicy waters, then a ragda pattice.

TipCounter service is fastest; the upstairs seating fills at weekends.

Directions

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