Bhel Puri is a tangy, sweet and spicy Indian Chaat that is addictive!
This street side recipe can easily be made at home in minutes. All you need is murmura, veggies and chutneys.
Chaats is a popular street snack from Mumbai in India. Super easy to make and always delicious; chaats are spicy, tangy and sweet all at once. They are so popular that is common to find a vendor selling them within a half mile radius from anywhere in the city. Bhel puri, sev batat puri, dahi batata puri, ragda pattice and so many other countless varieties make the chaat list.
The beaches of Mumbai are known to have the best chaat. A lot of places across the country sell chaat as Mumbai Chaat or Chowpatty Chaat. These have become so popular that they are now often made for parties throughout the country.
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What is Bhel Puri
Bhel literally means 'a mix'. So the recipe translates to a mix of colorful, flavorful ingredients that are full of various textures and flavors. The crunchy bits combine with the wet ingredients to form a bite that is irresistible. The word puri refers to the papdi or fried flour disc that the bhel is served with.
A mix of rice puffs or murmura, finely chopped vegetables and sweet and spicy chutney makes bhel. Plus, we add some sev and cilantro to it to complete it.
The street vendors make bhel in a piece of rolled paper and serve it in it too. It is perfect to enjoy with a piece of puri as a spoon. And that is truly the best way to enjoy it too.
This recipe is for Geela or wet bhel as it has all the chutneys in it. The other recipe is that of sukha or 'dry' bhel. It has all the veggies and murmura with sev but no chutneys. This is perfect as a quick snack with chai.
Why this recipe works
- A quick and easy street style recipe to make at home.
- Most of the elements for bhel can be made ahead of time. Then the recipe comes together in minutes.
- This bhel recipe is naturally Vegan.
- The recipe is great as a snack, appetizer or even a whole meal.
- Bhel is crunchy sweet, savory and spicy mix of crunchy elements and chutneys.
- It is easy to customize this recipe with the ingredients that work best for you.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Murmura/ Puffed Rice: The base of this recipe is murmura (puffed rice flakes). Pick either regular ones or basmati. Kolhapuri murmura does not work too well. I like to dry roast them with some turmeric and salt; however this step is optional.
- Vegetables: We add finely diced vegetables in the recipe. Onion, tomatoes, raw mango (when in season), boiled potato and cilantro are perfect to use. They add a pop of color and taste to the bhel. Add some cucumber or carrots if desired.
- Chutneys: Given that the recipe is for a chaat, we use a lot of chutney here. The ones we need are dates tamarind chutney, green cilantro chutney thinned out with some water and spicy garlic chutney thinned out as well.
- Papdi/ Puri: An essential part of bhel is enjoying it with a piece of puri. I also add some crushed Papdi in the bhel. Get them from the Indian stores or make them at home.
- Sev: Thin sev i.e. Nylon sev or bhel sev is perfect for the recipe. It is fine and blends well with the ingredients. This is signature to Mumbai bhel so try and get the version that is as fine as possible.
- Crunch elements: Salted peanuts, roasted spicy chana dal, poha chivda, corn flakes chivda etc are great for some crunch.
- Chaat Masala: A perfect blend of spices; chaat masala is great to add to bhel. This is what gives bhel a great taste and flavor, so try not to skip it.
- Apart from these, some lime juice, cilantro, pomegranate arils can also be added. They add texture, color and taste to the bhel.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
Preparation required
1- Prepare the spicy green chutney, garlic chutney and tamarind dates chutney before hand. Keep them refrigerated. Here are the recipes to make the chutneys: Green Cilantro Chutney, Dates Tamarind Chutney and Garlic Chutney.
2- Boil and peel the potatoes. Chop them into small pieces.
3- Chop red onion, tomatoes and raw mango to fine cubes. Cut the cilantro fine. Keep them ready.
4- Dry roast the murmura with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. However, this can be substituted by heating in the microwave for a minute in a large bowl.
To make the Bhel
1- In a large bowl add the roasted murmura. Add in diced onions, tomatoes and raw mango pieces.
2- Next add chaat masala, masala chana dal and broken papdi.
3- Mix everything well with a large whisk.
4- Add the three chutneys, lemon juice and cilantro. Toss everything well and taste the bhel. Add whatever is needed.
5- Add sev and give it a mix till it is all coated well.
6- Serve in bowls topped with cilantro, some more sev and some papdi on the side.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Prepare just before serving: Enjoy the bhel within minutes of making it. It tends to get soggy very quickly given the number of chutneys we use. This is a recipe that you should make in batches to serve in minutes.
- Keep everything handy: As we need to make and serve bhel quickly, have all the ingredients at hand. Thin out the chutneys, wash and chop all the vegetables and keep the plates and crunchy toppings ready. Mix everything in a minute and serve.
- Fresh ingredients: Using fresh vegetables and crunchy elements is often key to perfect bhel. Dry roast the murmura and use fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables get soggy too soon and unroasted murmura is often chewy. Moreover, check if the sev and other packaged elements are fresh and do not smell rancid.
- Making Jain Bhel: Jain food eliminates root vegetables. So skip the potato and onions. Opt for some finely diced cabbage and cucumber instead. Also make the green chutney without ginger and leave out the garlic chutney.
- How to make a gluten-free version: Papdi is generally the only ingredient with gluten. Substitute with rice crisps for a gluten-free version.
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time: It is easy to make the chutneys and chop the vegetables ahead of time. Plus, roast the murmura before hand and boil the potato and cool it down.
- Using store bought ingredients: It is easy to make bhel using store bought ingredients like bhel mix, ready chutneys, papdi and sev. Then we only need to add chopped vegetables and mix everything.
Recipe FAQs
Mumbai Bhel Puri is a mixture of puffed rice (murmura), crispy chickpea noodles (sev), colorful vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), and savory and sweet chutneys.
Bhel puri gets soggy in minutes, which means it is not great to make ahead of time. However, it is great to prepare the chutneys, chop the vegetables and roast the murmura ahead of time. This helps make bhel quickly.
Indeed. The only ingredient here that has gluten is papdi. Substitute with wheat free papdi and ensure that none of the chutneys have any wheat products. Then the bhel will be gluten-free.
While bhel is great to enjoy right off the bowl you mix it in or small plates; add them to small paper cones for a more authentic feel. This works well for parties. Moreover, it is great to serve this in dried leaf bowls.
Bhel is best enjoyed fresh. However, if you have leftovers that need to be stored, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Then reheat in the microwave in the defrost setting for a minute. Add more chutneys and sev to make it wet and crunchy again before serving.
Serving
Bhel puri is a great chaat recipe to serve for any kind of party. Whether you are making it for a get together like Holi, Diwali or a party like Birthday or Anniversary, consider pairing it with other chaats like dahi batata puri, sev puri and pani puri. Plus, it is great to serve it with recipes like pav bhaji or dahi vada.
If serving bhel as a tea time snack, pair it with masala chai, coffee or mango lassi. Plus some samosas are great on the side.
More Delicious Chaat Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Mumbai Bhel Puri
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup Murmura (dry roasted)
- 1 large Red Onion
- 1 large Tomato
- ½ medium Raw Mango
- 2 medium Potatoes
- ½ cup Masala Chana Dal
- 1 cup Thin Sev
- 8-10 Papdi
- ¾ cup Dates tamarind Chutney
- ½ cup Spicy Cilantro Chutney
- ½ cup Spicy Garlic Chutney
- 1 Lime
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala
- ¼ cup Cilantro
Instructions
Preparation required
- Prepare all the chutneys before hand. Keep them refrigerated till ready to use.
- Boil and peel the potatoes. Chop them into small pieces.
- Chop red onion, tomatoes and raw mango to fine cubes. Cut the cilantro. Keep them ready.
- Dry roast the murmura with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
To make the Bhel
- In a large bowl add the roasted murmura.2 ½ cup Murmura
- Add diced vegetables.1 large Red Onion, 1 large Tomato, ½ medium Raw Mango, 2 medium Potatoes
- Next add the crunchy elements and mix well.½ cup Masala Chana Dal, ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala, 8-10 Papdi
- Add the three chutneys, lime juice and cilantro. Mix well. Taste and adjust as required.¾ cup Dates tamarind Chutney, ½ cup Spicy Cilantro Chutney, ½ cup Spicy Garlic Chutney, ¼ cup Cilantro, 1 Lime
- Add sev and give it a mix till it is all coated well.1 cup Thin Sev
- Serve in bowls topped with cilantro, some more sev and some papdi on the side.
Video
Notes
- Prepare just before serving: Enjoy the bhel within minutes of making it. It tends to get soggy very quickly given the number of chutneys we use. This is a recipe that you should make in batches to serve in minutes.
- Keep everything handy: As we need to make and serve bhel quickly, have all the ingredients at hand. Thin out the chutneys, wash and chop all the vegetables and keep the plates and crunchy toppings ready. Mix everything in a minute and serve.
- Fresh ingredients: Using fresh vegetables and crunchy elements is often key to perfect bhel. Dry roast the murmura and use fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables get soggy too soon and unroasted murmura is often chewy. Moreover, check if the sev and other packaged elements are fresh and do not smell rancid.
- Making Jain Bhel: Jain food eliminates root vegetables. So skip the potato and onions. Opt for some finely diced cabbage and cucumber instead. Also make the green chutney without ginger and leave out the garlic chutney.
- How to make a gluten-free version: Papdi is generally the only ingredient with gluten. Substitute with rice crisps for a gluten-free version.
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time: It is easy to make the chutneys and chop the vegetables ahead of time. Plus, roast the murmura before hand and boil the potato and cool it down.
- Using store bought ingredients: It is easy to make bhel using store bought ingredients like bhel mix, ready chutneys, papdi and sev. Then we only need to add chopped vegetables and mix everything.
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