Name: Mumbai Bhel Puri
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 cup Puffed Rice, kurmura / murmura, crisp; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, finely chopped, deseeded; 1 Potato, boiled, peeled, and finely cubed; 1 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Tamarind Chutney, meethi chutney; 2 tbsp Green Chutney, spicy mint-coriander base; 1 tsp Dry Garlic Chutney, optional, for extra kick; 1 tsp Chaat Masala; ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder; ½ tsp Black Salt, kala namak; 8 Crispy Papdi, crushed roughly; ½ cup Nylon Sev, fine sev; 2 tbsp Peanuts, roasted; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

15 mintotal

Prep 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Check the puffed rice (kurmura) first: it has to be properly crisp. If damp weather has softened it, dry-roast it in a pan over the lowest heat for 2 minutes to drive the moisture off, then let it cool completely.
2 min
In a very large mixing bowl, put together the fresh, moist ingredients: the finely chopped onions, the deseeded tomatoes, the cold boiled potatoes cut into small cubes, and the finely chopped green chillies.
Add the wet chutneys: the sweet tamarind chutney, the sharp green mint and coriander chutney, and the dry garlic chutney if you are using it. Toss everything well so the potatoes soak up the tangy, spiced liquid.
Bombard this saturated vegetable core heavily with the dry spice triad: chaat masala, deeply roasted cumin powder, and the sharp sulfur notes of black salt (kala namak).
Tip the crisp puffed rice, the roasted groundnuts and the crushed papdi straight into the bowl with the wet mixture.
Now work fast. Using two spoons, toss it all together quickly. The aim is to coat every grain of puffed rice in the chutney without pressing so hard that the puffs go soft.
Keep tossing as you add the fresh lemon juice, the chopped coriander and half the nylon sev. Give it one last fold.
Abandon the mixing bowl instantly. Eject the compounded Bhel strictly into presentation vessels or traditional street-style paper cones.
Top it generously with the rest of the nylon sev, tuck in a few whole papdis, and finish with a last scattering of coriander.
Eat it straight away. Even a few minutes' wait and the chutney soaks in and turns the whole thing soggy.

How to tell it's done

A chaotic, beautiful harmony of extremely crunchy puffed rice, crisp sev, and shattered puris contrasting with soft potatoes and juicy tomatoes, tied together by a sweet-tangy wet glaze.

Getting it right

Tip

The golden rule of Bhel Puri: Assemble all wet ingredients first, add the puffed rice at the absolute last second, toss furiously, and eat instantly.

What to serve it with

Serve in newspaper cones for that authentic Mumbai beach street food experience.

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Ingredients