Bhel Puri is a popular Mumbai street food snack prepared using crispy puffed rice, puri or papdi, vegetables, sev (gram flour vermicelli) and three types of chutneys. This street style bhel recipe is a quick and easy recipe tasting similar to the bhel puri recipe found in the streets of Mumbai.
This delicious Indian chaat recipe can be made at home in less than 30 minutes, if you have all the ingredients ready!
What is Bhel Puri?
Bhel Puri or Bhel Poori is a mouth-watering popular Indian street food that falls into the chaat category. It has a sweet, spicy and tangy taste that is sure to tickle your taste buds!
Chaat or Bhel is one of the most popular Indian savory snack, and is easily found on most street food stalls in India. Tourists and locals of Mumbai love to enjoy this evening snack on the beaches of Mumbai from street vendors.
Bhel means “everything mixed together” and this easy snack is available in all regions of India.
This Mumbai street style Bhel Puri chaat recipe is loaded with Indian snack favourites. It consists of a mixture of puffed rice, sev, chevdo and crispy papdi or papri (crispy flat puri).
Tossed in are some basic ingredients like potatoes, onion, tomato, cucumber, green chilies and roasted peanuts or masala chana dal.
The dry mixture is flavoured with a blend of tangy chutneys. Finally, it is garnished with plenty of freshly chopped coriander leaves, sprinkle chaat masala and pomegranate seeds.
You can also find a dry version of bhel puri called Sukha bhel that has similar ingredients except only a spicy green chutney is used. In some cases, dry bhel puri is made with only lemon juice and spice powders.
You can often find it at roadside stalls served in paper cones but it is commonly made in homes too. The bhelpuri recipe will be slightly adapted to different households but the inimitable blends of chutneys remains the biggest highlight.
We like to make this dish on the Hindu day of Sheetala Satam , as on this day one can only eat cold food. Bhel Puri at home is easy enough, it just requires a little time.
We prepare the ingredients that do require any cooking on the day before and leave in the fridge to eat the next day.
Alternatively, you can buy the dry ingredients such as the papdi, sev and Poha Chevdo fresh from an Indian snack shop or Indian grocery stores which will save you time.
Other ways that Bhel Puri is often served is in potluck parties, as a starter, any celebration or Indian afternoon tea.
Do not kid yourself into thinking that the addition of cucumber, tomato and chickpeas makes it a wholesome meal – this dish is by no means healthy as it is loaded with fried food and sugary chutney.
It will, however, satisfy those junk food cravings and be what your guests keep coming back to! Trust me.
Homemade Bhel Puri Chaat recipe
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and vegan . There are different components to a Bhel: we need three different chutneys, the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients.
Chaat Chutneys :
- Imli chutney that is also known as sweet tamarind chutney, I have used tamarind and date chutney that is a sweet chutney.
- Coriander and Mint Chutney
- Red chili powder and Garlic Chutney (Optional) You can prepare this red chutney to be spicy or mild depending on the type of red chilli powder that you use. Use kashmiri red chilli powder for bright red colour without the heat. Leave out this red garlic chutney if serving bhel to kids.
These chutneys are best served separately as it allows your guests to build their bhel to their taste and spice level.
To save space, you can mix together these chutneys when it comes to serving BUT it doesn’t allow for any variation.
Also, some guests may not eat garlic or may have allergies so it is best to check first.
Dry ingredients for Bhel Puri
● Puris (Papdi) adds crunchiness to the bhel.
● Sev Thin nylon sev or thick spicy gram flour noodles, homemade or readymade will do. Sev are savory vermicelli-like snack, made using chickpea flour
● Puffed Rice is known as mamra or murmura available in Indian markets. You can dry roast it or leave it plain.
● Poha Chivda , a spicy Indian snack made with flattened rice, peanuts and basic spices. Homemade or shop-bought.
Wet ingredients for Bombay Bhel Puri
● Boiled potatoes cubed
● Boiled Chick Peas
● Cucumber chopped
● Tomatoes chopped
● Green chillies chopped (If giving it to kids, you may omit totally)
● Onion chopped
● A handful of fresh coriander finely chopped
● Salt to taste
● Black salt or kala namak to taste
● Chaat Masala
● Amchoor Powder
If you have raw mango available, you can add it to the wet ingredients, just peel, chop and add directly.
How to make Papdi/Papri for Chaat
● Plain or all-purpose flour known as maida.
● Carom seeds are known as ajwain or ajmo.
● Salt ● Oil Method
1 . In a bowl add flour, 1 tbsp. oil, salt and carom seeds and mix everything with your hands.
2 . Knead a stiff dough using water.
- Cover the dough with the dry clean kitchen towel and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
4 . Divide the dough into two equal portions and make balls.
Roll out the one ball using a rolling pin and cut out into round disks using cookie cutter and prick it with the fork.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Kadai on medium heat.
Carefully, add a few papdi in hot oil, turn down the heat to low.
Fry on both sides.
Once you do not see any bubbles in the kadai, papdis are done and remove it.
How to make Bhel Puri:
Follow these step by step photos.
You will need a large mixing bowl and several individual bowls for the chutneys.
In a large bowl, add chickpeas, boiled potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes, half of the onion and green chillies. Mix well.
Add the spice powders – chaat masala, amchur and dry roasted cumin powder. Mix again.
Then add the dry ingredients – chevdo, some of the puri crushed, sev, mamra and mix.
Pour over a little of the three chutneys – you will add more when you assemble to this can be adjusted to personal preference.
Spoon the prepared bhel into a plate. Top with more sev, more crushed puri and chutneys. Add pomegranate, chopped coriander, onions and chaat masala.
Bhel Puri is best enjoyed at room temperature.
Variations of Bhel Puri
You can make dry bhel or sukha bhel which omits the chutneys and instead you add lemon juice and dried masala powders. This can make a great alternative if you don’t have the ingredients for chutneys to hand.
What can I use instead of Papdi?
Storage
The individual components of bhel can be prepared in advance and stored separately.
Once the bhel is assembled, it is best to eat it immediately as the chutneys can make the dry ingredients become soggy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to a day.
Best Bhel Puri (step by step video recipe)
Ingredients
PAPDI/PAPRI/PURI
- 1 cup plain flour 120g
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup Oil to deep fry
Dry ingredients
- 2 cup crispy puffed rice 50g
- 1 cup poha chevdo 50g
- 1 cup sev 50g
- Papdi
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes boiled cubed 150g
- 1 cup chickpeas boiled 150g
- ½ cup date & tamarind chutney
- ½ cup green mint & coriander chutney
- ⅛ cup red garlic chutney
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 tablespoon chaat masala
- 1 tablespoon mango powder amchoor powder
- 1 tablespoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ tablespoon black salt sanchar
- ½ cup freshly chopped coriander
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
Papdi /Flat Puri
- In a bowl combine flour, oil, ajwain and salt.
- Knead the stiff dough using water.
- Leave the dough covered with the clean kitchen towel for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and make balls.
- Roll out the one ball using a rolling pin (keep little thicker than normal paratha)
- Cut into the 1 1/2 inch diameter circles using a cookie cutter.
- Prick it with the fork or knife.
- Heat oil in a Kadai on medium heat.
- Carefully add a few papdi and fry on a low heat until light brown.
- Remove using a slotted spoon and let it cool.
Make bhel
- In a large bowl combine potatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, half of the onion, chillies.
- Add black salt, amchoor powder, chaat masala and cumin mix everything and leave it for 10 minutes to allow for flavours to soak up.
- Crush the half the papdi or flat puri by hands.
- Now add dry ingredients into the potato mix, add half of the chutneys and mix well.
- Serve in a plate or bowl, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander, pomegranate arils, and lemon juice.
- Pour a spoon of three chutneys if needed.
- Serve immediately with remaining papdis.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Note:- This post was originally posted in September 2010 but I have updated the post since with newer photos and content.
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Best Bhel Puri (step by step video recipe)
Ingredients
PAPDI/PAPRI/PURI
- 1 cup plain flour 120g
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup Oil to deep fry
Dry ingredients
- 2 cup crispy puffed rice 50g
- 1 cup poha chevdo 50g
- 1 cup sev 50g
- Papdi
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes boiled cubed 150g
- 1 cup chickpeas boiled 150g
- ½ cup date & tamarind chutney
- ½ cup green mint & coriander chutney
- ⅛ cup red garlic chutney
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 tablespoon chaat masala
- 1 tablespoon mango powder amchoor powder
- 1 tablespoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ tablespoon black salt sanchar
- ½ cup freshly chopped coriander
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
Papdi /Flat Puri
- In a bowl combine flour, oil, ajwain and salt.
- Knead the stiff dough using water.
- Leave the dough covered with the clean kitchen towel for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and make balls.
- Roll out the one ball using a rolling pin (keep little thicker than normal paratha)
- Cut into the 1 1/2 inch diameter circles using a cookie cutter.
- Prick it with the fork or knife.
- Heat oil in a Kadai on medium heat.
- Carefully add a few papdi and fry on a low heat until light brown.
- Remove using a slotted spoon and let it cool.
Make bhel
- In a large bowl combine potatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, half of the onion, chillies.
- Add black salt, amchoor powder, chaat masala and cumin mix everything and leave it for 10 minutes to allow for flavours to soak up.
- Crush the half the papdi or flat puri by hands.
- Now add dry ingredients into the potato mix, add half of the chutneys and mix well.
- Serve in a plate or bowl, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander, pomegranate arils, and lemon juice.
- Pour a spoon of three chutneys if needed.
- Serve immediately with remaining papdis.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Sabudana Vada or Sago Vada are popular during Hindu fasts. These deep-fried crispy sago fritters are made with the addition of sugar and lemon juice to give that authentic Gujarati taste. We love eating them during Mahashivratri, Navratri and Janamasthmi and serve them with piping hot sweet Masala Chai .
What is Sabudana?
Sabudana are also known as pearl tapioca or sago and are a starch extracted from tropical palm stems. They are almost completely carbohydrate with little protein.
There are three sizes of sabudana that you can buy in-store. Small, Medium and Large.
Very tiny and small are ideal for making pudding, kheer or payasam.
Medium pearls are suitable for making Rajgaro Til Vada , Sabudana Khichdi and large ones known as Nylon Sabudana can be used in making Sabudana Chevdo .
Sabudana Vada
They are also known as Sago Vada or Tapioca Pearl Fritters and have a crispy outer layer with a soft melt-in-your-mouth centre of soaked tapioca, boiled potatoes, roasted peanuts and a delicious seasoning with spices.
Sabudana vada are vegan and gluten-free. They are best served in the evening or mid-afternoon with tea. They are most popular during the Hindu fasting season.
These vada are mostly known as hailing from Maharashtrian but they are equally Gujarati too. Gujarati Sabudana Na Vada do not have any red chilli powder, only fresh green chilli and ginger and also have freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar to give that unmistakable sweet and tart taste.
Often served with green yogurt chutney, imli chutney and masala chai, also they are perfectly fine on their own.
What goes in Crispy Gujarati Sabudana Vada?
● Tapioca Pears/Sabudana – I have used medium size sago pearls here. They are easily available anywhere.
● Potatoes – I have used King Edward floury potatoes, they don’t make the mixture sticky but keeps the mixture dry. They have a dry and fluffy texture that helps in binding vada.
In the UK we have King Edward, Maris Piper, Estima and Desiree varieties.
● Peanuts – they provide some protein and crunchiness to the vada, you must roast them first to use in this recipe.
● Spices and herbs – to spice up the vada I have used minced fresh green chillies and ginger. Coriander adds freshness and flavours.
● Sugar – I have used powdered sugar, powdered sugar do not release any water. I made powdered sugar at home just by grinding regular sugar in a coffee grinder.
● Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice works best.
● Salt – I have used rock salt known as Sindhav mithu or Sendha Namak as we prepared these for fasting. Use regular salt if not making for fasting.
● Oil or ghee for deep frying
How to make Sabudana Vada
Heat oil and carefully add vada in hot oil.
Fry in hot oil.
Fry until they turn medium brown all over and crispy.
How to prevent Sabudana vada breaking in hot oil
There could be various reasons behind the vada mixture having moisture which is what causes the vada to break up in oil.
Is Sabudana Vada healthy?
The answer is rather disappointing, although this vada often labelled as light and healthy. The truth is they are not.
This vada consists of tapioca and potato which are full of carbs and on top of that deep-fried, they are loaded with empty calories and should only be consumed occasionally.
Non-fried Sago Vada
Have you not eaten these moreish vada before? I suggest you should try deep-fried ones to taste their original. Although they taste excellent many like to avoid fried for various reasons
You can shallow fry in a non-stick pan with less amount of oil.
Use Indian style Panniyaram or Japanese Takoyaki grill pan.
Bake in the oven.
Air fry it in the air fryer.
What can I use instead of regular potatoes?
You may use sweet potato if you like, just steam, mash and add it but skip the sugar.
How to make Sabudana Vada Chutney?
This chutney easy and straight forward recipe, just combine mild plain thick yogurt with Green Mint and Coriander Chutney, mix well and serve with vada.
Storage
These vada best taste hot, but if any leftover you can freeze them too.
Place them on a serving tray and leave it in the freezer to freeze. Once they freeze, put them in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for a couple of months.
Defrost thoroughly and reheat in the oven before consuming.
Make Farali Sabudana Vada Chaat using leftover Sabudana Vada.
More Farali Vrat/Upwas recipes
● Farali Mogo Vada
● Farali Buff Vada
● Farali Moriyo Vada
CRISPY GUJARATI SABUDANA VADA
Ingredients
- 1 cup sago pearls Sabu dana best bought from Indian store
- 2 big potatoes boiled/steamed peeled and mashed -350g *
- ½ cup peanuts ** 80g
- 2 tbsp. ginger crushed
- 2 tbsp. green chillies crushed
- 2 tbsp. sugar ***
- 3-4 tbsp coriander finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. lemon /lime juice freshly squeezed
- Salt ****
- 5 cup Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- First clean and wash sabudana then soak in water for 10-12 hours.
- Meanwhile, dry roast the peanuts, remove the skin and make a coarse powder of half of them and crush another half.
- Check soaked sabudana, there should not be any water left yet the pearls should be soft when pressed between index finger and thumb.
- In a big plate or bowl add sabudana, mashed potato, peanuts, chilli-ginger, coriander, sugar, lemon juice and salt.
- Combine and make a stiff but fluffy dough by mixing it with your hands.
- Apply little oil on your palms and divide the mixture into equal portions.
- Make round vada and leave it aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai on medium heat, carefully add a few vada in the hot oil.
- Do not flip it straight away, after a couple of minutes carefully flip the vadas using a slotted spoon.
- Fry until medium brown all over.
- Remove it using a slotted spoon.
- Serve hot with chutney or chai.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
