Bhel puri is a slightly sweet, spicy & sour tasting chaat snack made with puffed rice, chaat chutneys, veggies & Sev. It is a very popular street food & is mostly loved by everyone. Bhel puri, Pav bhaji & vada pav are some that have originated in Mumbai & became one of the most loved chaat snacks across India.
Bhel puri is a low calorie snack that is addictive, tastes delicious & is flavored packed. Bhel puri is most commonly sold by the street vendors on the push carts. It is also served in the North Indian restaurants & Chaat centers.
In this post I have shared in detail How to make bhel puri along with the preparation of chaat chutneys required for the recipe. If you are new to Indian foods, then these FAQs may help you to know more.
What is bhel puri?
Bhel puri is a popular Indian street food made with puffed rice, peanuts, chutneys, spice powders, veggies & sev.
There are 2 kinds of bhel puri made. One is the wet & the other is the dry one which is known a sukha bhel. The only difference is the dry or sukha bhel is made without chutneys. So if you are unable to make the chutney then you can still make the dry bhel.
Jhaal muri and churumuri are two similar snacks & are also very popular in other regions of India. Bhel puri is so well known that it is sold every where across the streets of India.
Ingredients used
A basic bhel puri can be made with puffed rice, roasted peanuts, sev or mixture, onions, tomatoes, chaat masala, lemon juice, salt & coriander leaves.
But to make a flavor packed bhel puri chaat, 3 kinds of flavorful chutneys are the key. Tamarind chutney, green chutney and red chutney are the much needed to elevate the flavors & taste of this snack.
Most often tamarind chutney & green chutney are used and the red chutney is just substituted with red chili powder. However bhel puri made with red chutney is much superior in taste & flavor.
We at home prefer the flavor of red chutney in bhel puri so I always make it using all the 3 kinds of chutneys.
Preparation for bhel puri
I am a person who always prefers serving fresh homemade foods to my family. So I make the chutneys all on the same day I intend to make the chaats. But I do refrigerate the left over tamarind & red chutney.
Use them up to make other kinds of chaat like Dahi vada, papdi chaat & aloo chaat
So for convenience you can very well, make all the chutneys ahead and refrigerate. The recipe of chaat chutneys has been shared below after the recipe card. For detailed step wise versions of the same you can check these posts on Tamarind chutney and Green chutney.
Next roast the peanuts and store them in a air tight jar to retain the crunch.
You can buy the puffed rice, papdis & sev from the Indian grocery stores just like the way I did. Locally made sev & papdis smell & taste fresh.
Just before you begin to make the bhel puri, chop the potato to half inch cubes. Boil them with water in a small pot. Meanwhile chop the onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves & green chilies.
Once the above preparation is done, you will finish making bhel puri under 5 mins. More details mentioned in the recipe card below.
Making chutney
Tamarind chutney: soak 3 tbsps tamarind in ½ cup hot water. Add 4 tbsps jaggery and rest for a while.Squeeze the tamarind pulp and pass through a strainer. Add ¼ tsp red chili powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp jeera powder, ½ tsp coriander powder & 1 pinch of ginger powder.
Taste and add more salt or jaggery if needed. Mix & boil this until thick. Cool & use it.
Green chutney : blend together ¾ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves,1 green chili, ¼ inch ginger, 2 pinches salt, ½ tsp jeera powder, 1 tbsp fried gram, 2 tsps lemon juice & 2 tbsp water.
Red chutney : soak 20 red chilies in half cup water. Remove and blend them with 2 to 3 tbsp water, 8 to 10 garlic cloves, 1½ tsp sugar, salt & ½ tsp jeera.
Adjust salt, chili & lime juice in all of the chutneys.
How to make bhel puri
1. I usually cut open a fresh pack of puffed rice when I make chaat recipes bhel puri, churumuri or jhaal muri. If the puffed rice is not crispy then dry roast them until crisp. Cool and then add them to a mixing bowl.
2. Add the boiled potatoes. I cube the potato and boil in 2 cups of water until just cooked. Drained the water and cooled completely. Potatoes must be dry and not moist. Then added them here.
3. Then add in onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves & green chilies.
4. Toss them well. Then add tamarind chutney. I begin with a small quantity of chutneys as you cannot undo if it becomes too sour or sweet. I also feel too much chutneys or too thin chutneys will make the bhel too soggy very quickly. So add them as needed after tasting.
5. Add red chutney. If you do not have red chutney just replace with some chilli powder.
6. Next add in green chutney.
7. Mix to coat the chutneys all over the puffed rice. I added more of all the chutneys. Sprinkle chaat masala and salt if needed.
8. Add roasted peanuts, crushed papdis & sev. Gently mix.
Transfer bhel puri immediately to serving plates. Top with more sev and papdis.
Tips to keep bhel puri crisp for longer
Firstly ensure puffed rice is crisp if not roast them until crisp. Cool completely before using.
Secondly keep the consistency of the chutneys thick & not runny. This prevents the bhel puri from turning soggy too quickly.
Lastly do not add too much chutney at one time. Add a bit mix and then add more only as needed until you get the taste you desire.
Always add the crispies – sev, peanuts & papdis towards the end.
More popular Snacks Recipes,
Samosa
Veg cutlet
Aloo tikki
Hara bhara kabab
Bhel puri recipe | How to make bhel puri
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups puffed rice
- 2 tablespoons onions (finely chopped)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons tomatoes (ripe, firm, chopped)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons boiled potato cubed
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 green chili chopped
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon chaat masala (or amchur powder or lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
- 10 papdis
- ¼ cup nylon sev (thin sev or farsan)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoons tamarind chutney (recipe below in step wise instructions)
- 1 tablespoons green chutney (recipe below)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or 1 tbsp red chutney
- 1 to 2 pinches salt (if needed)
Instructions
How to make bhel puri
- Optional – Boil potato just until done without making it mushy. I usually cube them and cook in a small pot until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Cool them & air dry completely.
- If your puffed rice is not crisp then dry roast them in a pan until crisp. Cool completely.
- Add them to a mixing bowl along with boiled potatoes, onions, tomatoes, chilies & coriander leaves. Mix them up gently.
- Then add in tamarind chutney, green chutney, chaat masala & chilli powder.
- Do not add a lot of chutney at one time, add only little by little as needed to prevent the bhel puri from turning mushy.
- Gently mix well to coat then puffed rice with chutney.
- Taste this and add in more chutney & salt as needed.
- Crush the papdis and add them along with peanuts and sev. Give a good stir.
- Garnish bhel puri with more sev and peanuts. Serve immediately.
Tamarind chutney
- Heat ½ cup water in a small bowl and soak 3 tablespoons tamarind in it.
- Then add 4 tablespoons jaggery and set aside.
- When the temperature cools down squeeze the tamarind and pass it through a strainer.
- Next stir in ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon jeera powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder & 1 pinch of ginger powder.
- Taste and if needed add more salt or jaggery to suit your taste. Mix & boil this until thick but of pouring consistency.
- Tamarind chutney is ready.
Green chutney
- Add ¾ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup mint or pudina leaves,1 green chili, ¼ inch ginger piece, 2 pinches salt, ½ teaspoon jeera powder, 1 tablespoon fried gram, 2 teaspoons lemon juice & 2 tablespoons water to a blender jar.
- Blend everything until smooth. Taste and add more salt and chili if needed. green chutney is ready to use for bhel puri.
Red chutney (optional)
- Boil half cup water and soak 20 red chilies.
- When they soften remove them from the water and add to a blender jar.
- Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons water and add 8 to 10 garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoon sugar, salt & ½ teaspoon jeera.
- Blend until smooth and add little lemon juice if needed.
- Taste it and add more salt or sugar if needed. Red chutney is ready for bhel puri.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Roopa says
Hi Swasthi,
First, you have a beautiful sanskari name. I often have a craving for some quick snacks and I remember how my elder brother would always make this bowl for a quick evening snack for me and my younger brother. This recipe is all that one needs to make a delicious homemade snack. I cannot thank you enough for sharing a tastier version of this recipe. Thank you once again. Jane.
swasthi says
Hello Roopa
Thank you so much! Glad you like this!
🙂
Sandhya says
very detailed and clear recipe
Shri says
Hi Swathi,
Thanks for sharing the detailed tips for bhel recipe. Although from Mumbai, I still can’t manage to get the taste of Bhel made by street waalas. For green chutney, is “fried gram” same as dalia ( what we use for whites coconut chutney) or do we need to fry Chana dal & use.
swasthi says
Hi Shri
You are welcome! Yes it is dalia. Don’t need to fry it. You can also skip it since it’s used only for binding. Hope you enjoy it
Shri says
Thanks for clarifying. I will surely try the green & red chutneys & update here. I also see you have posted pakora recipe in comments section. What is “ fried gram flour”… just powder dalia, or is it available in stores?
swasthi says
Yes it is just powdered dalia
Khurram says
Dear Sir,
I was searching start food business after lock down situation, in this crises i take loos my business. Durning searching new business i saw your recipe of bhail puri, I think it is excelent.May i preserve it in polly bag small like shahe pack. How it will be possible and what i have to add or not in your recipe .please let me know and help me in this regards.
Leela says
Can you please suggest making medu pakoda which I felt very tasty in chennai recently.
It is not available in our place. Thanks
Leela vijayawada
swasthi says
Hi Leela,
I haven’t shared the recipe on the blog. Here is the recipe for a small batch:
¼ cup rice flour
¼ cup besan or gram flour
¼ cup fried gram flour (putnalu pappu)
2 tbsps onions
little ginger
fine chopped curry leaves
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp saunf powder
¼ tsp garam masala
4 to 6 cashews chopped
salt to taste
coriander leaves little
Mix everything and pour 1 tbsp very hot oil. Mix everything by sprinkling water little by little. Dough must be stiff like pakoda dough yet must bind well. Make balls and fry them in oil. Hope this helps.
Bindu says
Thanks for sharing. Turned out great even without the garlic chutney.
Balesh says
All the chutneys came out awesome. AAhhaa… the red chilli chutney is my favorite. Getting ready for an event to be hosted tomorrow. We will be making your bhel puri and lassi. Wish me luck. Hope it comes out good.
swasthi says
Hi Balesh,
Yes I am sure you will make good bhel puri. Wishing you the best!. Would love to know how it turns out.
Balesh says
Hi Swasthi
🙏 for helping me. As you mentioned bhel puri turned out very very good. I bought a large pack of farsan from a near buy Indian store and believe me it turned out the best. Everyone went crazy and was finished in no time. Thanks for making this possible. Now I am confident I can make your kolhapuri chicken on Sunday.
swasthi says
Hi Balesh,
You are most welcome. Happy to know you could impress your guests. Thanks for the comment. Hope you enjoy the kolhapuri chicken!
Malini says
Grt cooking with Ur recipes….tk u so much
swasthi says
Welcome Malini,
thank you so much!
Jhanvi says
Thank you very much for all the yummy re Inez. I made your mutton korma jeera rice today. I hit so many compliments for the dishes. Pls share nawabi chicken and garlic naan
swasthi says
Hi Jhanvi,
you are welcome. Thanks for trying. Yes I can share nawabi chicken and naan.
🙂
Tia says
Hi swasthi, would love to try this soon. How many servings will the chutney recipes make? Will be making bhel puri for 6 of us. Pls suggest? TIA
swasthi says
Hi Tia
The tamarind chutney and red chilli chutney will be good enough to make about 8 servings of bhel puri. I am not sure about the green chutney if it would be enough. So Please follow the link to green chutney to make a bit more. You can find it in the recipe card.
Varsha says
What is friedGram flour