Happy Mother’s day!! On this day, I would like to dedicate this post to my Mom – an awesome mom and a great cook! I have very fond memories of bhel puri not only because it is my favorite snack food but because my mom used to make awesome bhel puri at home. Most evenings after school, my brother and I used to watch “Super Human Samurai”. And my mom in the kitchen, would be preparing our after-school snack, one of my most favorites is the bhel puri she used to make! I remember numerous occasions when I used to read my library book while munching on bhel puri. And when my friends in the neighborhood call me out to play I used to gobble up the remaining bhel puri and bounce away happily to play. My childhood wouldn’t be this memorable if it weren’t for my mom’s cooking, my library books and my neighborhood friends. A simple and a happy childhood – I will have to dedicate it to my sweetest Mom! I love you Ma!
Bhel Puri is a snack dish that has a mix of raw vegetables with a tangy sauce and a spicy sauce on a bed of puffed rice. This is a very interesting snack because it gives a very spicy tangy and a very beautiful blended taste!
Bhel Puri
Ingredients
Ingredients for Bhel Puri
- 2 cups White/ Brown Puffed Rice
- 1 cup Red Onions
- 1 cup Tomatoed
- 1 cup Cucumber
- 1 cup Grated Carrots
- 1 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts
- 2 tsp Chaat Masala
- a handful Thin Sev
- a handful Cilantro
Sweet and Tangy Sauce
- 1 lemon sized ball Tamarind (from tamarind block)
- 2 cups Dates
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
Chili Green Sauce
- 4 to 5 long Green Chili
- 2 bunches Cilantro
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- a pinch Salt
Instructions
Preparation
- Cube Red onions, tomatoes, cucumber. grate carrots.
- Soak tamarind in water for 15 minutes.
For chilli green sauce
- Grind green chillies, cilantro and cumin seeds together into a thick paste. Add salt. Keep aside.
For sweet and tangy sauce:
- Remove seeds and extract thick tamarind juice.
- Grind dates into a thick paste. Heat a saucepan, dry roast jeera until dark.
- Add tamarind juice and dates paste. Cook for sometime until raw smell goes away. Allow it to cool down before use.
Bhel Puri
- Mix puffed rice, cut vegetables, peanuts and chaat masala together.
- Add 2 tsp of chilli green sauce and 3 tsp of sweet and sour sauce.
- Mix lightly using a spatula. Top with sev puri and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Do not mix sauces until ready to serve as puffed rice has a tendency to absorb the sauces and become soggy.
- If you use brown puffed rice, dry roast until crisp before preparing bhel puri, as I observed that brown puffed rice is not very crisp and absorbs the sauces very quickly. If you feel the white puffed rice is not crisp, dry roast them as well.
- Cut mango pieces can be added and lemon can be squeezed for a more tangy taste.
- If you store the sauces in air tight containers in the refrigerator, it will last for more than 10 days and you can use them whenever needed and that would make making bhel puri very easy!