Bhel Puri is a very popular Mumbai street food snack made with puffed rice, puri, boiled potatoes, onions, various chutneys, herbs, ground spices and sev (fried gram flour vermicelli). This dish is easy to make at home. It is a tasty snack having a lot of flavors and textures – sour, tangy, crispy, sweet, salty, crunchy. This bhel recipe comes together in under 45 minutes with three real quick chutney recipes.
Table of Contents
About Bhel Puri
Bhel puri is one of the most popular street food recipes from Mumbai which is now available in other parts of India in various avatars.
This is a wet bhelpuri recipe where spicy, tangy and sweet chutneys are included.
The three chutneys are:
- Sweet & sour chutney
- Green chutney
- Spicy red chutney
In this bhelpuri recipe, I am sharing these three quick chutney recipes. So you don’t have to hunt around for ingredients to make these chutneys and the bhelpuri can be made in less than 45 minutes. The three chutneys are very easy to make and do not take much time.
Apart from the three chutneys, puri or papdi and sev are also added. You make the puri and sev at home or buy from the market. I have here used baked papdi which I made at home.
Some people prefer bhel poori with chutneys and some without it. Bhel is eaten with papdi or crispy fried poori. At least this is how I have them at home. But you can even have them with a spoon. It makes for a delicious evening snack.
Two kinds of Bhel Recipe
- Wet Bhel Puri
Wet bhel or bhel puri is called as ‘geela bhel’ in Hindi. This is a wet bhel poori where chutneys are added with onions, tomatoes and boiled potatoes.
- Dry Bhel Puri
Dry bhel puri is called as ‘sukha bhel‘ in Hindi. In a dry bhel puffed rice is mixed with roasted peanuts, masala chana dal, spice powders, puri and sev. In the dry bhel recipe you simply do not include any liquid chutneys. So it is more easier to prep and make.
Two regional variations of bhel puri that are popular are Jhal Muri from Kolkata and Churumuri from Karnataka. Both these recipes also use puffed rice but are made with different spices and seasonings. E.g. Jhal Muri features mustard oil.
How to make Bhel Puri
Cooking potatoes
1. Rinse the potatoes very well in fresh water. Then boil 1 large potato or 2 medium sized potatoes in a 2-litre pressure cooker or in a pan with enough water.
If using a pressure cooker, then pour water just about covering the potatoes. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
Once the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid. Drain the water and place the potatoes in a bowl. Let them cool or become warm. I was making some other snack as well, so I cooked more potatoes.
Making green chutney
2. Rinse and roughly chop ½ cup fresh coriander leaves (or ¼ cup mint leaves + ¼ cup coriander leaves). Place the coriander leaves in a small grinder jar.
Also add ½ inch ginger (peeled and roughly chopped), 1 to 2 green chillies, ½ teaspoon chaat masala and ¼ teaspoon salt or as required.
3. Add ½ teaspoon lemon juice for a tangy taste in the chutney.
4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water or as required and grind or blend to a smooth chutney. Don’t make the green chutney thin. Remove the chutney in a bowl and keep aside.
Making spicy red chutney
5. Peel 16 to 18 medium to large sized garlic cloves. Rinse them with water and place in the same grinder jar. Also sprinkle 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon salt or according to taste.
6. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water or as required and grind or blend to a smooth consistency. Remove red chutney in a bowl and keep aside.
Making sweet-sour chutney
7. In a small pan take the following ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons jaggery
- 3 teaspoons amchur powder (dry mango powder)
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 to 2 pinches dry ginger powder (optional)
- 1 to 2 pinches black salt or regular salt or as required
8. Add 3 tablespoons water.
9. Stir and mix very well.
10. Keep this pan on the stovetop and heat on a low flame.
11. Let the mixture gently heat on a low flame.
12. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, then switch off the heat. Keep aside. Check the taste and if required you can add more jaggery or mango powder if required.
Prepping veggies
13. Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Finely chop 1 small to medium-sized onion and 1 medium-sized tomato. You can also chop 1 green chilli if you want. Chop some coriander leaves too.
Roasting puffed rice
14. Take 2 cups puffed rice (murmura, pori, mandakki) in a pan. On a low heat stirring often dry roast the puffed rice.
This is not an essential step and you need to roast the puffed rice if they are not crisp. If they are crisp and crunchy, then you do not need to roast them.
15. Roast the puffed rice stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes till they become crisp. You don’t need to brown them. Let the puffed rice cool at room temperature.
Making Bhel Puri
16. Assemble everything before you begin. Keep the chutneys in a bowl. These chutneys stay well for about a week in the fridge. So you can keep the leftovers in the fridge.
17. In a bowl now take the chopped boiled potatoes, onions and tomatoes. You can also include some boiled moong beans or steamed moong bean sprouts at this step.
18. Add sweet chutney, green chutney and red chutney. You can add the quantity of chutneys as per the taste you want in a bhel puri.
For a spicy bhel puri recipe, include more of the red chutney and green chutney. For a sweet taste add more of the sweet chutney.
19. Sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon chaat masala and ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder. Also, sprinkle some black salt as per taste. If you do not have black salt, then use pink salt, edible rock salt or white salt.
20. Drizzle ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice or according to taste.
21. Stir and mix very well.
22. Now add 1 tablespoon masala chana (optional) and 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (optional). At this step, you can also top up with some crushed puri or papdi.
23. Add puffed rice.
24. Add ¼ cup sev (fried gram flour vermicelli).
25. With a spoon, just swirl the whole mixture together well and be quick.
26. Serve bhel puri immediately in individual bowls or plates. Top up with some sev, puri or papdi and more coriander leaves if you want.
If you don’t serve bhelpuri immediately then the puffed rice will become soggy and you won’t enjoy it. So be quick in serving. Assemble this dish only when you want to serve or eat it.
If there is any leftover chutney then refrigerate them for 1 to 2 days. Enjoy them as a dipping sauce with any Indian snacks.
Expert Tips for Bhel Puri
- Soggy bhel: Bhel poori has to be served as soon as it is made and immediately. Serving even after a couple of minutes will make the whole bhel puri mixture soggy and you won’t enjoy it.
- Assembling: Keep all the ingredients ready before you start mixing everything for making bhel puri.
- Roasting: The puffed rice should be crisp. If not crisp then roast them for some minutes in a pan on a low heat till they become crisp.
- Variations: You can even include grated vegetables like carrots and beetroot. When raw mangoes are in season then you can even include them. Adding raw mangoes gives a very nice tangy taste and crunch.
- Spicing: Spice powders and the chutneys can be adjusted as per your taste buds. You can make chutney at home or even use readymade ones. Best is to use homemade chutneys as you can make them as per your taste and they are fresher.
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Bhel Puri (Bhel Recipe)
Ingredients
For cooking potato
- 1 large potato or 2 medium sized potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- water – as required
For sweet sour chutney
- 3 tablespoons jaggery
- 3 teaspoons amchur powder (dry mango powder)
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 to 2 pinches dry ginger powder – optional
- 1 to 2 pinches black salt or regular salt
- 3 tablespoons water
For spicy red chutney
- 16 to 18 garlic cloves (medium to large-sized)
- 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water or add as required for grinding
For green chutney
- ½ cup coriander leaves or ¼ cup mint leaves + ¼ cup coriander leaves
- ½ inch ginger – roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon chopped green chillies or 1 to 2 green chillies
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water or add as required
Other ingredients
- 2 cups puffed rice – murmura, mandakki, pori
- 1 tablespoon masala chana – optional
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts – optional
- ½ cup boiled moong beans or boiled moong bean sprouts – optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice or add as required
- ¼ cup sev
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 5 to 6 papdi or puri broken in pieces – optional
- black salt as required
For garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sev
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 to 3 papdi or puri
Instructions
Preparation
- Cooking potatoes – Rinse the potatoes very well in fresh water. Then boil 1 large potato or 2 medium sized potatoes in a 2 litre pressure cooker or in a pan with enough water.
- If using a pressure cooker, then pour water just about covering the potatoes. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Once the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid. Drain the water and place the potatoes in a bowl.
- You can also cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot or in a pan adding water as required.
- Let the potatoes cool or become warm at room temperature.
Making green chutney
- Rinse and roughly chop ½ cup fresh coriander leaves (or ¼ cup mint leaves + ¼ cup coriander leaves).
- Add the coriander leaves in a small grinder jar. Also add chopped ginger, green chillies, chaat masala, salt and lemon juice.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water or as required and grind to a smooth chutney. Avoid making green chutney thin. Remove green chutney in a bowl and keep aside.
Making spicy red chutney
- Peel 16 to 18 medium to large sized garlic cloves. Rinse them and add in the same grinder jar.
- Also add kashmiri red chili powder and salt.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water or as required and grind or blend to a smooth consistency. Remove red chutney in a bowl and keep aside.
Making sweet-sour chutney
- In a small pan take jaggery, amchur powder (dry mango powder), kashmiri red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, dry ginger powder (optional) and black salt or regular salt.
- Add 3 tablespoons water. Mix very well.
- Keep this pan on the stove top and heat on a low flame.
- Let the mixture gently heat. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, then switch off the heat. Keep aside. Check the taste and if required you can add some more jaggery or mango powder if required
Prepping veggies
- Peel and chop the potatoes. Finely chop 1 small to medium sized onion and 1 medium sized tomato. You can also chop 1 green chilli if you want. Chop some coriander leaves too.
Roasting puffed rice
- Take the puffed rice (murmura) in a pan. On a low heat stirring often dry roast the puffed rice. If your puffed rice is already crispy and crunchy then you don't need to roast them.
- Roast the puffed rice for 2 to 3 minutes they become crisp. You don’t need to brown them. Let the puffed rice cool at room temperature.
Making bhel puri
- Assemble everything before you begin. Keep the chutneys in a bowl. These chutneys stay well for about a week in the fridge. So you can keep the leftovers in the fridge.
- In a bowl now take the chopped boiled potatoes, onions and tomatoes. You can also include some boiled moong beans or steamed moong bean sprouts at this step.
- Add sweet chutney, green chutney and red chutney. You can add the amount of chutneys as per the taste you want in a bhel puri.
- Sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon chaat masala and ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder. Also add some black salt as per taste. If you do not have black salt, then use pink salt, rock salt or white salt.
- Drizzle ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice or according to taste. Mix very well.
- Now top with 1 tablespoon masala chana (optional) and 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts. At this step you can also add some crushed puri or papdi.
- Add the puffed rice and cup sev (fried gram flour vermicelli).
- With a spoon, just swirl the whole bhelpuri mixture together well and be quick.
- Serve bhel puri immediately in individual bowls or plates. Top up with some sev and more coriander leaves if you want. If you don’t serve bhel immediately then the puffed rice becomes soggy and you won’t enjoy it. So be quick in serving.
Notes
- Spicing: The salt, chutneys and spice powders in this bhel recipe can be adjusted as per your liking. You can use readymade chutneys too.
- No onions: If you don’t have onions, then too you can make the bhel without onions.
- Soggy bhel: Serve bhel puri as soon as you make it. Serving even after a couple of minutes will make it soggy and soft.
- Assembling: Keep all the ingredients ready before you start mixing everything.
- Roasting: The puffed rice should be crisp. If they are not crisp then roast them for some minutes in a pan on a low heat until they become crisp.
- Variations: You can even add grated vegetables like carrots and beetroot. When raw mangoes are in season, add them for a tangy taste and crunch.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Bhel Puri post is from the archives (August 2012) and has been republished and updated on 11 September 2021.
Thank you so much for such a yummy recipe with pictures. I love the little tips you give. It truly helps. Although I dint have all the ingredients it turned out well. The chutneys tasted yum.
thank you neha. glad to know that the tips help. yes, some ingredients can be given a skip if you do not have them. thanks again and happy cooking.
I like dosa and pav bhajji
Hi Dassana – I wasn’t sure what you meant by “no English tradition for bhel puri” but thought you might like to know that there used to be two restaurants in London actually called The Bhel Puri House back in the 70s where people queued to eat the bhel puri amongst other wonderful things! One of the restaurants is still there but the food not as good as it used to be. Your recipe looks wonderful and authentic so I’m going to give it a try. I love bhel puri!
gerladine, i meant english translation and not tradition. by translation i meant there are no words for translating the words bhel puri in english. thanks for sharing this info. i have read earlier about the bhel puri house earlier somewhere.don’t remember where.
yes you do try the recipe. i am sure you will like it.
so I just ate this and it was yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!
thanks nia
Great Recipe. Perfect Mumbai Bhel!!
Thanks Bhavay
Dassana, this is my absolute top fav type of chaat. Always ate it in restaurants, never thought I’d be able to make it at home. Now there are no good Indian restaurants near me (I’m in the US), but thanks to you, I can!! Thank you as always!!
thanks a lot anjali. bhel puri can easily be made at home. its our favorite chaat too. but we are in india and we do have access to the chaat stalls. but best it to make at home ?