Make Ahead

Snap Crackle Pop!! Bombay Bhel puri

by:
June  9, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 3-4
Author Notes

This has been an incredibly productive week in terms of food prep. I've had so much fun making my favorite Mumbai street foods, & I have the entire food52 team to profusely thank! Although in the end, this is a contest that will be judged & a winner selected and editors picks nominated, for the first time since I started participating in food52, It feels that adding these piquant offerings has been a labor of love. My entries may win or may not even be nominated for an editors pick, doesn't matter, I've already reaped my rewards!
Mumbai is the city of my childhood & youth, She's nourished & enriched me socially, culturally & academically. Its to Mumbai & its culinary heritage that I fall back upon when going nuts developing my unique creations of fusion cuisine. Picking just one street side food item would be like asking a mother to pick a favorite child!

I may as well make this a Bombay's big five series count down.. lets see.. Vada pao, Vegetable chutney sandwich, Pani puri, Sev batata puri & the one & only Bombay bhel puri.

Bhel puri is the only one of the set of dishes in this series that requires a spoon to eat. Bhel may be described as a colloquial term for 'mixture' As the name suggests, its a mixture of unsweetened puffed crispy rice, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes bound together by a piquant sweet & savory blend of green & brown chutney. the sev used to liberally garnish the finished product, adds an extra crunch. Of course, the extra heat that is added in the native version in the form of finely minced green chilies, has been omitted.. —Panfusine

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups puffed rice OR unsweetened rice krispies cereal
  • 8-10 pieces of puries (Deep fried crisps available from the Indian store)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped heirloom or vine ripened tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet vidalia onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped kirby or hothouse cucumber
  • 1/4 cup boiled, crumbled potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro/mint chutney
  • 2 tablespoons sweet & sour tamarind chutney
  • Salt & pepper powder
  • A sprinkling of paprika
  • 1 cup Sev (for garnishing)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Directions
  1. For the cilantro mint chutney,please refer to http://www.food52.com/recipes/12414_basic_cilantro_mint_chutney and the recipe for the tamarind sauce may be found at http://www.food52.com/recipes/10460_sweet_sour_tamarind_sauce
  2. Crumble the puries into small pieces and add them to the puffed rice in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion & the potatoes, stir to combine.
  4. Add the sweet & spicy chutneys & mix lightly till the chutneys coat the puffed rice.
  5. Quickly ( this is of the essence since the puffed rice begins getting soggy), sprinkle with salt, pepper & paprika if desired. Ladle onto a serving plate, garnish with sev and chopped cilantro.
  6. Serve immediately. the snap crackle & pop indicates the freshness. when that stops, you'll be left with a moist chewy mass of deflated puffed rice. Its still tasty though!

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A biomedical engineer/ neuroscientist by training, currently a mommy blogger on a quest for all things food - Indian Palate, Global perspective!

5 Reviews

Panfusine June 9, 2011
thanks susan_g, The pleasure's all mine!
susan G. June 9, 2011
Your fun is great, since you're sharing it with us.
Panfusine June 9, 2011
Thanks!
Panfusine June 9, 2011
SOmething in me just went bonkers! I know, but this is the most fun I've had ever since I started entering recipes for the food52 contest, The competitive aspect totally blurred away..Hopefully tomorrow I'll get back to it with the next theme!
Sadassa_Ulna June 9, 2011
You are on fire! All of your recipes sound great, what a wonderful series to offer to food52. I wish Philadelphia had street food like Mumbai!