Bhelpuri - Indian Snack

Bhelpuri is one of the most loved and relished street food of India . It is called by different names in various parts of India like Jhalmuri in Kolkatta , Bhel in Maharahstra /Gujarat ,  Masal Pori or Mandakki in Karnataka, Pori Kadle in Tamilnadu .
Names may be different but the main ingredient remains the same - Puffed rice/kurmura/pori  Depending on the regions the various chutneys and flavoring spices added to this impart its regional taste, touch and feel to the snack .
As many of you might know about my love and connection to Mumbai , you just cannot separate the street food flavor as well as the Mumbai out of me .So as you guessed it right , today we shall see how to make Bhelpuri the way it is served in Bombay .
The main flavoring for bhel comes from the Theekha chutney and Meetha chutney which play a very important role .
You can check out how to make the two chutneys and store it in your freezer . If you have the chutney ready then it is absolutely a child's play to assemble Bhelpuri. 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - Nil
Complexity- easy

Ingredients
1 big bowl of puffed rice/kurmura/ pori
1 medium sized potato boiled and mashed
2 medium tomatoes chopped finely
1 medium cucumber chopped finely
1 medium onion (optional) chopped finely
3-4 tablespoons meetha chutney
2 tablespoon Theekha chutney
1/2 lemon
Finely chopped coriander
Some fine sev /aloo sev
Handful of Flavored groundnuts /fried channa dhall
Pinch of black salt
1 tsp red chilli powder.

Method

• In a wide mixing bowl, add the chopped potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cucumber with some meetha chutney and theeka chutney and mix it well with a spoon . This will ensure the flavor is well absorbed by the vegetables. 
• Add in the puffed rice, remaining chutneys, some flavored groundnuts /channa dhall, red chilli powder , black salt and mix it well until the chutneys coat the puffed rice nicely. Lastly squeeze some lime juice and mix it again .
• You can adjust the spice as per your taste by adding or reducing the amount of chutneys used .
• Lastly garnish the bhel with some crisp sev and fresh coriander and serve it with a cup of tea . 
• I have not used onions as we follow a no onion no garlic diet at home . 
• Fresh and thinly diced raw mangoes can also be added in the mango season

Meetha chutney
8-10 dates - remove the seed or use seedless

lemon sized tamarind
2-3 tablespoon powdered jaggery
1-2 tsp roasted jeera powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
pinch of salt.

Method

• In a big vessel, add the dates and tamarind with 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil for 5 mins. Let it cool well.
• Put them in a blender and grind it well and sieve it through a strainer.
• To this thick extract, add the jaggery , red chilli powder,salt,jeera powder and about  1 cup water and bring it to a slight boil .
• Once it cools down, you can refrigerate this chutney.

Theekha Chutney 

half a bunch fresh corriander / cilantro
1/4 bunch of pudina / mint
Few cashew nuts or raw peanuts
3-4 green chillies
1 tbsp lime juice
salt as per taste
pinch of  black salt
Pinch of sugar

Method

• Blend all the ingredients except salt and black salt in a blender / mixie with minimal water only if needed.The lime juice does the needful.
• Finally add the black salt and normal salt and mix well.
• Store and refrigerate in a dry air tight container and use a dry spoon for prolonged shelf life.