i want (ok, NEED) bhel puri recipes

tacita

yes, i'm an addict, and to ensure a readily available supply of my drug of choice, i've decided that i must be equipped to make it myself. i found one bhel puri recipe in the "recipe of the day" thread, but am seeking others, as well. a few online sources suggest there are numerous variations. so, please tell me what i'll need in my larder.

(ps: i'm also really hoping that the ingredient "tomato ketchup" is a cruel mistake, or that it doesn't refer to the gross stuff ubiquitous with american french fries and other abominable non-foods.)

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wonderwomanusa

I felt that way about "hot and sour" soup, Janice, until I tried three or four recipes and still never achieved anything I liked as much as that from the Chinese restaurant 10 blocks away!

I suspect it's INDIAN KETCHUP which is sweeter.

PeakXV

Apparently that little snack has some history:

"It is said that British were quite amused by the variety of snacks available in India and one day an officer tasted something which locals called Bhel Puri and ordered his cook to find the recipe and prepare it for the entire barrack. The poor English cook not knowing what his officer had and what it looked like, went door to door only to find different recipes for the dish. He came back dejected and told the officer that he was unable to find a proper recipe. The mad officer ......."


Read more including recipes @ Bhel Puri

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wonderwomanusa

So, okay, you tried a bhel puri recipe ... how did it turn out?

icetea

I don't know if home-made chaats can ever be nearly as tasty as road-side chaats. I have never tried making it at home, I'm not sure it's worth it, it's just one of those things that people eat outside. Ketchup is ketchup, the sweet version, yes.

Alohaguy

You are right Icetea, some things just can not be made at home!
Bhelpuri is one such thing. Of course others are Chat, Golguppas (Pani Puri), Potatoe chops, Jalebis and other Halwai sweets.

shashank.aggarwal

The chaat made at home is lot more that what you get on the roadside..but alas not anyone can make them...

Most of the Indian ladies also cannot make them properly..but Thank God for giving me a Mom like I have and thank god for my Naani as well (Grand Mom)..who is an excellent cook and my mom has even suspassed her..so from Dhoklas to Dosa to Tikki to Uttapam to Naan to Bhalle-padadi to Burger, Pizza, Pao Bhaji & Dal-Baati-Choorma and lots more..everything can be made at home and it tastes lot better than anything outside...

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shashank.aggarwal

All Halwai sweets can be made at home..you need patience, ingredients, and loads of passion..

Panu-Puri, Jalebi, Chops, Bhel Puri..everything...

jujuma

Well, perhaps we won't achieve the same results at home. However, some of us might be too far from a proper chaat-walla on most days of our lives, and some of us might just have delicate stomachs. Mayn't we at least TRY to prepare them?
I was actually looking for bhel puri recipies online a few days ago. The most promising I found were at
http://www.tarladalal.com/Recipes.asp
Specifically
http://www.tarladalal.com/RecipeDetail.asp?rec=1&id=329
but they are a bit daunting in terms of the ingredients lists, and I haven't made the attempt yet, so I can't vouch for the results any of these recipies will give.
I myself am rather interested in preparation of golguppas. I see the little puri shells sold is shops all over town, so SOMEONE must be fixing them at home. Any guidelines?

nomad

can help you with pani puri. but we make naan at home. we follow the recipe video at about.com. its often very good. much better than the restaurents here in singapore ( have not tried all of them :-) )

http://video.about.com/indianfood/Naan-Recipe.htm

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ladyvetphd

Hi Janice

Here's a quick recipe for Paani Poori

Get a paani pooi masala packet (EVEREST brand)from the nearest Indian store, the packet will give you directions to prepare the paani.

Buy pooris from the same store.

Boil potatoes and smash or use hot boiled white chana / sprouted moong for the stuffing
Prepare easy sweet/ and spicy chutney.
For sweet chutney
boil water with jaggery and tamarind and or some Khajoor (dates)
For the spicy chutney make it with cilantro leaves and chillies with a sprig of mint if you like.
Try making adjustments starting with one/2 chillies depending on you liking.
So I hope this is easy enough for you.

tacita

<sigh>
well, it was okaaaay, but it just didn't taste like it does at any of the indian places i've had it. i think i need to pay closer attention to the ingredients when i next have it. it comes out very light and delicate, not too sweet or mushy. however, every recipe i've seen calls for more chutney or other quasi-liquids than i recall having in the finished dishes i've enjoyed. even though i used less than was called for on suspicion that it might be too much, my homemade variety was still sort of...gloppy.

alas, maybe some gastronomic experiences just can't be duplicated...

thanks for the additional comments and recipe!

tacita

indeed! and we may! we have and we will, dog-gone-it! power to the puris!

i was able to get all of those ingredients--and then some--but it just ain't the same. it just ain't, i tell you.

Amyth

Bhel is nothing but a pot pourri of tangy/snacky tid bits. The trick to get the best mix rests in the sauces (chutneys- green and tamrind)the tastier the sauce the better is the bhel. A few tips to make it crispier and different:
Dry roast the puffed rice,add some salt and turmeric powder, cool it, mix some roasted peanuts, sev and boondi and store it in a vacuum container and use it when BHEL PURI cravings begin. Alright now , craving? ...scoop up some of the above mixture in a deep sauce pan, add finely chopped onions,tomatoes,raw mango,cucumber...you can go on and on with the ingeredients to make it healthy, like pomegranate seeds, grated carrots, lentil sprouts.... Pour in the sauces, mix well, garnish it with thinnnnnnn sev, chopped onions and finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro )!! Pop in a spoon in your mouth? Edible..no? Try again...Delectable? Go ahead, serve and hog all the appreciation and the bhel!

WARNING: Add Tomato Sauce in the Bhel at your own Risk, the results can be really harmful to the gustatory organ

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Gayamom

Amyth's post makes my mouth water. Given time constraints and lack of pantry/ fridge space, my bhel puri solution is to buy Swad's bhel puri kit. They include the puffed rice, little crunchy puris, sev, and three different chutneys. It's about $2.75 at my Indian grocer. You add potato, cucumber, green chilis, onion, coriander leaf, soaked brown chick peas and you're done. In the summer, this occasionally substitutes for supper. I actually prefer to have the veggies alone with just roasted and ground cumin/ red chilis plus salt, lime and black pepper, but the rest of the family digs into the bhel.