Often, when I have friends over for evening tea, I like to make up some Bhelpuri (or Bhel for short). This fresh, light puffed rice 'salad' is quick and easy to prepare. The colorful, fragrant ingredients like tomato, coriander and lime juice, make it the perfect spring food. Tangy, spicy chutneys jazz Bhelpuri up so that you won't want to stop at just a little.

Bhelpuri in fact, has iconic status in western India! In Mumbai, vendors do brisk business preparing and selling it at every street corner! Its fame and popularity is no longer limited to this part of the country though and it is found pretty much all over India now. Bhelpuri's eastern Indian counterpart is called Jhaal Muri. This is spicier and contains signature east Indian ingredients like mustard oil. Both these delicious foods also make good entrées to a meal!

_{Image © 2008 Petrina Verma Sarkar licensed to About.com}