Bhel Puri: A Favorite Indian Snack

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/28/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 5 3/4 cups

A snack with almost iconic status in the western region of India, bhel puri (or bhelpuri) is a low-fat, nutritious, and delicious food. It is a chaat, which is a spicy food that's typically sold via street carts throughout the region.

In general, bhel puri is made with puffed rice and sev (a vermicelli-like snack made from gram flour), both of which are available at Indian markets. These dry ingredients are then mixed with onions, potatoes, and chutney and garnished with papdi (savory biscuits made from flour). It is spicy, but also sweet, tart, and salty and can be adapted to enhance any of those characteristics; the versatility in taste is the beauty of bhel puri.

This puffed rice snack can be eaten by the spoonful or scooped onto a flatbread or chip. It's also sometimes served in and eaten from a paper cone. Bhel puri is enjoyed both hot or cold—either way, it is a tasty snack. 

Bhel Puri: A Favorite Indian Snack

The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

"Indian street food at its best, this recipe is an exploration of authentic flavors such as puffed rice, chutney, sev, and papdi. These ingredients are tossed together with more traditional ingredients to make an irresistible snack that you will make again and again." — Diana Andrews

Bhel Puri Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups puffed rice

  • 2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and chopped into tiny cubes

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 1 large tomato, finely chopped

  • 1 3/4 ounces (50 grams) coriander, about 1/2 bunch, finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and salted

  • 1 green chile, finely chopped, or more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind chutney, or mint-coriander chutney, plus more to taste

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • 1/3 cup sev, for garnish

  • 1 handful papdi, coarsely crushed, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for bhel puri snack recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  2. In a large bowl, mix the puffed rice, potatoes, onion, tomato, coriander, peanuts, and green chile together.

    Mix the puffed rice, peanuts, potato, onion, tomato, coriander, and green chiles

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  3. Add the chutney according to your own taste preferences.

    Add the tamarind chutney or mint-coriander chutney to the ingredients in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  4. Mix the contents of the bowl together. Add salt to taste and toss again.

    Mix bhel puri ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  5. Garnish with the sev and papdi. Serve and eat immediately. Enjoy.

    Bhel Puri: A Favorite Indian Snack

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

Recipe Variations

  • For an extra boost of flavor, try adding 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons of chaat masala when mixing the puffed rice, peanuts, potatoes, onion, tomato, coriander, and green chile.
  • Using different types of chutney will change the flavor of the bhei puri. South Indian gunpowder chutney (a dry chutney) will add a good dose of heat, while papaya raisin chutney will add a bit of sweetness.

Tips

  • If the puffed rice isn't crisp, toast it in a dry skillet over low heat for a minute or two.
  • Assemble the bhel puri just before you are going to eat it to prevent the puffed rice from getting soggy.
  • To make this snack even more quickly, simply store the puffed rice, sev, and papdi in airtight containers. Pre-make and either refrigerate or freeze the chutney. This allows you to toss the wet and dry ingredients together on a whim and prevents that unwanted sogginess.
  • The two chutneys listed in the recipe offer very different flavors, so choose which appeals to you. The tamarind chutney, such as a saunth chutney, is a dark, sweet chutney derived from tamarind and dates. In contrast, mint and coriander chutney uses garlic and green chiles for a bit of spice.

Are there different versions of bhel puri?

The dry version of bhel puri, which originated in Mumbai, is known as bhadang, which is spiced with lemon juice, coriander, and onions. The Kolkata version is called jhal muri, which is much spicier than bhel puri. Another kind is known in Bangalore as churumuri or churmuri, which includes grated carrot and mango. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
312 Calories
9g Fat
51g Carbs
10g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 312
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 261mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 114mg 569%
Calcium 197mg 15%
Iron 11mg 59%
Potassium 1329mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)