yay!! for street food – Bhel Puri Recipe (Chaat Recipe)

Street food is something most people love…..except the chronic paranoid though…..i am happy to announce I made the transition quite quickly, from the state of paranoia to the ardent lover…. There is something rustic and lustful about hot, spicy street food….and it cannot be repeated enough times…that it can never be replicated at home…..the environs are too sanitized……from someone who never ate off a bandi or cart, I moved over to someone who now knows the best places to get specific chaat items….yes…all ye people lusting after all those pav bhajis, bhel puris, ragda patties, dahi puris and pani puris in hyderabad, you know now who to contact!! And to all those people who scoff and say “oh the best place to have chaat is mumbai / delhi / agra / calcutta or wherever else you come from” , lets just say, prepared for a major tongue lashing if ever we pick up this conversation……

The one street food item I thought was completely overrated, is the bhel puri…..yes I am quite opinionated that way!! I mean, you cant really proclaim love to some puffed rice that doesn’t even stay crisp when assaulted by some various sundry additions right?? wrong…..k made me see differently…despite the fact that I often scoffed at his love for this item……on holi, a kind and garrulous uncle and aunty who live on the floor below, sent us some homemade goodies and k relished the bhel like there was no tomorrow…..i had been promising to make it for him….and though holi wasall the way back in march, I never got down to doing it till a few days ago……i didnt have the puris that it called for, but armed with a packet of murmura, and licking the imli – date chutney incessantly while it cooked and till I was satisfied, I made this from Meera’s Enjoy Indian Food…..and we loved it!! hurrah for bhel puri….another chronic paranoid conquered!!

this is my entry to Sia’s MBP which this month is all about Street Food

For the bhel puri

3 cups puffed rice / murmura/ muri

½ cup fine sev / bhujia (I used a mixed mixture)

2-3 T finely chopped onions

2 T finely chopped tomato

2 T chopped cucumber

2-3 T finely chopped raw mango / 2 T fresh lime juice

2 T finely chopped coriander leaves

½ a boiled potato roughly mashed

1 t chaat masala

2-3 T imli and date chutney

1 t Tabasco sauce

In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients , reserving a little sev and coriander leaves for the garnish, mix using a large spoon so that everything is well incorporated. Dish it out into individual serving bowls, garnish with sev and fresh coriander leaves.

for the date and imli chutney

4-5 dried dates soaked in 1/2 cup water till soft

3 T tamarind extract

1-2 t sugar

1/2 t red chilli powder

1/2 cup water

blend all the above to a smooth paste. transfer to a pan and cook till it thickens to a saucy consistency (about 4-5 minutes)