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Lakshmi's Cookbook Videos

Bhel Puri



Aaaand the millet series comes to an end! Back to other dishes now. A fresh start with… the all-time favourite Bhel Puri! Earlier, I was not a big fan of chaat dishes. But my kids were completely into pani puri, bhel puri, dahi papdi chaat and all the chaats out there. Slowly, I was influenced by them and, now, I have also become one of the many fans of chaats. This recipe is from Veg Recipes of India. This chaat is the perfect combination of sweet, spice, tangy, crunchy and soft. This is definitely better than the store bought chaats, as we are making the chutneys at home. Each chutney has a unique flavor and can also be used in other chaats and dishes. All the potato, tomatoes, onions, coriander add a fresh twist to the chaat. Extra add ons like sev, masala peanuts and chana dal complete this amazing chaat. Make it any time of the day to add a little spice to your day!

Preparation time: 15 mins| Cooking time: 15 minsCourse: snacks| Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

Puffed rice (pori)- 2 cups
Masala chana- 1tblsp
Roasted peanuts- 2 tblsp
Sev- ½ cup
Chat masala- 1tsp
Roasted cumin powder- ½ tsp
Salt- as needed
Lemon juice- ½ to 1 tsp
Onion- 1 (big)
Tomato-1 (big)
Boiled potato- 1 (big)
Coriander leaves- for garnishing

For green chutney:

Coriander leaves- ½ cup
Ginger- ½ inch (chop roughly)
Green chilies- 1 to 2
Salt- ¼ tsp
Lemon juice- ½ tsp
Water- 2 to 3 tblsp or as needed

For spicy chutney:

Garlic cloves- 16 to 18 medium
Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsps
Salt- ¼ tsp
Water- as needed

For sweet sour chutney:

Jaggery- 3 tblsp
Amchur powder (dry mango powder)- 3 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder- ¼ tsp
Roasted cumin powder- ¼ tsp
Salt- 1 to 2 pinches
Water- 3 tblsp

Method:

To make green chutney-

1.      Rinse the coriander leaves thoroughly. Chop and add it to a mixer grinder.
2.      Add the ginger, green chilies, salt and lemon juice.
3.      Add 2 to 3 tblsp of water and grind it into a smooth chutney. Make sure the chutney is not thin. Remove and keep aside.

To make spicy chutney-

1.      Peel 16 to 18 medium sized garlic cloves. Wash and clean them. Add them to the mixer grinder.
2.      Add Kashmiri chili powder and salt to the mixer grinder.
3.      Add 2 to 3 tblsp of water and grind to a smooth consistency. Remove and keep aside.

To make sweet sour chutney-

1.      To a small pan add the jaggery powder, amchur powder, Kashmiri chili powder, roasted cumin powder and 1 to 2 pinches of salt.
2.      Add 3 tblsp of water and mix everything well.
3.      Keep this pan on the stove top and heat on low flame.
4.      When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly thickens, switch off flame.

To make bhel puri-

1.      Finely chop the onion and tomatoes and keep ready. Peel the boiled potato and chop and keep ready.
2.      Add 2 cups of puffed rice to a kadai. Stir it on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes, until they become crisp. Make sure you don’t brown them. Let it cool in room temperature.
3.      In a big bowl add the chopped potato, onion and tomato.
4.      Add sweet chutney, green chutney and the red spicy chutney as per the taste that you prefer (I used approximately 1 tblsp each).
5.      Now add chat masala, cumin powder and salt. Drizzle ½ to 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix everything well.
6.      Now add masala chana and roasted peanuts. Add the puffed rice and sev.
7.      Mix everything with a spoon and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it immediately or else it might turn soggy.

Notes:

·        The chutneys can be stored in fridge for a week.
·        If you prefer the bhel to be spicy add more of green and red chutney. If you prefer it to be sweet and tangy add more of sweet and sour chutney.

Step by step pictures


 add coriander, green chilies, ginger
and salt to a mixer grinder. add a little 
water and grind into smooth chutney.
this is green chutney
 to amixer jar add peeled garlic and 
kashmiri chili powder and salt. add
a little water and grind into smooth chutney.
this is spicy red chutney 
 to a pan add jaggery powder, kashmiri
chili powder, amchur powder, cumin powder
and salt. add a little water and stir on low flame.
when it thickens, switch off  flame.
this is sweet and sour chutney 
 dry roast the puffed rice in a kadai
until it turns crispy
in a large bowl add the boiled and 
chopped potato, chopped onion and tomato 
 add all the three chutney according
to your taste preference
 add masala chana dal 
and roasted peanuts.
 add the puffed rice and sev.
drizzle lemon juice
add chat masala and roasted cumin powder
mix everything well.
garnish with coriander levaes.
serve immediately.


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