Know Fascinating Facts About Your Favourite Street Food Bhel Puri

Puffed rice is a common food for Indians in both rural and urban areas. When different kinds of spices, condiments, and vegetables are added to this puffed rice, it forms a delicious snack that is available as popular street food all over India. This unique spicy food is named as Bhel when offered for sale on the street food stalls of Juhu Beach in Mumbai. It is also known in various other names in different parts of India, like Jhal muri in Bengal and Churmuri in Mangalore.

Useful information about the intake of Bhel puri

 

Bhel Puri | Image Resource : shutterstock.com

• As Bhel is made from puffed rice, it is easily digestible and does not add too many calories to the body. Usually, one serving of this food supplies 250 calories approximately, which is much lower than other snacks commonly available in food stalls. Moreover, it is a very inexpensive way of fulfilling one’s appetite, as this tasty cuisine is available at amazingly cheap prices.
• The actual origin of this food is not known to anyone and people generally believe that it was invented on the roadside eateries of Mumbai. Later, it was transformed and renamed in some parts of India, with the addition of different other ingredients to make it spicier and tastier. When mustard oil is added according to the common taste of Bengalis, it becomes Jhal muri or spicy puffed rice. Churmuri in Mangalore and Mysore is made by adding many vegetables, like chopped cucumbers and boiled carrots, along with coconut oil and roasted groundnuts.
• In most of the food stalls, all types of Bhel are served in paper cones, which are biodegradable and environment-friendly. People eat this food with little wooden spoons or with the large papdis that are served with the spiced puffed rice. So it is fun eating this street food, which is a great enjoyment for kids.
• Different types of Bhel puri are invented and sold in the street food stalls, which are now very popular. Sev is a fried snack made from besan and several spices. When a large amount of sev is added to all other ingredients of Bhel, it is called Bhel sevpuri. If yogurt or dahi is added along with a variety of tangy chutney and other spices, it is sold as Dahi Bhelpuri.
• Different types of chutneys are used to add more flavours to the puffed rice, among which coriander and saunth chutneys are usually used by most of the street food vendors. The spicy, green coriander chutney is made from fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves, and green chillies. The sweet, dark brown crown coloured saunth chutney is made from tamarind pulp, dry ginger, and dates.

As tomatoes, onions, and boiled potato are added to Bhel puri, it is considered as a healthy food for all young and old. Everyone loves to have this lip-smacking street food in their leisure time.