Bliss in the tang

Pushpesh Pant

An old saying goes: “Ghar ki murgi daal barabar.” The distilled essence of traditional wisdom means that whatever is prepared at home is seldom valued. A chicken delicacy is treated akin to daily staple. This is truer for street food specialities like chaat. Quiz 100 persons and the chances are 99 will respond alike: Nothing tastes like a tikki, golgappa or paparhi made by the roadside khumchawala. Bhelpuri occupies a place on the top of the list and can never match at home what is on offer amidst the dust and din of the roadside.

Quintessentially a Bombay Chowpati specialty, it has a strong pan-India presence. And bhelpuri is a symphony of tastes and textures that can be easily played at home and can be rendered far more balanced in nutrition.

We had a ‘fruity’ bhel recently that may not please the purist but, to our mind, is second to none.

Bhelpuri

Ingredients:

Puffed rice 2-3 cups

Onion 1 (medium sized chopped fine)

Green chillies 2 (chopped fine)

Potato 1 medium sized (boiled, peeled and diced fine)

Apple 1 (chopped very fine)

Pineapple chunks 2 tbsp

Grapes/raisins 2 tbsp (If using grapes slice into halves)

Small sprig fresh coriander (chopped fine)

Green chutney 2 tsp (prepared with mint, coriander, unripe mango, green chillies)

Sweet and sour tomato chilli sauce 1 tsp

Tamarind extract ¼ tsp

Honey 1 tsp

Black rock salt ¼ tsp

Fine spicy sev ½ cup

Method: Put the puffed rice in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients. Mix well with a fork. Line a stainless steel bowl or a small glass with fine sev and fill it up with the bhel mixture. Pack tightly. Turn upside down on a plate. Sprinkle some more sev on the top and pat delicately to smoothen the surface. Your bhel is ready to serve.