Bhel Puri Recipe with Chana is a popular Indian Street Food that is made with murmura (puffed rice), onions, tomatoes, chutneys, spices, dry roasted peanuts, and chickpeas. This healthy bhel recipe is made without the traditional bhel mix so you can have bhel puri whenever you want.
Growing up, on days my mom didn't feel like cooking, we would make bhel puri chaat, or any form of chaat really. The combination of sweet, spicy, and tangy chutneys, and veggies with a crunch is so satisfying.
My mom would always try and make chaat healthier for us by adding ingredients such as yogurt, chickpeas, and nuts, and skipping the fried stuff. There are so many ways to eat better without losing the flavor.
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What is Bhel Puri with Chana
Bhel Puri is an Indian Street Food that's highly popular on the streets of Mumbai. You will find bhel puri often served at the roadside stalls in India, Haldiram's, and on beaches of Mumbai.
This Indian snack is typically made with traditional bhel mix or crispy papdi which are crispy flat puris, murmura which is puffed rice, an assortment of veggies, spicy & tangy chutneys, ground spices, fresh cilantro, and sev (crunch noodles made with chickpea flour). The best part is, this easy recipe can be made in under 30 minutes.
For my healthy version, I added chickpeas and skipped the bhel mix and papdi. I also added roasted peanuts and topped this dish with papad (a thin Indian cracker that's flavored with spices). This wet bhel puri (also known as gheela bhel) is gonna make your taste buds dance. Enjoy this perfect snack as an appetizer, snack, or even a meal.
Why You Will Love Recipe
- A Healthy Bhel Puri without any of the fried stuff
- Delicious & Flavorful
- Hits the Spot
- A great option for Make-Ahead meal
- Vegan & Gluten-free Appetizer/Snack
Ingredients
- Murmura: Murmura is known as puffed rice in English. They can be found at your local Indian grocery store or even the regular grocery stores. Here are some brands I recommend here and here.
- Potatoes: I like using gold potatoes or russet potatoes for this recipe. Make sure you boil the potatoes and then peel & cube them.
- Chickpeas: Not traditonally added to bhel puri, but chickpeas adds some protein and fiber. I like using organic canned chickpeas - rinsed & drained. Feel free to use dry chickpeas that you will need to soak overnight and then cook.
- Veggies: Onions & Tomatoes - both chopped.
- Tamarind Chutney: You can easily find delicious Tamarind Chutneys in the store so I don't bother making it. Laxmi and Deep make excellent tamarind chutneys. Any sweet chutney will work - even date chutney.
- Cilantro Chutney: I make fresh coriander chutney at home. Here is the recipe for my spicy green chutney. You can use mint chutney instead.
- Peanuts: I use unsalted peanuts that I dry roast. You can find these unsalted peanuts at the Indian store.
- Lemon: You'll need to add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Alternatively, lime juice works too!
- Spice Powders: You'll need Red Chili Powder, Chaat Masala which adds a nice tangy taste, and Black Salt.
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves: You'll need fresh cilantro/coriander leaves for this recipe.
- Sev: Fine sev or bhujia sev is optional. You can find this at your local Indian store.
- Papad: I like using Jeera Papad which I bake in the toaster oven for a few minutes.
How to Make Bhel Puri Recipe with Chana - Step by Step Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients first starting with murmura (crispy puffed rice).
2. Now add the diced boiled potatoes.
3. Add the chickpeas. If you're using canned chickpeas, make sure they're washed, rinsed, and drained.
4. Add the chopped onions.
5. Next add the wet ingredients starting with the chopped tomatoes.
6. Add the chutneys - tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney. I used store-bought tamarind chutney and used my recipe for homemade cilantro chutney.
7. Add the spices - chat masala, kala jeera (roasted cumin powder), and red chili powder.
8. Now add some chopped fresh cilantro.
9. Mix everything well. Add the dry roasted peanuts.
10. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
11. Transfer the healthy bhel to a serving platter and top with fine sev.
12. For garnish - top with papad which adds a really nice touch. Additionally, you may also garnish with pomegranate seeds. Enjoy this bhel recipe at room temperature.
Expert Tips
✓ Prep your ingredients in advance.
✓ Store-bought sweet tamarind chutney works just fine!
✓ Make this dish right before serving to prevent the murmura from getting soggy.
Serving Suggestions
→ Serve this delicious evening snack with some papad on top. It also gives this dish a wow factor.
→ A cup of masala chai is always a winner with chaat.
Variations
This is a healthy bhel puri, however if you'd like a more traditional Bhel Puri, feel free to add half murmura and half bhel mix along with some crispy papdi.. Note: modifying the recipe will change the nutrition information of the original.
Storage
Bhel Puri will get soggy in the refrigerator, my recommendation is to store each ingredient individually, such as the tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, and chutneys.
This healthy snack is great for meal prepping so you can prep your ingredients in advance and make Bhel Puri when your heart desires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe is completely vegan.
Yes. This recipe is gluten-free.
Absolutely! You can soak the dry chickpeas overnight and cook them the next day in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
You can use black beans, kidney beans, or even cannellini beans. They're all a good source of protein and fiber.
If you don't want to use murmura, there are many other options. Feel free to add bhel mix, papdi, chivda, tortilla chips, corn flakes, rice krispies cereal or papad to your bhel puri. Basically, anything crunchy as a base will work!
For a more hearty bhel puri, feel free to add chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, or cabbage. Furthermore, you can also add raw mangoes - chopped.
For spicy flavors, go ahead and add some chopped green chilies or serrano peppers for a spicier bhel. Feel free to add red garlic chutney if you wish.
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I'm happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
Recipe Card
Bhel Puri Recipe with Chana (Healthy Bhel)
Vegan, Gluten-freeEquipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups mumura
- 1 cup diced potatoes boiled
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas rinsed & drained
- 1 cup red onions chopped
- ¾ cup tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoon tamarind chutney
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon cilantro chutney
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chat masala
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- ¼ cup peanuts dry roasted
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- to taste fresh cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoon sev
- 1 papad broken for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients first starting with murmura (crispy puffed rice).
- Now add the diced boiled potatoes.
- Add the chickpeas. If you're using canned chickpeas, make sure they're washed, rinsed, and drained.
- Add the chopped onions.
- Next add the wet ingredients starting with the chopped tomatoes.
- Add the chutneys - tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney. I used store-bought tamarind chutney and used my recipe for homemade cilantro chutney.
- Add the spices - chat masala, kala jeera (roasted cumin powder), and red chili powder.
- Now add some chopped fresh cilantro.
- Mix everything well. Add the dry roasted peanuts.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
- Transfer the healthy bhel to a serving platter and top with fine sev.
- For garnish - top with papad which adds a really nice touch. Additionally, you may also garnish with pomegranate seeds. Enjoy this bhel recipe at room temperature.
Notes
- Prep all the ingredients in advance.
- Assemble the bhel puri right before serving to prevent the bhel from getting soggy.
- Feel free to use store-bought tamarind chutney.
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