What is Bhel Puri?
One of the most popular street foods in India is Bhel Puri. Bhel is the Hindi term for puffed rice and puri means a round-shaped white bread deep-fried in oil. This roadside snack has a very twisted tangy flavour which attracts a large crowd. It can easily be prepared at home and is mainly served as an evening snack. People who are fond of fast food or street-style food have always been a lover of this snack in their whole life.
There are many ways of preparing Bhel Puri. Sometimes a question might arise, ‘Is Bhel Puri healthy to eat?’. Although it is an easy-to-go snack, having Bhel Puri on a daily basis can affect our health badly. Let’s read ahead to know more about this tasty evening street-style snack.
Street-Style Bhel Puri Store
International Pulses Day
Pulses are a type of crop that is exclusively grown for dried seeds. They belong to the leguminous family whose seeds are highly nutritious and consumed as food. They are the staple food of many regions all over the globe. The 10th of February has been marked as World Pulses Day since 2019 by the UN General Assembly to raise attention and access to pulses. On this International Pulses Day, people all over put their efforts into raising awareness and making others understand the importance of the production of pulses for sustainability. Celebrating World Pulses Day also reminds every individual of their duty toward the growth of pulses all over the world. There are various types of pulses grown in different regions. Here is a list of pulses which include all sorts of peas, beans and lentils:
Chickpeas
Garden peas
Black-eyed peas
Kidney beans
Baked beans
Butter beans
Broad beans
Runner beans
Red, green, brown and yellow lentils
Pulses Recipes
Pulses are the best source of protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre and are also low-fat. This superfood ingredient is cheap which helps people belonging to all societal levels access it with ease. Pulses are edible in various forms. Some prefer having them in dried forms, some roast them, and others use them in a wide variety of pulses recipes to cook delicious dishes. Bhel puri can also be prepared with pulses. Let’s have a look at this Bhel Puri with pulses recipe in detail:
Bhel Puri with Mixed Pulses Recipe
Bhel Puri, one of the most popular street foods in Mumbai, is typically made up of puffed rice, puri, some veggies, flavoured chutneys, garnished on top with a few herbs and sev. Sev is basically a form of vermicelli made from fried gram flour. This street food, though commonly sold in Mumbai, is found in various other forms in different parts of India. You may follow this Bhel puri with mixed pulses recipe:
Mixed Pulse Bhel Puri
Ingredients
1 cup each of white chickpeas, red chickpeas and rajma
About ½ a cup of moong
2 to 3 cups of puffed rice
1 big potato, chopped into small pieces
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 big tomato, finely chopped
Salt, black Salt and pepper to taste
Some finely chopped coriander leaves
Various flavoured chutneys to serve with and some sev
Method to Prepare
Heat a pan and slightly roast the puffed rice by stirring for at least 2 minutes.
Take all the chickpeas and rajma in one bowl and the moong in another. Wash them well and keep them aside for 6 to 7 hours overnight.
Take a pressure cooker and boil the chickpeas and rajma for at least 5 whistles until they soften. Then pressure cook the moong for 1 or 2 whistles. Make sure to drain out all the water from these pulses and let them cool.
Next, boil the chopped potato pieces in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Drain the water and keep them aside to cool.
Once cold, take a mixing bowl and pour all the pulses and potatoes into it. Pour the roasted puffed rice into it. Add some salt, black salt, and black pepper as per your taste and mix them well.
Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and sev on top, and you’re ready to serve the mixed pulses bhel with some sweet and sour chutneys.
Is Bhel Puri Healthy?
People easily get attracted to the tasty, tangy, delicious street-style foods. Bhel Puri is no exception to this, and hence having it on a daily basis can cause harm to your health. Let us learn about this in detail.
Deep-Fried Puri and Sev:
Puri is one of the main elements required in the preparation of Bhel Puri. It is made up of white flour dough deeply fried in hot oil. Sev, the ingredient which is used to garnish the dish, is a form of vermicelli prepared by deep frying gram flour. We all are aware of the fact that deep-fried foods can cause harm to our health and hence, should not be taken regularly. This stops the fat-burning process while boosting inflammation in our bodies. Most deadly diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular, heart, obesity, etc. result due to such cellular inflammations and stop functioning properly. When such inflammations reach your arteries, they can cause severe heart attacks or strokes.
Potatoes:
Potatoes are one of the commonly used staple foods all over the world. It consists of simple carbohydrates at higher levels, which may make some people gain weight. For people who suffer from heart-related problems, obesity and diabetes, potatoes can turn out to be a harmful diet.
Bhelpuri Calories
The recommended daily calorie intake varies from 2,000 to 2,500 calories. Now, a single serving of Bhel Puri provides almost around 289 calories, of which protein consists of 31 calories, carbohydrates account for 157 calories and the rest includes fat. So, it has been seen that one serving of Bhel Puri holds four per cent of the total calorie of a standard adult diet.
A Few Last Words
Bhel Puri, the most commonly sold fast food, is loved by almost every individual. It is a tasty street food with a variety of flavours and textures. It tastes best when served instantly, as it may easily turn soggy if kept aside. Bhel puri can be prepared in a varied number of ways, other than the traditional Mumbai street style. Although it tastes delicious, taking it on a regular basis can cause harm to your health, thus resulting in some severe diseases.
