“This is a signature Kricket dish that has been on the menu since day one. Each street vendor in Mumbai has their own version – perhaps just changing a few spices – and we have kept this recipe fairly traditional.
“The only aspect that you wouldn’t typically see is the addition of yoghurt, which I believe is needed to balance the moisture levels in the dish,” explains Will Bowlby, chef and founder of modern Indian restaurant chain Kricket. “It’s incredibly quick to make and virtually all raw, so it’s healthy to boot. You will find both bhel mix and sev in most Indian stores. Bhel mix is made from puffed rice and vegetables while sev is a deep-fried chickpea-noodle snack seasoned with turmeric.”
Here’s how to make it…
Bhel puri
Equipment
- Food processor
- Sterilised jars
- Large, heavy-based saucepan
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp yoghurt
- caster sugar to taste
- 100 g store-bought bhel mix
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1 green raw mango finely diced
- 4 tbsp Coriander Chutney (see below)
- 4 pinches chaat masala
- 4 tbsp Tamarind & Date Chutney (see below)
- 80 g store-bought sev
- a small handful of coriander cress or finely chopped coriander leaves
For the coriander chutney (Makes 450g)
- 500 g fresh coriander, stems and leaves
- 200 ml vegetable oil
- a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger root
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 green chillies
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- caster sugar to taste
- sea salt to taste
For the tamarind and date chutney (Makes 900g)
- 500 g tamarind paste
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 fresh Indian bay leaves
- 300 ml water
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 4 tbsp date purée or a handful of fresh dates
- 200 g jaggery or caster sugar
Method
- Make the coriander chutney. Blitz the coriander in a food procressor with the oil, ginger, garlic and green chillies until it forms a fine paste. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with sugar and salt. Store in sterilised jars in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Make the tamarind and date chutney. Boil all the ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat for about one hour, until well blended and thick. Set aside to cool. If you have used fresh dates, you may need to blitz the chutney in a blender until smooth. Once cool, store in sterilised jars in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Beat the yoghurt in a bowl and sweeten to taste with sugar. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Put the bhel mix in a bowl, add the onion and mango, along with the coriander chutney and chaat masala. Mix well.
- Spoon the mixture into mounds on four serving plates, then generously spoon over the yoghurt and tamarind and date chutney, leaving some yoghurt visible. Sprinkle the sev, and top with the fresh coriander. Serve immediately as it will become soggy very quickly.
Nutrition
Kricket: An Indian-Inspired Cookbook by Will Bowlby, photography by Hugh Johnson, is published by Hardie Grant.
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