At my hometown there is a small bhel vendor sells only bhel called "Appa ki Bhel". He makes best bhel in the whole world. When I was in high school me and my friends use to walk more than couple of kilometres that we could save our pocket money all that for just to dig in Bhel. He is making and selling bhel since British raj means more than 80 years. He still makes bhel and sell it now he has a worker under him his children has join him but people die for when he makes bhel.
Bhel is street food or can be tea time snack or can be enjoyed mid night while studying, working or watching movies with squad. It is the easiest yet fulfilling snack. It is made with puffed rice, farsan, chopped onions, tomatoes, savory sev, papdi and types of chutneys like tamarind dates chutney, green spicy chutney and garlic chutney for perfect taste. Then bhel is incomplete without cilantro and fine Savory sev. Every state has it's own take on bhel. The base is puffed rice used in bhel is varies according to every region. Some vendors add cucumber and raw mango too but as per season. Everyone can make it at home too. It is the easiest snack and always tastes great even we don't have some ingredients.
Salute to the Gujrati ladies from Mumbai who has invented bhel long ago by mixing just farsan and puffed rice with little chopped onion and lemon juice. They use to sell this bhel out side of theater to bare the financial expanses for the family. Later it got so much popular, it was became a trend that after a movie or in theater people couldn't skip this mouthwatering Bhel. Every region adapted the bhel and made their own version as per availability of ingredients. If you eat Maharashtrian bhel then it will be sweet and tangy as well as spicy too, where as Jhalmuri from royal state Bengal and north India will be hot and spicy. Mangalorean bhel is also popular called churmuri. There are tons of type in bhel now days like, sukha bhel you will usually get in trains or bus stands, Gili bhel, Pune special Misal bhel, sprouts bhel, dahi bhel for less spicy eaters, farsan bhel, diet bhel for health conscious people, peanut bhel, even fusion version is also quite popular known as chinese bhel (made with crispy deep fried noodles).
You may get to enjoy this dish in some snack center out of India. But in India you will find bhel stalls everywhere. May be some Indian grocery store sell this snack dish. Otherwise Haldiram, Swad, Mirch masala and Garvi gujrat brands do have some ready to mix packaged bhel which comes with ready chutneys you just have to toss it together with chopped onions and tomatoes.Or if you don't find this then they have sukha bhel packets as well so you just need to mix chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro and attack!!! Do try to make it at home or if you find it near you then don't skip this crispy snack.
Happy eating foodies!!!
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