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Puffed rice, also known as murmura, is a popular and affordable snack found on Indian streets. Its versatility and budget-friendly nature contribute to its popularity across India. From the spicy Jhalmuri of Bengal to the tangy Bhelpuri of Mumbai, puffed rice forms the base of many bhelpuri-like snacks across various regions of the country.
Video Credit: Chef Ranveer Brar/ YouTube
Bhelpuri is a popular Indian street snack that perfectly blends satisfying tastes and crunchy textures. It combines puffed rice, sev, various vegetables, chutneys, and spices to create an instant, delicious snack. Here are six instant variations and easy-to-make bhelpuri-like chaats that you can customise with puffed rice at home:
Jhalmuri Bhel:
Jhalmuri is the most popular street snack in Bengal. It is a dry version of bhel puri that has no chutneys. Jhalmuri is assembled with spice powders like turmeric, cumin, and chilly powder. The other ingredients are raw mustard oil, sliced boiled potatoes, lemon juice, peanuts, green chillies, and slivers of coconut, which is a unique ingredient used in this kind of snack that is spicy, tangy, and hot in flavour.
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Churmuri:
Churmuri is a well-known street snack that is hailed and enjoyed in Karnataka, especially by the beachside in the evenings in the South Canara region of the state or during carnivals and fairs in Mangalore and other towns of this western ghats region. Churmuri includes puffed rice, sev, peanuts, boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, coconut oil, spice powders, and a touch of salt.
In Bengaluru, churmuri is made by adding green and tamarind sweet chutney along with grated carrots, chopped onions, tomatoes, and cucumber. You can make it special by mixing in crushed nippatu and kodubale too.
Kachumbar Bhel:
The kachumber bhel is one of the lighter and fresher variations, which makes it different from traditional bhelpuri. This lighter variation snack is enjoyed by people in street stalls, dhabas, or even in modern cafes offering Indian street food. Kachumber bhel offers a milder taste, which allows the natural flavours of the other ingredients to shine.
Image Credit: Freepik
Yoghurt Bhel:
Yoghurt bhel, also called dahi bhel, is a refreshing take on classic bhelpuri. The base for yoghurt is essentially the same as that of a regular bhel puri, which includes puffed rice, sev, onion, and other veggies. But the unique dressing technique of adding yoghurt to the bhel mixture and sprinkling it with chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, and red chilli powder makes it delicious.
Chinese Bhel:
Chinese bhel is an Indo-China street snack. In this bhel puri variation, fried noodles are mixed with chopped vegetables like spring onion, cabbage, capsicum, onion, and coriander leaves and tossed in with sauces like tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, and Schezwan sauce. It is uniquely crunchy in texture and tastes tangy. This Chinese bhel is a flavourful combination of Indian spices and Chinese-inspired ingredients.
Image Credit: Freepik
Girmit:
Girmit is another bhel-like street snack that is popular in the northern part of Karnataka, like Hubli and Dharwad, for teatime snacks. It includes puffed rice mixed with masala made from onions, turmeric, coriander, besan flour, and other spices. This snack is spicy and served with a mirchi pakodi as a combination.
