Bhel
(Curried Puffed Rice)
Sanjiv Singh
Bhel is a concoction that I often bought from street vendors in India as a
child and my mouth still waters at the memory. The contributors say:
"... this recipe is directed at those who know what bhelpuri tastes
like, quantities mentioned are approx., proportions are left to the readers,
to their taste. Purists will have to go to an Indian grocery shop. The most
important thing is to keep the puffed rice-sev mixture crisp by not adding
the other ingredients to it until just before serving".
First boil the potatoes. Peel, Mash and salt them, add pepper to taste. Add
the cilantro leaves.
Roast the cumin and grind it.
Dissolve the
tamarind concentrate in 1 cup of hot water, and let it simmer to thicken
gradually. Dissolve the jaggery (or sugar) until the sauce becomes tart and
slightly sweet. (You may add some salt and ground red paprika, if you want
to). The sauce should be of a consistency slightly thinner than maple syrup.
Pour into a serving container (like a creamer).
Mix the puffed rice and
sev/bhel mix in a large bowl. On your plate, serve the rice-bhel mixture, add
the potatoes, then the onions, chillies, dust the cumin powder over it. Then
pour the sauce and top off with the coriander garnish. (Add salt/pepper to
taste).
From the Dinner Co-op