Bhel puri is more than just a popular Indian puffed-rice snack. Assembled in a bowl as guests watch, it makes for a captivating performance.
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Every great host has a party trick, that ingenious move that will always dazzle guests. Mine is bhel puri.
I didn’t always see it that way. I grew up eating bhel puri in snack bars perched within South Asian grocery stores or, when we visited India, at roadside stands. The tangy-sweet snack of puffed rice is streaked with herb and tamarind chutneys, potatoes, finely diced onions and other crunchy, fried bits.
Recipe: Bhel Puri for a Party
My perspective shifted one Thanksgiving, when my aunt Rachna showed up at our house with a laundry basket filled with the components for her bhel puri, including unripe mangoes, cilantro and her secret ingredient, freshly fried tortilla strips.
As soon as the guests all arrived, she set a large bowl on the kitchen island, gathered us around and put on a show. In went the puffed rice, then the other ingredients, all in methodical order. She tossed with vigor, then tasted periodically. Too sweet? Not spicy enough? She ladled in chutney accordingly.
My cousins and I watched with rapt attention as she festooned the crunchy rice, turning it into a bright-tasting, many-textured appetizer. She divided the bhel puri into bowls and urged us to eat it immediately, before it got mushy. No one could eat just one serving. Each spoonful was a thrill, and the crunchy-gone-soggy texture was irresistible.
Since then, Thanksgiving in my family has never felt complete without Rachna’s bhel puri, and the accompanying spectacle.
I’ve had many versions of the dish, including ones I’ve thrown together at dinner parties. But my aunt’s remains the gold standard. Her homemade chutneys stand in fierce contrast to one another, making for a bold bite. The freshly fried tortilla strips deftly soak up each flavor. The assortment of crispy textures makes you want to keep eating. And the turmeric-toasted puffed rice gives the bhel puri its subtle, earthy complexity.
I meant to publish the recipe in my cookbook “Indian-ish” five years ago, but Rachna wasn’t ready to share the recipe. This year, I decided I couldn’t keep making good-but-not-exceptional bhel puri for dinner parties. The world needed this recipe! And with a little nudge, my aunt agreed to write it down.
I’m pleased to report that replicating her superlative bhel puri — for Thanksgiving, or any event — is not that difficult. The components can be blended, diced and toasted a day or two beforehand, and they’re highly portable, making this dish ideal for a potluck. Do as Rachna does and use the biggest bowl you own, then summon your guests to the stage — ahem, table. Toss the bhel puri with panache and invite everyone to taste as you go.
I’ll say it: The classic Thanksgiving dishes tend to be bland. Your meal deserves big flavors — and a big performance, too.
Priya Krishna is a reporter in the Food section of The Times. More about Priya Krishna
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