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Childhood memories and a fat-free snack

Bhel_ was the ultimate treat in school days. There used to be this bhel wala with his cart and a glass box mounted on top of the cart. He used to serve bhel puri, sev puri and pani puri like any other bhel wala. This 'bhaiyya' used to stand right opposite my balcony in Wadala, and that wouldn't make life easier for me. My grandparents wouldn't allow me to eat street food and it required many many days of excellent behaviour to convince them to let me indulge in that tangy treat
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups puffed rice (you can roast this with a pinch turmeric )
  • 1 onion - finely chopped
  • t 1 tomato firm - finely chopped - don ' use the pulp
  • 1 cucumber - skin removed and finely diced
  • 1 carrot small - coarsely grated
  • 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp masala / pani puri masala chat
  • T 1 mango finely chopped raw (optional)
  • T 1 cilantro finely chopped (coriander)
  • Half lime

Method
 

  1. In a big mixing bowl, add all of the last but two ingredients. Mix lightly.Remove onto serving bowls and garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Eat IMMEDIATELY.
  2. This serves 2 people. If you want to serve after a while, keep the puffed rice in a sealed container. keep the vegetable mix aside and mix just before serving.

Notes

Notes-
-Your kids will love this, you can omit the chilli powder though
-This is one fun snack to make with your kids, you can give them all the chopped stuff and ask them to assemble
-Weight watchers- this is one of the few blessings we have. Low cal, filling, full of flavour and crunch ! Remember the more veggies you add, the lower in gets in carbs too and healthier for you too
-You can also add well-drained boiled corn to this
Check out:
Cate's version of bhel here
This interesting post on bhel puri by Meera here
Tags: low-fat, rice, salad, snack, puffed rice, sukha bhel, bhel puri, indian beach snack, indian street food, low cal, Saffron Trail, Recipe, Food, Indian food blog, Healthy eating, Healthy living, Mumbai, India
(c) Nandita Iyer 2006-2015