Anti-Inflammatory Bhel
Bhel (AKA Bhel Puri) is one of the most popular Indian Street Foods. As most Desi people living outside of India, it is hard to find authentic Indian Street Food, unless you live close to a big city. When I moved to Utah from metro Atlanta, I definitely, missed going to restaurants that specialized in Indian Street Food.
Over the years, I have struggled with gut inflammation. I love Indian Street Food, but most dishes tend to be inflammatory, making you feel bloated, constipated, or my personal favorite, severe acid reflux. Over the last year, i have used resources like Honey Ghee and Tea to better understand and manage my GI health, while, enjoying the food I love. I finally nailed the perfect anti-inflammatory Bhel Puri Recipe and it is SO GOOD! If you grew up loving Indian Street Food but have a hard time with inflammation, you must try this recipe. It is loaded with flavor and fresh veggies, making this a perfect summer snack or meal. This recipe can serve 3-4 people, but lets be realistic, you are probably going to eat more than one serving :-D
Ingredients
1 1/2 C of Cooked Garbanzo Beans
3/4 C of Corn
2 Carrots (peeled and grated)
2 Persian Cucumber (cubed)
2 Green Chilies (finely chopped)*
3 Tbs of Green Chutney
2 Tbs of Tamarind Date Chutney*
1/2 Tsp of Coriander Powder
1/2 Tsp of Cumin Powder
1 Tsp of Chaat Masala
1/8 - 1/4 tsp of Fennel Powder
Juice of 1/2 a lime
3 C of Puffed Rice (I want to try this next time)
Cilantro and Thin Sev for garnishing
Methods
Yes, it really does take 5 mins...unless you are taking pictures ;-)
In a bowl, add the beans, veggies, and spices. Mix everything together and do a taste test. It should be a little spicy before adding the puffed rice.
Add the lime juice and the puffed rice. Mix everything together. You may need to adjust the spice level by adding more chutney. If it is still too spicy, add the tamarind chutney. If it is too sweet, add the green chutney.
To serve, garnish with cilantro and sev.
Eat immediately! The puffed rice gets soggy so don't let it sit.
Notes
To keep this completely anti-inflammatory, you will need to make homemade chutneys and omit the green chilies. I love spicy Bhel, so I use green chilies but make the chutneys at home. Green chilies are the only nightshade that don't bother my GI (unless I am sick). Like everything in the human body, GI health is personalized so do what makes sense for your health.
My green chutney recipe (Reel on my Insta!) is nightshade free. The linked tamarind chutney contains red chili powder. The recipe is fantastic, but I skip the red chili powder.
I hope you try this recipe! Chaat is one of my favorite things to eat in the world. Making this anti-inflammatory while getting the flavor right was challenge so I would love for you to try it and let me know your thoughts.