Bhel & the search for a flavour

Recipe and story by vokepickasu:

Having been born here in Mumbai, the street food of my city is no less than an emotion to me. Bhel, pani puri, ragda chaat and so many other things the small stalls on beaches offer give me a nostalgic vibe. Obviously, because I was raised relishing these foods as a kid.

I remember when I was travelling in mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh during 2016 I had started missing the food back at my place in just a week of my trip. I would ask all the restaurants and small food sellers if they had something similar in flavour. Something that's tangy, juicy, full of masala and lip-smacking. I kept searching but was in no luck initially.

However, during the last three days of my trip, while I was out for a walk in the evening through the market, I found a very small shop. I couldn't help but notice that a north Indian person was cooking fritters. I hoped that this was where my search ended. When I went to approach him to ask if he serves bhel and other chaat/street food , I couldn't believe that the entire place was smelling of similar flavours. I could smell tamarind, I could hear the ragda lentil boiling & I could see a big container of puris behind the counter. I couldn't contain my happiness. The feeling was as if I'd finally found what I was looking for.

I thanked the man even before ordering & told him how much I missed these things during my long trip. He smiled and asked me to take a seat.

There I was in a small & dark shop with very old fashioned benches, a half-melted candle and a plate of fresh, generous serving of bhel before my eyes. Miles away from my city, yet enjoying the flavours of my childhood in a small shop located in the beautiful Dirang valley. I devoured on that cold evening & had finally found peace. When I stepped out of the shop after finishing, I felt content & my soul was satisfied. The market was quiet, people were walking, it was getting darker & I knew that I wouldn't be ordering any dinner from the inn where I had boarded.

Ingredients:

1) 2 bowls Rice puff

2) Finely chopped tomato (1),onion (1) ,coriander, raw mango (2tbsp) & mint

3) 1 tbsp roasted Chana dal (soft lentil used in snacks)

4) 4 tbsp Nylon sev for garnishing ( thin yellow sev used in snacks)

5) Tamarind & jaggery chutney/syrup (2 tbsp/as per your preference of sourness)

Procedure:

1. Take 2bowls of rice puff. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, coriander, raw mango & mint.

2. Drizzle 2 tbsp tamarind chutney to this/ as much sour you’d like it to be & mix as fast as you can. You need to mix it quickly or else the rice puffs get soggy.

3. Throw in a lot of nylon sev & chana dal. Incorporate all of this quickly with a spoon once again.

4. Now serve it on a plate. Garnish with some additional nylon sev and a little bit of chopped veggies along with herbs. Enjoy the quick and flavourful recipe.