My friends affectionately refer to this dish as the salad. It is “the” salad, not because it is a salad really, though it depends on your definition, but because it has superlatively impressed them all.

Though I know many people who like their bhel puri very dry, I prefer to give mine a healthy dose of chutney and vegetables for flavor. Though it will get soggy if you store it for the next day, I promise it will stay crisp long enough to serve your guests.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• three small potatoes
• three vine tomatoes
• half a red onion
• half a white onion
• tamarind chutney (I actually like tamarind date chutney if you can find it)
• cilantro mint chutney
• 10 oz. bhel puri mix (you can also buy the sev, bhel, and pooris separately)
• cilantro for garnish (if desired)

Method

1. Set some water to boil for the potatoes.
2. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and a dash of salt.
3. Dice the onions and tomatoes into roughly 1/4-1/2 inch cubes and put them in a very large serving bowl.
4. Mix the cilantro mint chutney, or if using store bought green chutney, add 4 tablespoons or about a quarter cup to the chopped vegetables.
5. Add two to three tablespoons of cilantro chutney to the vegetables and mix well.
6. The potatoes should be ready in 15-20 minutes. You want them soft enough that you can easily get a fork into them, but not squishy or easily mashable.
7. Pour off the boiling water and refill the pot with icy cold water. Let the potatoes sit in the cold water for a minute, then run then under cold water a few more times.
8. Peel the potatoes (you should be able to pull them off easily with your fingers. it is actually more difficult to use a peeler on cooked potatoes).
9. Cut the potatoes into half inch cubes and mix with the other vegetables.
10. Right before serving, add the bhel puri mix and stir to combine everything thoroughly. You want to be sure the sauce has coated all of the mix.
11. Garnish with roughly chopped cilantro, if desired.

Enjoy!