Bhel puri is the Indian snack made from puffed rice, sev, and chutneys that became especially popular in Mumbai.
This savory dish is a type of chaat, typically combining puffed rice with sev, crisp papri, chopped onion, boiled potato, coriander, and chutneys. The usual sauces include a tangy tamarind chutney and a green coriander-mint chutney; Mumbai versions may also include raw mango. Vendors mix the ingredients shortly before serving so the textures remain crunchy.
Bhel puri is strongly associated with Mumbai's beaches and street-food culture, but its culinary roots are more layered. It is connected to Gujarati farsan and North Indian chaat traditions, while puffed-rice snacks from eastern and southern India likely influenced its development. Its exact origin is disputed, and claims involving Mumbai's Vithal restaurant are not universally accepted.
Bhel puri is often confused with sev puri, dahi puri, or pani puri. Those snacks generally use small hollow puris as the main shell. Bhel puri instead has puffed rice as its defining base and normally does not include dahi, or yogurt.