This Thanksgiving appetizer gives you dinner and a show

By Priya Krishna, The New York Times

Every great host has a party trick, that ingenious move that will always dazzle guests. Mine is bhel puri.

I didn’t always see it that way. I grew up eating bhel puri in snack bars perched within South Asian grocery stores or, when we visited India, at roadside stands. The tangy-sweet snack of puffed rice is streaked with herb and tamarind chutneys, potatoes, finely diced onions and other crunchy, fried bits.

My perspective shifted one Thanksgiving, when my aunt Rachna showed up at our house with a laundry basket filled with the components for her bhel puri, including unripe mangoes, cilantro and her secret ingredient, freshly fried tortilla strips.

As soon as the guests all arrived, she set a large bowl on the kitchen island, gathered us around and put on a show. In went the puffed rice, then the other ingredients, all in methodical order. She tossed with vigor, then tasted periodically. Too sweet? Not spicy enough? She ladled in chutney accordingly.

My cousins and I watched with rapt attention as she festooned the crunchy rice, turning it into a bright-tasting, many-textured appetizer. She divided the bhel puri into bowls and urged us to eat it immediately, before it got mushy. No one could eat just one serving. Each spoonful was a thrill, and the crunchy-gone-soggy texture was irresistible.

Since then, Thanksgiving in my family has never felt complete without Rachna’s bhel puri, and the accompanying spectacle.

I’ve had many versions of the dish, including ones I’ve thrown together at dinner parties. But my aunt’s remains the gold standard. Her homemade chutneys stand in fierce contrast to one another, making for a bold bite. The freshly fried tortilla strips deftly soak up each flavor. The assortment of crispy textures makes you want to keep eating. And the turmeric-toasted puffed rice gives the bhel puri its subtle, earthy complexity.

I meant to publish the recipe in my cookbook “Indian-ish” five years ago, but Rachna wasn’t ready to share the recipe. This year, I decided I couldn’t keep making good-but-not-exceptional bhel puri for dinner parties. The world needed this recipe! And with a little nudge, my aunt agreed to write it down.

I’m pleased to report that replicating her superlative bhel puri — for Thanksgiving, or any event — is not that difficult. The components can be blended, diced and toasted a day or two beforehand, and they’re highly portable, making this dish ideal for a potluck. Do as Rachna does and use the biggest bowl you own, then summon your guests to the stage — ahem, table. Toss the bhel puri with panache and invite everyone to taste as you go.

I’ll say it: The classic Thanksgiving dishes tend to be bland. Your meal deserves big flavors — and a big performance, too.

Recipe: Bhel Puri for a Party

By Priya Krishna

Bhel puri — a type of chaat made with puffed rice, chutneys and various toppings — is the ultimate entertaining dish, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to a potluck. Most of it can be prepared in advance, leaving mostly the assembly which allows you to really put on a show for your guests. You can make a good chaat with store-bought chutneys and bhel mix. But it’s the homemade chutneys and fried tortilla strips that make this exceptional, providing the sweet-salty-fresh-crunchy combination that is the hallmark of chaat. The ingredient list is long, but after you make the chutneys, you are 80% of the way there. When you have the components prepared, set them out in bowls, invite all your guests to gather around, and make your chaat live, tasting and tossing for everyone to see.

Yield: 8 servings

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the Bhel:

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 ounces puffed rice (also known as murmura)
• 3 flour tortillas (about 6-inch diameter), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 small russet potatoes
• 10 ounces bhel mix (look for one without peanuts)
• 1 medium to large red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• 1/2 green (unripe) mango, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup thin sev or bhujia (crispy chickpea snacks)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder (optional)

For the Tamarind Chutney:

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 2/3 cup/220 grams tamarind paste
• 1 1/4 cups/250 grams jaggery or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt (also known as kala namak)
• Salt

For the Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

• 2 cups cilantro leaves and tender stems (from about 2 1/2 bunches)
• 1/2 packed cup fresh mint leaves (about 1/2 bunch)
• 1 green chile (Indian green chiles, serranos or Thai chiles all work well), stemmed
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida (also known as hing)
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Salt

Preparation

1. Prepare the bhel ingredients: In a large pan, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium and swirl in the turmeric, letting it dissolve into the oil. Add the puffed rice and toast until it turns a pale shade of yellow, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside and wipe out the pan.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, set over medium-high heat, and add the tortilla strips, tossing to coat in the oil. Let fry, tossing occasionally, until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. While the tortilla strips fry, poke the potatoes on all sides with a fork, then microwave in a large, microwave-safe bowl on high for 5 minutes on each side, until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool to room temperature, then peel and break into bite-size pieces by hand. Set aside.

4. Prepare the tamarind chutney: To a medium pot over medium heat, add the cumin and garam masala and toast, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes fragrant and turns a darker shade of brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tamarind paste, jaggery, black salt, 1 1/4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until you can really taste the spices in the chutney and it has become the consistency of a loose syrup, about 45 minutes. Set aside.

5. Prepare the cilantro-mint chutney: Add cilantro, mint, chile, asafetida, cumin seeds, sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a blender, and blend until smooth.

6. Assemble the bhel puri: In a very large bowl, combine the bhel mix, turmeric-coated puffed rice, tortilla strips, potatoes, onion, chopped cilantro, mango, sev and chile powder, if using. Add 2 tablespoons each of cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney, and using salad tongs or a large serving spoon, toss to evenly coat the mixture with the chutneys. Add 2 more tablespoons each of both chutneys, and toss to coat. Taste. Keep going until the bhel puri is wet but crunchy and the sweet-salty-tangy flavor of the chutneys comes through. How much chutney you add will depend on personal preference — some people like their bhel a little soggy, others prefer it dry. Figure out what you like!

Tips

You can toast the bhel, fry the tortillas, prepare the potatoes and make the chutneys a few days in advance. Transfer all to separate airtight containers; refrigerate the potatoes and chutneys. Just be sure to assemble à la minute!

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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