Follow these tips to prevent your bhel puri from turning soggy. (Image Credit: Istock)
Bhel puri is among the most loved street foods in the country. While it's not hard to find vendors selling this snack in your neighbourhood, there are many who prefer making it at home themselves. After all, nothing can compare to the freshness and flavour of something that is prepared in your kitchen. However, the only downside to making bhel puri is that it turns soggy quickly. This can be quite disappointing after putting in all that hard work to prepare for it. And let's agree, no one likes to eat bhel puri which is soggy and mushy. Bhel puri tastes best when it has a slightly crispy texture to it. But don't lose hope, as there are many ways in which you can prevent bhel puri from getting soggy. Check them out below:
Why Does Bhel Puri Turn Soggy?
Anything that has moisture in it will naturally turn soggy after a while. As bhel puri is prepared using a blend of flavourful chutneys and other ingredients that have a high water content, it is prone to becoming soggy. If consumed immediately, it's not a problem. But if you leave it around for too long, that's when your bhel puri will become soggy and mushy.
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How Do You Prevent Bhel Puri From Getting Soggy | 5 Tips to Keep Bhel Puri Crispy
1. Use fresh ingredients:
Always use fresh ingredients to make bhel puri at home. Whether it's the bhel itself, vegetables such as tomatoes or onions, or even the masalas and chutneys, make sure they're all fresh. Using ingredients that are already soggy or have been lying around in your kitchen for too long is not a great idea to prevent bhel puri from turning soggy. The fresher they are, the better your bhel puri will taste.
2. Do not mix all the ingredients immediately:
While making bhel puri, most of us immediately start adding all the ingredients to a bowl. It may seem like a convenient option, but this is exactly why your bhel puri ends up becoming soggy. Bhelpuri is a mishmash of dry and wet ingredients, and when you combine them all at once, the drier ones can end up soaking up excess moisture from the wetter ones. It's best to keep them separately and mix only when you're ready to serve to prevent bhel puri from turning soggy.
3. Do not add too much chutney:
The sweet and tangy chutneys are what give bhel puri its incredible flavour. However, as they say, too much of anything is never good. This phase also holds true when adding chutneys to your bhel puri. Of course, they help add flavour, but we can't ignore the fact that they also add excess moisture to it. Add only as much as required to ensure it doesn't get soggy.
4. Drain excess moisture from the ingredients:
Just like how chutneys add excess moisture to bhel puri, other ingredients can add it too. Some people like to add boiled potatoes or sprouts to their bhel puri. As these ingredients contain moisture, they can turn your bhel puri soggy quite quickly. So, if you're making bhel puri with any of these ingredients, always drain the excess moisture before combining it with other ingredients.
Also Read: How To Make Bombay-Style Bhel Puri: A Delectable Street Food To Make In 15 Minutes
5. Refrigerate the ingredients:
Yes, you can also refrigerate the ingredients to prevent bhel puri from getting soggy. This is especially useful if you're planning to make it in advance. Store all the ingredients separately in containers in the refrigerator. Once you're ready to serve, that's when you combine them all together and then add the chutneys. This trick works like magic every time and also gives it a cool and refreshing taste.
Now that you have these effective tips to keep bhel puri crispy, make bhel puri worry-free and indulge whenever you want. Do let us know how they worked for you in the comments below.