The belle of the bhel
To every food, there is a season. In the pit of summer, when the window unit audibly gasps for air, the cream-fortified stews and fiery curries of Indian cuisine may not be the first craving that rears its rumbling head.
But look past the buttery saags to undersung delights like bhel poori, made to order and served at heat-wave-friendly room temperature. A popular beach snack that hails from the Mumbai coast, bhel poori is traditionally made by mixing puffed rice (think fat, savory Rice Krispies) and crunchy fried vermicelli bits with a variety of cool ingredients - chopped tomatoes, diced boiled potato, minced onion, chilies - then tossing it all with a spicy-sweet tamarind dressing.
In our quest to cherrypick the well-puffed bhels from the poor pooris, we found several renditions of the latter. The secret to great bhel poori is balance: Several went too far to the sweet side, and one tasted weirdly of a Worcestershire-driven steak sauce (note to bhel poori hobbyists: Don't try this one at home).
We finally found two that got everything right, at Bhindi Bazaar and Tantric. Both nailed the subtle balancing act of sweet and salty, spicy and piquant, crunchy and soft. Bhindi Bazaar won an early point with a headier hit of chili heat. But it was Tantric's addition of diced mango - a sweet, sour, and fragrant ingredient that poetically mirrored the tamarind backdrop - that set its nuanced version up for the win.
Advantage, Tantric.
TRY IT TONIGHT
Bhel poori (left), $5.95
Tantric India Bistro, 123 Stuart St., Boston. 617-367-8742.
JUST TRY IT, ALREADY
Bhel, $4.95
Bhindi Bazaar, 95 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. 617-450-0660. bhindibazaar .com
