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When I traveled to India, I went with a main purpose to eat. I took a flight from Bangkok to Kolkata and as soon as I got off the plane and settled into my apartment, I headed out to explore the streets and find some tasty Indian street food. And in Kolkata, street food is everywhere to be seen, tempting, and very tasty. One of the first snacks I had upon arriving in India was something known as Bhel Puri. It's a snack that's famous all over India, particularly in Mumbai, but they also make a Bengali version that's popular in Kolkata.
Bhel puri is a combination of puffed rice, sev (which to me taste like uncooked broken pieces of ramen), boiled potatoes, onions, cilantro, and a variety of added spices and sauces to add extreme flavor. I walked up to a nice vendor in Kolkata and placed my order for a single serving. He proceeded to grab a piece of scrap paper (a commonly used form of plate in India) and placed a handful of all the ingredients into the paper cone. Then he asked me if I wanted it to be spicy, to which I obliged. He spooned a few scoops of red and green sauce onto the mixture and then he somehow, with a swift toss and scoop method, managed to coat all the ingredients in the sauce without spilling too much. A few garnishing ingredients on top, and it was ready to be served.
To eat Kolkata bhel puri, you're given a small flattened stick that can be used as a spoon. My first bite was a delicious tangy explosion of tomatoey spicy goodness. It was like eating a bag of potato chips, except this mixture was coated in flavorful sauce and every now and then I got a nice tinge of red onion and a bite of freshly chopped chili. It's such a good Indian street food snack that it's honestly hard to put down your cone once you start - you'll want to devour the entire thing and then order another one.
One tip is to eat bhel puri as soon as you order it. Wait too long and the ingredients all become soggy due to the sauce, so if you eat it straight away, it's remains crunchy and has good texture. If you're looking for good place to eat bhel puri in Kolkata, wander around the New Market area where you'll find plenty of street food vendors selling all sorts of interesting snacks. A cone of freshly made bhel puri will cost just 20 Rupees and it really is a fantastic snack!
Be sure to check out my full list of Kolkata street food here: http://migrationology.com/2013/02/kolkata-street-food-guide-calcutta/
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Follow my food adventures at http://migrationology.com/ & http://www.eatingthaifood.com/ Also check out my Bangkok travel guide http://migrationology.com/ebook-101-things-to-do-in-bangkok/ and my Thai food guide http://www.eatingthaifood.com/eating-thai-food-guide/
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