Madras Bhelpuri House
I was introduced to the Madras Bhelpuri House by my friend while on our way to catch a S.Ve.Shekar drama at the nearby Sabha. I was hungry and wanted to grab a quick light snack before the 90 minute comedy drama commenced. My friend suggested a nice plate of bhelpuri, a one of a kind I would have never tasted in Chennai and so began my love affair with the Madras Bhelpuri House.
I was amazed that this compact shop tucked away in Raja Bather St, Pondy Bazaar dished out such amazing flavours and had loyal customers who piled up as the sun goes down. Parcels and orders whizzed by. Not to get swayed by other delectable offers on the menu, I stuck by the bhelpuri which my friend strongly recommended. He has been a frequent visitor and knew even the owner's father. So the Madras Bhelpuri House comes with a long well nourished and cherished history spanning a couple of decades! A piece of history always adds a little extra punch to the dish.
The bhelwala began the high drama of mixing a cup of carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, chilli paste (I think), juice of lime and some salt and heat in a long bottomed vessel. He then added a handful of puffed rice (puri) and gave them a nice toss, heaped it up in a nice take way plate, garnished by a dose of ompudi and chopped coriander. The presentation was simply colorful, mouthwatering and extremely filling. This really was a show stopper.
Unlike the north Indian interpretation that has a variety of sweet and spicy masalas, our Chennai bhel ranked high on natural flavours. It was absolutely fabulous. The price for two is around INR 100/-. As much as I used to love the Bhelpuri at Ajnabee in Fountain Plaza, I was head over in heels with the Madras Bhel for its nutritional quotient, mild flavour, and technique used to retain the crunch of the bhelpuri.
I was amazed that this compact shop tucked away in Raja Bather St, Pondy Bazaar dished out such amazing flavours and had loyal customers who piled up as the sun goes down. Parcels and orders whizzed by. Not to get swayed by other delectable offers on the menu, I stuck by the bhelpuri which my friend strongly recommended. He has been a frequent visitor and knew even the owner's father. So the Madras Bhelpuri House comes with a long well nourished and cherished history spanning a couple of decades! A piece of history always adds a little extra punch to the dish.
The bhelwala began the high drama of mixing a cup of carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, chilli paste (I think), juice of lime and some salt and heat in a long bottomed vessel. He then added a handful of puffed rice (puri) and gave them a nice toss, heaped it up in a nice take way plate, garnished by a dose of ompudi and chopped coriander. The presentation was simply colorful, mouthwatering and extremely filling. This really was a show stopper. Unlike the north Indian interpretation that has a variety of sweet and spicy masalas, our Chennai bhel ranked high on natural flavours. It was absolutely fabulous. The price for two is around INR 100/-. As much as I used to love the Bhelpuri at Ajnabee in Fountain Plaza, I was head over in heels with the Madras Bhel for its nutritional quotient, mild flavour, and technique used to retain the crunch of the bhelpuri.
The Madras Bhelpuri House also serves fresh juices, samosas and other chaat varieties including sandwiches. The place has a cramped seating, so if you don't mind that, then you can enjoy every bite and take in the surroundings like R.K.Narayan.
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