Chheda’s Bhel Mix Review – What Works, What Doesn’t?

A bowl of murmura mixed in with onions and tomatoes, crunchy peanuts, crispy papdi, tossed in a sweet, tangy and spicy chutney, then topped with sev and drizzled with a zest of lemon. OK we know it got your mouth watering. A blend of sweet, tangy and spicy flavors, Bhel puri is an all time favorite evening snack.

While the taste of the local street style bhel wala is unbeatable, brands have introduced ready to eat bhel mixes that can be had anytime and anywhere. Chheda’s, a brand established in 1993, started its journey with the introduction of banana chips. After reviewing a series of namkeen, we picked up Chheda’s Bhel Mix for our current review.

Yay or Nay? Let’s find out the answer to this in our Chheda’s Bhel Mix review.

Here is all that you need to know about Chheda’s Bhel Mix : 

What do we expect? We expect a namkeen with mixed flavors – sweet, tangy & spicy all at once and a crisp texture. 

For a detailed review of Chheda’s Bhel Mix, we have set out the following review parameters : 

1. Taste 

A traditional bhel puri is a mix of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. How close does this ready-to-eat bhel mix come to the much-loved street-style bhel puri? Does it maintain a perfect balance between flavors? How fresh does it taste? 

2. Texture 

We expect this bhel mix to be crunchy and non-oily. In addition, we also gauge the crunch of the different components. 

3. Main Ingredients 

Here we gauge the list of ingredients to find the use of any preservatives and added flavors. We also look for the source of fat used. 

4. Other Observations

Aroma 

We check for the aroma on opening the pack. Is it unpleasant or off-putting? 

Packaging 

Is the product well packed? Does it offer the convenience of easy storage? 

Price 

How competitive is the pricing? 

Related Reading : Haldiram’s Fatafat Bhel 

Here’s what we found during our review of Chheda’s Bhel Mix : 

Packaging

Chheda’s Bhel Mix comes in a purple pouch pack. It is not resealable. The price of a 170 gm pack is INR 55. It comes with a shelf life of 6 months. 

Appearance

This bhel is a mix of different components, which are as follows: puris, murmura, bareek sev, cornflakes, yellow boondi, fried rice flakes, fried curry leaves, peanuts, and chana dal. 

There were 3 small-sized puris in our review pack. These are flat and have a perforated design on top. The murmura is yellowish in appearance and has a tinge of masala. It has unpeeled, fried peanuts which are slightly glossy. There’s chana dal too, which appears to be dry.

Aroma

On opening the pack, we noticed that this has a peculiar oily aroma which is not inviting. 

Ingredients

The primary ingredient here is puffed rice. In addition, it also includes – gram flour, wheat flour, palmolein oil, peanuts, Bengal gram, curry leaves, and spice mix. 

On scanning the list of ingredients, we did not find the use of any preservatives or added flavors. Thumbs up! But the use of palmolein oil is what we do not appreciate. Details of the spices used are not mentioned. 

Per 100 gm, it contains 567 kcal of energy.                                 

Taste & Texture 

To provide a fair review, here we have discussed in detail the taste and texture of the different components : 

Papdi discs/ Puris

These have a well-balanced salt level with a hint of chili flavor. Texture-wise, it is crunchy. 

Murmura

These are less salty and have a slight flavor of turmeric. The crunchiness is on point. 

Peanuts

Non-oily and fresh! The peanuts add a nice nuttiness. These are crunchy. 

Boondi

It has a low to medium salt level. In terms of the texture, these are crunchy and amp up the overall taste.  

Corn flakes

The cornflakes have a chatpata flavor and a well-balanced salt level. We loved that! It is super crunchy and feels non-oily. 

Curry Leaf

Fresh & tasty and crisped up to its optimum level, the curry leaves are non-oily.

Chana Dal

The chana dal is not laced with spices. It is salty and showcases medium crunch. 

Rice Flakes

Sweet & sour, these taste delectable! These have a medium crunch.

Sev

With balanced salt levels, the sev has a light crunch. These are non-oily. 

Overall, this bhel mix has a low to medium saltiness and slight sweetness. The spiciness is almost negligible. We would have loved it if the salt was balanced and the sweet, spicy and tangy flavors were more prominent. Texture-wise, we have no complaints. The crunch is on point. 

Also Read : The Healthier Diet Bhel |Garden Vs Haldiram’s Review.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Chheda’s Bhel Mix.

Who gets the title of the tastiest bhel puri? Check out our ultimate face-off review featuring Haldiram’s Vs Garden.

So what’s our final verdict? Chheda’s Bhel Mix is a super crunchy and crisp namkeen! All the components are crunchy and non-oily. Taste-wise, this could have been better considering a bhel is supposed to have tangier flavors or atleast come with a chutney mix. The low to medium salt levels and the missing flavors of an authentic bhel puri resulted in a low rating on the taste parameter. 

Are you a fan of ready to eat bhel mix?

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.