How to Make Watermelon Bhel – Refreshing Indian Chaat

Bhel is one of India’s most beloved street foods, famous for its bold mix of sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and crunchy elements. Join us as Chef Heena Patel of Besharam in San Francisco creates watermelon bhel—a colorful salad made with juicy watermelon flesh and crisp rind, puffed rice, sev, red onion, and a duo of chutneys: date-tamarind and mint-cilantro. Inspired by flavors from her hometown in Gujarat, India, this vibrant dish captures the playful spirit of bhel while highlighting seasonal ingredients.

Get the recipe for Watermelon Bhel here.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
[Music] I'm Heena Patel. I am the executive chefat my restaurant, Besheram, that I co-own with my husband, Paresh.
Today I'm going to sharea salad, which I'm very fond of: Bhel.
So back home I went to school in Mumbai. And in the streets of Mumbai,I remember eating bhel.

(00:32):
It's puffed rice topped with chutneys and the fruits that are in season.Today I'm highlighting watermelon.
Bhel is a chaat dish. Chaat means "finger-licking food"and that's true with this dish.
Puffed rice is mixed with wheat crackers. They also havechickpea noodles called sev.

(01:00):
So first we're going to start mixing all the dry ingredientsin a bowl. This dish has to be served immediately.
It doesn't have a shelf life because it's a puffedcrunchy rice mixed with the chutneys.
As soon as we mix it's perfect to eat straight away.So, I suggest waiting till the last minute when you're ready to serve.

(01:24):
I love these fine chickpea noodles.It adds a perfect crunch. I'm going to add my peanuts.
If you're allergic to peanuts, youcan serve with any nuts you like, such as cashews or pecans.
I have our watermelon rind. We haveof course the star of the dish, my watermelon.

(01:50):
I love the bits. It gives an earthiness. We'rehighlighting the grassiness of the watermelon rind
and the red, juicy, sweet, part of our watermelon [flesh].I'm going to scoop some of my avocado in there.

(02:15):
I'm going to tear some fresh mint.
I love a touch of olive oil.My mint cilantro chutney. We crush it every day at my restaurant.

(02:36):
It keeps the color fresh and is sofull of flavor. This is date and tamarind.
We make it with our pitted dates crushed with tamarind.It's sweet and tart.
I think we got everything. And nowwe're going to add a touch of our black salt,

(03:00):
which is called chaat masala.And we're going to mix it slowly.
[Mixing sounds]
I think we're ready to serve.