Click here to see  Geela Bhel recipe. Want to experience the power of a tornado swirling inside your mouth? Well, no better way than to taste this Geela Bhel.

An awesomely crunchy and spicy snack, the Geela Bhel features puffed rice mixed with an array of spices to get a really chatpata flavour.

Chole Tikki Chaat

Is Geela Bhel healthy?

No, this is not healthy snacks. The Geela Bhel is made primarily of bhel which consists of puffed rice, boiled potaoes and nylon sev, papdis which are deep fried. It is stir with date & sweet jaggery chutney, which is not good for diabetic person.

Let's understand the Ingredients of Geela Bhel.

What's good in Geela Bhel.

Puffed rice (Kurmura, murmura, mamra): Puffed rice isn’t a very wholesome cereal, as it is devoid of most nutrients including protein and fiber. So it is best avoided by weight watchers and diabetes. However if you wish to consume it occasionally, the best idea would be to add in ingredients like sprouts, fruits and /or veggies to puffed rice and create a dish which is flavourful and more healthy. But for an ingredient (puffed rice) to qualify for weight loss, low calorie isn’t the only green signal. Protein and fiber are equally important. The ingredients should be a good source of these 2 key nutrients as well. Protein is required to build muscle and aid in weight loss, while fiber is needed to keep you full for long hours and avoid binge eating. See is puffed rice healthy?

Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin which promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

Dates (Khajur) : Dates are used in khajur imli chutney in the recipe. 1 cup of dates (90 gm) gives around 8.05 gm of fiber and will lower down the cholesterol level and will also aid in weight loss. A cup of dates contain 703 mg of potassium (14.95% of RDA) which helps in the regulation of blood pressure and also prevents formation of kidney stones. Dates have a low glycemic index from 43 to 55 depending on the variety, so they are a boon to diabetics to satisfy their sweet tooth. See details for 8 super benefits of dates. 

Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details.

Jaggery (Gur) : When compared to sugar, which provides only empty calories, jaggery is considered to be a superior natural sweetener. Sugar is definitely one of the causes of many chronic diseases, but jaggery too needs to be consumed in moderate amounts. What you would consume is just about a tbsp (18 g) or a tsp (6 g). While those with heart diseases and weight loss can have a dessert made with this quantity of jaggery occasionally as an option to refined sugar, but diabetics need to avoid this sweetener too as it can spike blood sugar levels instantly. Read is jaggery healthy for complete details.

Mint Leaves (Pudina) : Mint (pudina) being an anti-inflammatory reduces the inflammation in the stomach and shows a cleansing effect. Sipping on a healthy drink like fresh mint and lemon tea is the best option to overcome nausea for mums-to-be. Moreover it's vitamin A (10% of RDA) and vitamin C (20.25%) serve as an additional boost to bring relief from cough, sore throat and also cold. Mint (pudina) is a leafy vegetable which is sure to create nourishing dishes without piling on calories, carbs or fat for that instance. What is has to offer instead is FIBER. See here for detailed benefits of mint leaves. 

Garlic : Garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol. The active ingredient allicin present in garlic aids in lowering blood pressure. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood glucose levels for diabetics. Garlic is great for the heart and circulatory system. Garlic has an antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal function and can help in relieving common cold and other viral infections. To boost your immune system have a garlic clove a day. Garlic is a top anti viral food. The thiosulphate compound, Allicin found in garlic acts as a strong antioxidant and protects our body from damage of free radicals.  Read here for complete benefits of garlic. 

Lemon, Lemon Juice : Lemon is a very good source of Vitamin C and thus helps in the production of  white blood cells and antibodies in the blood which attacks invading microorganisms, prevents infection and builds immunity. Therefore, Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold. The ascorbic acid in lemon juice helps in absorption of iron from the food. So if you’re iron deficient or have anaemia squeeze a lemon on iron rich recipes. See detailed benefits of lemon, lemon juice.

What's the problem in Geela Bhel?

Potatoes (Aloo) : Potatoes being high in simple carbohydrates will lead to weight gain and are not good for people with diabetes, heart problem and obesity. Potatoes are recommended for malnourished children and people with low weight. See full details on why potatoes are bad for you.  

Nylon Sev : The presence of gram flour makes sev a high protein snack but since it is deep fried, it tends to be higher in calories and fat content. It is best to use this as per recipe requirement and only in moderation.

Papdis : Papdis are crispy small flat puris made of plain flour spiced up with salt and other spices and then deep-freid. They add crunch to most chaat recipes. The dough used to prepare Papdis is usually very stiff. These are easily available in the market under different brand names and can be made at home too. Sometimes these Papdis may also be baked, to cut down on calories and fat percentage. These Papdis are used in a variety of chaats like bhelpuri, sevpuri, papdi chat etc.,all of which are famous Indian street foods.

Fried masala chana Dal : Fried Chana Dal is a popular snack in India, which is readily available in market. These are made using chana dal/ split Bengal gram, which are first soaked well, drained and then deep fried till crunchy and crisp. They are then seasoned with spices like salt and chilli powder. 

Deep fried foods : This recipe has papadi + nylon sev which is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. It also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process. Most diseases from heart, to cardio vascular, diabetes, parkinsons, alzheimer, cancer and obesity result when the cells get inflamed and don't then function correctly. Inflammation in the arteries can cause heart attacks. So your diet should contain foods that fight inflammation in the body. That's how your body gets healthier by eating the right stuff. So you have given the cells in your body the right food to stay healthy and that is so important in staying disease free for the rest of your life.  

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Geela Bhel  ?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. This recipe has papdi and nylon sev which is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Potatoes being high in simple carbohydrates will lead to weight gain and are not good for people with diabetes, heart problem and obesity. Jaggery too needs to be consumed in moderate amounts.While those with heart diseases and weight loss need to avoid this sweetener too as it can spike blood sugar levels instantly.

What is a healhier bhel option?

Try nutritious bhel recipe. Getting together with friends for bhel and good conversation? Puffed rice is mixed with fibre-rich sprouts and fruits to satisfy for your craving for chaat.

Nutritious Bhel, Healthy Heart and Diabetic Friendly Bhel

Munch on this bhel to keep up with your nutrient requirements, but remember it is a treat to be enjoyed occasionally.

Can healthy individuals have Geela bhel?

No, this recipe is not healthy.

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet.

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet. 

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

Skip having Indian junk foods like pav bhaji, bata vada, pakoras, gulab jamun as they cause your body to have insulance resistance. The resultant is your body will store more carbohydrates as fats, causing storage of fat in the stomach causing a paunch and slowing down of our fat burning process. So its a bad cyle which causes you more more hunger and fatigue every time you eat junk food. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. Stress. The easiest way to kill your immune system is chronic stress. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. Workout builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss, builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away.

Geela Bhel is high in

1. Iron : Iron is essential in the chemical reactions that produce energy from foods. Eat more greens and garden cress seeds to prevent you from being anaemic. Here are the top 7 sources of iron rich foods. 

2. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.

3. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

4. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

5. Vitamin A : Vitamin A is crucial for healthy vision, cell growth and healthy skin. 

6. Fiber : Dietary fiber reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 359 calories that come from one plate of Geela Bhel?

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.