See recipe Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat | mini bhakarwadi chaat | Maharashtrian style bhakarwadi chaat | bhakarwadi bhel | with amazing 13 images

bhakarwadi the all-time favourite Maharashtrian dry snack, can be enjoyed as it is with tea. But, it gets even more exciting when served as a quick bhakarwadi chaat, where it is tossed together with crisp, juicy veggies, spice powders and sev.

Indeed, the spicy taste and crunchy texture of the mini bhakarwadi chaat are just perfect to make a chaat with! Don’t forget the lemon juice and coriander, because they give a super-duper perk-up to the quick bhakarwadi. It is super easy and quick to make and is hassel-free to make.

bhakarwadi chaat is super easy and quick to make. You can also involve your kids into assembling the chaat. All you need to do to get this chaat quickly made is have mini bhakarwadi in hand.

Also, you can make this when you have parties at home or sudden guests walking in. Make sure to relish Bhakarwadi Chaat in few minutes of assembling it together as it tends to get soggy with time.

Is Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat healthy?

No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Cucumber (Kakdi) : With that high water content, cucumber act as a broom for our system to sweep out harmful toxins from our body. The sterols from cucumber aid in managing blood cholesterol levels well and is diabetic friendly. Low sodium and fair amounts of potassium will help to control blood pressure.  Cucumber forms a healthy snack as it's alkaline and a great acidity snack reliever. So you can have it as a snack at work. Better to have it peeled to remove the effects of pesticides. See detailed benefits of cucumber. 

2. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.

3. 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 in Onions 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. 

4. Benefits of Cumin Seeds ( jeera) : The most common benefit of jeera known to many is to soothe the stomach, intestine and the entire digestive tract. Cumin seeds are apparently a very good source of iron. A tbsp. of cumin seeds can fulfil nearly 20% of days iron requirement. Even small quantity of cumin seeds has huge amounts of calcium ( see calcium rich Indian foods ) – a bone supporting mineral. They aid is digestion, weight loss and help reduce inflammation. See detailed benefits of cumin seeds, jeera.

5. Kashmiri chilli: Like red chillies, Kashmiri chillies also have vitamin C, though in smaller quantites than the fresh red chillies. This helps to boost immunity and improve skin health. They also have minute amounts of copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium and iron along with B vitamins. Small amounts of Kashmiri chilli powder can aid digestion, but more quantity can affect the lining of the digestive tract.

6. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. 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. 

7. 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.

8. Besan-for Sev : Besan has more good fat than whole wheat flour and also higher protein content. Rich in complex carbohydrates and with a low glycemic index, besan is good for diabetics too. Besan is high in Folate or folic acid, which is important for rapid growth and multiplication of red blood cells and white blood cells (WBC) in the bone marrow. See 10 detailed benefits of besan and why it's good for you. 

What's the problem?

1. Plain flour (maida) for bhakarwadi : This recipe uses plain flour or maida which is refined carb not suitable for healthy lifestyle. Maida consumption in any food should be totally avoided or use in very small quantities as any consumption of this will cause a larger spike in blood sugar levels which is not good for diabetics, heart patients. 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.  Read is maida good for you to understand fully.

2. Deep fried foods : This Bhakarwadi and Sev 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.

Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.

Can diabetics, heart patients and overweight individuals have Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. Recipe contains sev and papadi which are  deep fried food.  For those who prefer a healthier Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat, switch to our Baked Bhakarwadi, Healthy Jar Snack

Can healthy individuals have Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat?

No, this is not in tune with a healthy life style. 

Are there any healthy chaat recipes you suggest? 

Yes, we suggest the following healthy chaat options like Oats Chaat, Moong Dal ki Chaat and Paneer aur Hare Chane ki Chaat, low calorie sev puri . All these chaat recipes have no fried foods and made from dals, oats, baked sev, baked papadi and chana which are healthy.

Moong Dal Ki Chaat

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.

One serving of Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat is high in

1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body. 

2. 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.

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

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

5. Vitamin B3 (niacin) : Vitamin B3 helps in brain functioning and mental health. Also healthy skin formation.

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

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

8. Calcium : Calcium  is a mineral that makes bones stay strong. Required from kids to adults.

9. 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. 

10. Zinc : Zinc  is involved in collagen synthesis and this helps repair skin and helps build immunity. 

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 656 calories that come from one serving of Quick Bhakarwadi Chaat?

Walking (6 kmph) = 3 hour 17 mins
Running (11 kmph) = 1 hour 6 mins
Cycling (30 kmph) = 1 hour 17 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 1 hour 52 mins

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