Ponk Bhel | Hurda Bhel

A delicious way to enjoy the seasonal produce; this Ponk Bhel combines the soft flavorful jowar kernels with crunchy vegetables and toppings.

This recipe that comes together in under 10 minutes is super addictive as a snack!

Snacking recipes are my favorite. Especially the ones that are quick and easy to put together. They are generally the ones I fall back on when I have last minute get togethers.

These snacks are often semi-homemade and have a few elements that are store bought. The list of store bought ingredients for such recipes includes puff pastry, frozen dumplings, frozen snacks from the Indian stores, puris, chaat baskets, phyllo cups etc.

When these combine with some homemade ingredients like vegetables, beans, fruits, sauces and dips; one can have a party ready platter in minutes.

And amongst all these snacks, making different types of chaats is popular in our house. I always have some homemade frozen chutneys that make easy chaat recipes in minutes. Today I am sharing a chaat that we love a lot.

What is Ponk

Ponk or Hurda is unique to certain parts of India. This tiny grain is bright green, super flavorful and versatile. It is essentially the freshly harvested unripe kernel from the jowar (sorghum) plant. It is gluten-free and packed with minerals. Learn more about ponk here.

These ears of jowar are lightly roasted over coal or cow dung and the seeds removed. These are amazing with some spicy pepper sev.

We enjoy the fresh grain in India when it made an appearance in the local markets only for a short span. Popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat, this fresh kernel would appear all over the market in December and then disappear suddenly in early February.

Not just as a snack by itself, ponk is popular for making so many recipes like ponk bhel, vada, pudla, pattice and so on. These too make a quick appearance in homes and stores for a few weeks and disappear soon after.

However, thanks to he art of freezing, we are able to enjoy Ponk all the way in California. These are available year round. However, given that we have loved it for so long only in this season, we tend to get more of ponk in December and January.

Plus, ponk is a permanent member of the Sankranti platter. Ponk, spicy sev,  undhiyu, rewari and chikki make up the meal for that day. So we can never celebrate Sankranti without ponk now.

This Recipe of Ponk Bhel

• Is a super quick one. Whether you start with frozen ponk or fresh ponk; it comes together in under 10 minutes.
• This is a bhel recipe and like most chaats, it is super versatile. Add the vegetables of your choice, switch the dry chutney for some wet ones or swap the toppings.
• The recipe is quick to put together and gets soggy just as quickly. So make it in batches and enjoy it quickly. Soggy toppings are not fun at all.
• While the recipe calls to mix everything together, it can also be served as a diy chaat. Just place warm ponk with all the toppings and let the guests make the version they like with their choice of toppings.
• This recipe does not need the stove at all. Some recipes call for cooking aromatics and adding the ponk, some to sauté the ponk before using. I like to microwave the ponk to remove the frozen bits from it and make it slightly warm.

There are several ways to enjoy this delicious seasonal grainan called ponk. While it tastes super amazing with just the spicy sev and some freshly squeezed lime, this bhel adds a lot of crunch and flavor to it.

Make the variations as you like, choose your toppings and enjoy this delicious snack or appetizer.

Video Recipe

Ingredients for Ponk Bhel

• Ponk: The tender green grains of sorghum; ponk is the first ingredient here. If you are in a spot to get fresh ponk; that works the best. However, we have been enjoying frozen ponk and that works here too.
• Vegetables: For the recipe we use a handful of veggies. Like traditional bhel, I like to add onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon juice. Adding other vegetables like boiled potato, raw mango etc is an option too.
• Garlic Chutney: Dry garlic chutney helps make the bhel super flavorful. I like to add some of this chutney to my ponk bhel. However, spicy cilantro chutney, garlic chutney or sweet dates tamarind chutney can be added to make a wet bhel too.
• Sev: Ponk is best with spicy pepper (mari) sev. The ponk sellers generally sell this with the ponk. Even the frozen packets generally have this sev. Plus, I add some regular sev for the crunch element.
• Toppings: I like to top the bhel with pomegranate arils, crushed papdi and often chopped green chili. Pick the ones you like and leave out the rest. Plus, some khakhra bits also work wonderfully as a topping.

Step by Step Instructions to make Ponk Bhel

1- Place ponk in a bowl and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. We want the ponk to defrost but not dry out completely. Transfer to a bowl and add diced onions and tomatoes.

2- Then add cilantro, lime juice, dry garlic chutney.

3- Also add some of the regular sev.

4- Give everything a good mix.

5- Next add half the pomegranate arils, spicy sev and crushed puri.

6- Mix well and enjoy topped with the remaining toppings.

Tips and Notes

• The recipe comes together in under 5 minutes. Given that we just need to heat the ponk and add the toppings, it is a fairly simple recipe and requires little cooking skill.
• Ponk can be heated through in a pan instead of the microwave too. Just sauté for 2-3 minutes and proceed with the recipe.
• As it is a bhel recipe, we can add everything that is included in any kind of bhel. From more vegetables and chutneys to more toppings; they all work well. Just be wary that too many toppings will mask the actual ponk taste.
• This recipe is best when fresh. It cannot be stored as it will lose all its crunch. Make some and enjoy immediately.
• Ponk bhel is great for any party too. Place heated ponk in a bowl and all the toppings on the side. Let each guest make their own version!

More Winter recipes to try

• Undhiyu: A mix of seasonal vegetables, flour dumplings and a delicious green sauce; this Indian delicacy is perfect during the winter months. It is a laborious recipe but the end result makes it all worth it!
• Til Chikki: Jaggery and sesame seeds come together wonderfully in this Indian sweet. It gives us all the nutrition and warmth during the cold season.
• Turmeric Milk: A recipe that was popular during the pandemic remains one of our family's favorite. Fresh turmeric in milk makes a great earthy flavorful milk to build immunity.
• Instant Pot Gajar Halwa: A classic winter treat made easy given the Instant Pot. This recipe uses only a handful of ingredients and gives perfect results each time!

The recipe was originally published in 2015, updated in 2022.