Bhel puri is made from puffed rice and sev a fried snack shaped like thin noodles made from besan flour mixed with potatoes, onions, chat masala and chutney and a mixture of other fried snacks as the base of the snack.

Bhel puri has a balance of sweet, salty, tart and spicy flavors, with different textures as well, including crispy and crunchy from the puffed rice and fried sev. Other commonly used ingredients include tomatoes and chilis added to the base. In northern India recipes also include boiled potatoes cut into small pieces.

Bhel puri may also be garnished with a combination of chunks of diced raw sweet mango, diced onions, coriander leaves and chopped green chillies. 

Bhel puri can be served in many ways, but it is usually served in a paper folded in the form of a cone and is consumed using a paper spoon or by the papi which is itself an edible component of the bhel puri or it is put on a plate.