I’ve previously written about Haldirams here, here and here.  The flavors I buy most frequently are the plain Bhujia, Aloo Bhujia. The other flavor I buy whenever possible is called Khatta Meetha. It’s always exciting to find it at Punjabi Deli because it’s a little rarer. It’s described as a “Sweet & Spicy blend” on the bag. That is an accurate description. The blend consists of puffed rice, peas, gram flour and peanuts. All the shapes present are fun to look at. They remind you of an Indian version of Chex Mix. Like any blend it’s fun to grab a bite and crunch the different textures concurrently.

The flavor is mildly spicy. The sweet comes from sugar powder. There is also an unmentioned tanginess which works to great effect. Once again, just as with the Aloo Bhujia, I mistook it for tamarind but it is actually from the Amchur Powder (Dried Green Mango Powder). This is not actually a snack I enjoy by itself because the sweet is slightly too strong. Generally my strategy is to combine equal parts khatta meetha with plain bhujia. This combination provides the right blend of sweet to salty and spicy. Plus it stretches out both snack bags for you longer. If you don’t have plain bhujia on hand, aloo bhujia works pretty well too. In fact a good rule of thumb is to buy two packets of Haldiram’s stuff at a time. The 2 bag rule ensures that you don’t get burned out on either one plus it gives you an option to blend if desired. In summary, if I was a rating man I’d give Khatta Meetha by itself a B+. Blended with Plain Bhujia it becomes an A+.

Like all Haldiram’s stuff, the ingredient list is very straight forward. It’s composed of things like Chickpea flour (gram), oil, peanuts, rice flakes, tapioca (called sago on the bag), peas, lentils, salt, mango, and various spices. The ingredients themselves then are vegetarian, vegan, and apparently gluten free as well. (If you have a peanut allergy you’ll skip this one).

Quick side note: It works great to have a smoothie to contrast.