Jhal muri is a delicious and filling street style snack from Kolkata. A tasty, flavorful mixture with myriad of textures this is an excellent snack for your evening hunger pangs. Jhal means spicy and muri means puffed rice, so jhal muri means spicy puffed rice with other interesting add-ons. It is a snack similar to bhel puri, churmuri, kara pori from various regions of India.
I have tasted jhal muri some time back while visiting kolkata. It was such a delicious one with the flavor for muri masala all over. Though it looked like bhel puri, I feel this is a very different snack.
Puffed rice also known as muri, murmura, pori in various Indian languages is a wonderful ingredient. It is a boon for weight watchers. It has such a low calorific values but very satiating.
We use puffed rice is various recipes like pori upma, dosa, this jhal muri, kara pori etc. These recipes are such easy ones yet they satisfy you immensely in taste and flavor wise.
This jhal muri is a family favorite I make it very often for my kid’s after school snack. Given to that is very healthy, delicious and easy no wonder we love it.
Jhal muri is basically a mixture of roasted puffed rice with roasted peanuts, boiled potatoes, chopped onions, carrots, tomatoes and cilantro leaves. The whole mixture is spiced with a special blend called muri masala but you can substitute it with regular spice powders.
The main flavor of this jhalmuri comes from the teeny bit of mustard oil added before serving. I highly recommend mustard oil in this recipe as it imparts a wonderful unique flavor. In the absence of mustard oil just skip the oil. Adding olive oil or any other vegetable oil will not be the same.
Serve jhal muri as soon you make it as puffed rice turns soggy very easily.
This Jhal Muri Recipe Is
one of a kind Indian street food
vegan & gluten free
Delicious, flavorful with various textures
Healthy, filling and satiating
Low cal low oil snack
Very kids friendly & attractive
I have a good stock of muri or puffed rice at home always. South Indian kara pori is our all time snack that we love with tea. So is regular veggies like onion, tomatoes and potatoes.
So making jhal muri just takes 10 minutes for me. By the time potatoes cook, I roast muri and peanuts side by side and chop the veggies. Once the potatoes are done, just peel mash and toss with the other ingredients, you are done!
Do try out this easy jhal muri and I am sure you will love it.
Ingredients For Jhal Muri
You need quite a bit of ingredients for making jhalmuri but the recipe is merely mixing all of them. So very easy it is. Here is a breakdown of ingredients for easy understanding.
Puffed rice also known as muri or pori- This is the basic ingredient for making jhalmuri. If your puffed rice is fresh and crispy you can skip roasting it. If the weather is gloomy or your muri is a bit old roast is well in a dry pan until crispy.
Peanuts- Again roast well in a dry pan with salt. Roast well until the peel chars well. You can remove the husk if you wish but I usually leave it as such.
Muri Spice Blend- It is a special dry spice powder used for flavoring jhalmuri. Here I have used a mix of 1/4 teaspoon each of coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, amchur or dry mango, chaat masala powder, pepper powder and rock salt. If have muri masala simply use 2-3 teaspoons of it along with required salt.
Mustard Oil- The unique flavoring agent of this snack. Use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon as per preferance. If not available just skip it.
Chana chur- chana chur is a Bengali stlye farsan or snack used in this recipe. Here I have just used some fine sev. You can use any crispy snack like sev, aloo bhujia, or even chivda.
Other ingredients- Finely chopped tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves, boiled and mashed potatoes, green chilies, grated carrots and lemon juice.
How To Make Jhal Muri
Boil, peel and mash the potatoes well.
In the mean time dry roast muri or puffed rice well for 5-6 minutes in low flame. Remove to plate.
In the same pan dry roast peanuts with little salt until well crispy and charred.
Combine peeled and grated carrots, very finely chopped onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
To that add all the spice powder and salt. Mix very well.
Add roasted puffed rice and peanuts. Also add mustard oil. Mix thoroughly.
Finally add cilantro leaves, lemon juice and sev.
Toss and serve jhal muri immediately.
I hope you will try this jhal muri recipe and enjoy as much as we did. P
Jhal Muri Recipe
Jhal Muri Recipe
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
Ingredients For Jhal Muri
- 1.5 cups puffed rice
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 medium potato boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup grated carrots
- 2 green chilies thinly sliced
- salt to taste
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- fine sev or chana chur as required
- 1 teaspoon mustard oil
To make muri masala
- 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder or amchur
- 1/4 teaspoon black salt
Instructions
- Boil, peel and mash the potatoes well.
- In the mean time dry roast muri or puffed rice well for 5-6 minutes in low flame. Remove to plate.
- In the same pan dry roast peanuts with little salt until well crispy and charred.
- Combine peeled and grated carrots, very finely chopped onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
- To that add all the spice powder and salt. Mix very well.
- Add roasted puffed rice and peanuts. Also add mustard oil. Mix thoroughly.
Prachi says
Excellent tase. Absolutely authentic flavour. I added everything except carrots and it tasted yummm. Thanks for sharing this recipe