Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.
Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.
At a glance
| Region | West Bengal |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Bengali |
| Diet | Vegan |
| Course | Street food |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 0 minutes |
| Total time | 10 minutes |
| Serves | 2 |
| Spice level | Hot |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | puffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts |
Ingredients
- 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
- 1 boiled potato, diced small
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
- 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
- 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
- 1/4 tsp black salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)
Method
- If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
- In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
- Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
- Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
- Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
- Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.
Tips
- Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
- Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
- Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.
Serve with
A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.