Spicy & Tangy Jhal Muri (Savory Puffed Rice) is a popular street food of Kolkata made using puffed rice. The pungent taste of raw mustard oil makes it quite unique.
Here are some of the Indian snack recipes I’ve posted on my blog and I love making it from time to time – Namakpare, Corn Pakora, Chicken Cheese Samosa, Bhel Puri, Palak Pakora, and the quintessential Dahi Papdi Chaat.
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What is Jhal Muri?
We all love munching on something tasty and a little spicy with our daily chai, don’t we? Well, there is one easy and delicious snack which is everyone’s favorite at my home and is also very popular in Kolkata, Jhal Muri.
If you have ever been to Kolkata, I am sure you would have come across this Bengali snack in every possible street, where Jhal means ‘Spicy’ and Puri means ‘Puffed Rice’. You’ll find people flocking to the nearest cart to get their hands on a cone (Thonga) full of this delicious snack.
Jhal Muri also called Jhaal Muri, Masala Muri or Jhal Mudi is very similar to our good old Bhel Puri, but is very unique in terms of its taste. I love the distinct and pungent flavor of raw mustard oil adds, which makes it very unique from its other cousins like Masala Madakki, Girmit, and Churmuri.
It was sold by Bihari Migrants on the street of Kolkata during World War II to the soldiers. British chef Angus Denoon has been selling it on the streets of London for almost a decade. He tasted this deliciousness on the streets of Kolkata and fell in love with this humble dish.
This chaat (Indian Street Food), unlike most other chaat, is not deep-fried, making it much more nutritious and a healthier choice. It’s low cal, light, vegan and gluten free too and comes together in under 15 minutes.
If you make it at home, do serve it in the traditional thonga or paper cone that’s really simple to give a feel of the authentic Kolkata snack.
It’s also really light on the stomach and hence perfect as a tea time snack or accompaniment with your chai. You could try this at a kid’s party or even for a get together with friends.
One serving of Jhalmuri has approx 200 Kcal. Since it is not deep fried and contains mostly good ingredients it has very fewer calories per serving.
This snack is,
- Easy to make
- Yummy
- Perfect to eat when hunger strikes
- Spicy and tangy (Chatpata)
- Perfect for your tea time snacks
- Low on Calories
- Loved by the kids too
- Vegan & Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Puffed Rice – This is also known by the name of Puffed Rice, Muri, Marmara, Pori, Kurmura, or Murmura, which is used by every Indian household for making different types of recipes. It is light and has very few calories, making it apt to snack on healthy.
Sev Mix – You can use any sev mix available at your home. Use thin or fine sev for better taste.
Coconut – This ingredient makes it different from other similar recipes. The use of fresh coconut adds a nice flavor to this dish. You can either grate the fresh coconut or chop it into very small pieces.
Mustard Oil – This is a must in Bengali Jhal Muri. It adds a pungent flavor in the dish, which makes it unique and so yummy.
Vegetables – In this crispy snack, we will add some veggies for the crunch and nutrition. Here, I have used tomato, cucumber, onion, potatoes, green chilies, and fresh coriander.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above ingredients, you will need a lot of spices to make it spicy and tangy. These ingredients are roasted cumin powder, chaat masala powder, black salt, red chili powder, salt, and lemon juice.
You can also add in roasted peanuts in it.
How to make Jhal Muri?
Add puffed rice in a bowl. If the puffed is not perfectly crispy, make sure to roast it for 2-3 minutes on low flame. You can also microwave it for 60-90 seconds until it gets crisp.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Mix all the ingredients together and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both these dishes are made using similar ingredients and their base is the same which is Muri or puffed rice. Jal Muri is dry whereas Bhel Puri is not dry because of the use of all the chutneys.
What makes these popular snacks different from each other is the addition of mustard oil. Bengali Jhalmuri has a pungent flavor of raw cold-pressed mustard oil while Bhel Puri has lots of chutneys but no oil.
Also, this recipe uses coconut, and in normal Bhel Puri, we don’t add in the same.
Jhalmuri is a popular street-side snack that is popular in Kolkata, whereas Churmuri is popular in Karnataka.
Jhal Muri uses mustard oil, whereas Churmuri uses coconut oil. Also, Jal Muri has boiled potatoes and cucumber, Churmuri has grated carrots.
Mustard Oil is one of those ingredients that makes it different, unique and gives it a distinctive pungent taste. And therefore, you can’t replace it with any other oil.
I will not suggest you make it ahead of time, as it will turn soggy if kept for longer. If you want that crunchiness in your JhalMuri, then mix it fresh and serve.
You can chop the vegetables and store them in the fridge and then mix them with Puffed Rice and other ingredients just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve it with your evening cup of Masala Chai or Filter Coffee for a delicious snack. You can also have it in between your meals or whenever the hunger strikes.
Pro Tips by Neha
Muri must be very crispy to make Jhal Moori. If it’s not, dry roast it in a pan for a minute or two. You can also microwave it for 60-90 seconds.
Look out for muri made using red rice. The while pillowy muri do not taste good in this recipe.
You can also add boiled yellow peas, sprouted chana, or even chopped raw mangoes to your recipe.
Mustard oil added a very peculiar taste to it and without it, the dish cannot be complete. So don’t skip it.
You can also add chanachur in your Jhalmuri. It gives a very nice crunch to it.
Skip adding green chilies if making it for kids.
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Recipe Card
Jhal Muri Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Puffed Rice
- 3 tablespoon Sev Mix
- ¼ cup Onion (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Potato (Boiled, peeled and cubed)
- 1 teaspoon Green Chilli (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Tomato (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Cucumber (Finely Chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Coconut (Grated)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Finely Chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala
- ½ teaspoon Black Salt
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix well.
- Serve immediately.
Merianne
One of your recipes called for Sev Mix. Can that be bought commercially in USA?
Neha Mathur
Yes merianne. It’s available in all the Indian stores. It comes in huge variety so just specify which recipe you need it for.
Shalini Sachdeva
Tangy and tasty
Neha Mathur
Thnx