Spicy & Tangy Jhal Muri 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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About This Recipe
We all love munching on something tasty and a little spicy with our daily chai, don’t we?
And there is one snack that’s everyone’s favorite in my home which is very popular in Kolkata is Jhal Muri. Have you tried it yet?
This Bengali snack can be found in every street corner of Kolkata and you’ll find people flocking to the nearest cart to get their hands on a cone full of this delicious snack.
Jhal means spices and Muri means puffed rice, this recipe is really simple to make. As the name suggests it’s a simple mix of puffed rice or murmura with spices that once mixed, turns into something magical
To retain all the crunchiness of this famous snack, it’s important that you mix the jhalmudi quickly and serve it immediately. This snack, unlike most other snacks, is not deep-fried, making it much more nutritious and a healthier choice.
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.
A great dish to get creative with, this snack can also be served in the traditional thonga or paper cone that’s really simple to give a feel of the authentic Kolkata snack.
You can also tailor the recipe to meet your personal preference, by adding a little more spice or any other flavor that you prefer.
This snack is,
- Easy to make
- Yummy
- Perfect to eat when hunger strikes
- Spicy and tangy
- Perfect for your tea time snacks
- Low on Calories
- Loved by the kids too
Interesting Facts
It was sold by Bihari Migrants on the street of Kolkata during the 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.
Ingredients
Puffed Rice – This is also known by the name of Muri 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 coconut adds a nice flavor to this dish.
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.
Step by Step Recipe
Add puffed rice in a bowl.
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.
One serving of Jhalmuri has approx 200 Kcal. Since this snack is not deep fried and contains mostly good ingredients it has very fewer calories per serving.
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.
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Recipe Card
Jhal Muri Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Puffed Rice
- 3 tbsp Sev Mix
- 1/4 cup Onion (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Potato (Boiled, peeled and cubed)
- 1 tsp Green Chilli (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Tomato (Finely Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Cucumber (Finely Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coconut (Grated)
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Finely Chopped)
- 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
- 1/2 tsp Black Salt
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp 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