Jhalmuri
ঝালমুড়ি · Kolkata's mustard-oil puffed rice, tossed to order in a paper cone
Jhalmuri is the snack Kolkata eats on the move: outside Howrah station, along the Maidan, on suburban local trains, where a vendor tosses puffed rice in a tin with raw mustard oil, chopped onion, cucumber, green chilli and a fistful of chanachur, then tips it into a cone of newspaper. The sharp, nose-tingling mustard oil is what separates it from Mumbai's bhel; there is no sweet chutney at all, only salt, lime and heat. Eat it the minute it is mixed, while it still crackles. Chef's tip: warm the puffed rice in a dry pan for a couple of minutes first; even fresh muri crisps up noticeably.
- Total time
- 13 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz puffed rice (muri)
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- ½ cucumberseeds removed, finely diced
- 1 small tomatoseeds removed, finely diced
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 oz roasted peanuts
- 1 small boiled potatopeeled, diced
- ¼ tsp black salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 2 ⅛ oz puffed rice (muri) in a dry wide pan over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it feels crisp and makes a dry rustle. Tip it into a large bowl or a tin with a lid.
3 minStep 2: Add 1 red onion, ½ cucumber, 1 small tomato, 2 green chillies, 1 small boiled potato and 2 tbsp fresh coriander. Keep the wet vegetables small and seeded; big watery pieces turn the muri soggy within minutes.
Step 3: Drizzle over 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil, then sprinkle 1 tsp jhalmuri masala or chaat masala and ¼ tsp black salt. Use proper pungent mustard oil, not refined; its raw bite is the flavour of the dish.
Step 4: Cover and shake hard for 20 seconds, the way street vendors do, so every grain gets a thin coat of oil and spice.
Step 5: Add 1 oz roasted peanuts, 1 ⅜ oz chanachur (spicy Bengali savoury mix) and 2 tbsp fresh coconut slivers, if using, squeeze over 1 tbsp lime juice and toss once more. Common mistake: mixing everything ahead of time. Jhalmuri goes limp in about 10 minutes, so mix it only when people are ready to eat, and serve in paper cones.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jhalmuri take?
- About 13 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of puffed rice (muri)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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