Jhal Muri -The Ultimate Snack Of Bengal : Spicy Puffed Rice

                                           
One of the beauty of India is that it accepts people from all walks of life and every body can make a living and still be happy. Unlike many other Developed Countries where you need a minimum basic wage to survive but in India , particularly in Kolkata you can have your tummy full in very cheap price.

 Even today here a humble jhaal muri( spiced  puffed rice ) wont cost you more that 10/- and can satisfy your hunger. I have seen rich and poor que in front of the humble vendor who serves them with equal enthusisam. Hope you try out this street food and savoir your taste buds.

Roasted chana dal and peanuts provide a rich and nutty taste. The mixing ends with spicy special oil which is pickle oil that makes the jhal muri spicy and the mustard oil gives a pungent taste. Many jhal muri walas add sprouted black chana, boiled diced potatoes and tomatoes. Feel free to add then according to your taste. I love to have this crunchy and crispy so don't add tomatoes. And to make it low calorie snacks, skip boiled potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 cups Puffed rice (muri)
1 red Onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup Cucumber, diced
2 tbsp Raw mango, finely chopped
1/2 cup jhal Chanachur / spicy namkeen/ sev
1 tbsp Coconut, finely chopped
1 tbsp Mustard  oil, best is if you have spicy pickle oil
Handful of roasted Peanuts
Handful of roasted Chana dal
2-3 Green chillies, diced
2 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1 tsp chat masala
Salt to taste

Method:
If you are using mustard oil here, heat mustard oil in a pan to a smoking point and then switch off the burner. Let it cool. Skip this process if you plan to make it with pickle oil.

Take a broad bowl, mix together all the diced veggies, paenuts, chana dal, jhal chanachur, muri. Mix well and add lemon drops, all the spices and lastly drizzle some pickle oil /mustard oil. Mix well with a wodden spatula and serve immedietely in paper cones.


User Comments & Tips:

• Muri /puffed rice should be fresh and crisp for best results.
• Mustard oil /pickle oil is the main essence of this simple snack, so don't use any other substitute.
• It can also be made with boiled potatoes, sprouted black chana, diced tomatoes, so depending upon your taste add or skip any of these.
• Serve immediately so that you can enjoy the crispiness, else it may become soggy.

Leaving you with a close look of  Kolkata's famous street food

Linking this to my dear friend's 'Only- Snacks & Starters' event at Vegetarian Tastebuds , an event started by another good friend Pari's place (Foodelicious).