Kolkata-Style Jhal Muri: Kolkata-style dish that you must try if you are a true foodie

The Bengali word 'jhal' means spicy (hot) and 'muri' means puffed rice or what we call 'murmura'. This street snack is basically made by mixing murmura with spices, boiled potatoes, oil, onion, chanachur (Bengali version of sev) etc.

It is a quintessential part of the must-have Bengali snack list. 'Jhalmuri' can also be considered as a distant cousin of 'bhelpuri'.

If you are a Bengali street food lover, then surely you have experienced the taste of 'jhalmuri' from CR Park in Delhi. But in the present lockdown situation, going out and having 'jhalmuri' from CR Park seems to be an impossible task.

Hence the only solution is to make it at home. Although there is room for experimentation with the ingredients of 'jhalmuri', here we bring you a foolproof step-by-step recipe for the classic street-style 'jhalmuri' recipe.

The ingredients you need to make street-style 'jhalmuri' are - murmura, cucumber, tomato, green chilli, onion, coriander leaves, peanuts, chana, chilli powder, cumin powder, chaat masala, black salt, mustard oil and lemon juice. These ingredients can easily be available in almost every kitchen.

How to make it?

Take a deep mixing bowl and add puffed rice to it. Now add onion, tomato, mustard oil, salt, black salt, green chilli, chaat masala, red chilli powder, peanuts, lemon juice, roasted chana and sev. Mix all the ingredients and garnish with coriander leaves and sev and serve in a bowl or paper cone to have the street stall feel.

Benefits of puffed rice

Puffed rice is considered as a healthy snack item because it is rich in fibre. According to experts, 100 grams of puffed rice contains 17 grams of fibre that helps improves the digestive function and is also helpful in treating intestinal problems.

Every 100 grams of puffed rice contains 90 grams of carbohydrates that expands the energy in your body and removes dullness. It has been observed tgat people often feel lethargic during the evening hours (4-7 pm) and that's why it is suggested to snack puffed rice in the form of Jhal Muri or Bhel Puri as it gives you instant energy as acts as a fuel. It is also helpful in controlling blood pressure, as it contains good amount of sodium.

While making Jhal Muri use only raw mustard oil as it adds to the flavour of the dish. Also, you can add small portion of pickle masala or oil from the pickle made at home. It enhances the flavour and also gives a different aroma to Jhal Muri. This dish is meant to be consumed immediately, as it turns soggy pretty fast.