Jhalmuri

Jhalmuri (Bangladeshi Spiced Puffed Rice Snack)

Jhalmuri is a beloved street snack from Bangladesh: a tangy, spicy, crunchy mix of puffed rice tossed with onion, chili, fresh herbs, and a sharp mustard-oil dressing. It is typically eaten from paper cones straight from the vendor's cart, especially on rainy afternoons.

Prep

15 min

Total

15 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) muri (puffed rice), use fresh, crispy puffed rice; stale muri goes soft
• •1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• •1 small tomato, optional, finely chopped
• •1 small cucumber, optional, finely chopped
• •2 green chilies fresh green chili, adjust to taste
• •20 g (¼ cup) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• •15 g (3 tbsp) fresh mint leaves, optional, finely chopped
• •30 g (⅓ cup) roasted peanuts, lightly crushed; sub with fried gram (chana dal) if avoiding nuts
• •20 g (¼ cup) chanachur (Bengali fried lentil/nut mix), or use plain fried gram (bhaja masoor)
• •1 tbsp kalo jeera (nigella seeds), toasted
• •1 tsp chaat masala
• •red chili powder, ½, optional, for extra heat
• •1 tsp fresh lime juice
• •2 tbsp mustard oil, raw, unheated, for the authentic pungent flavor; sub with olive oil if unavailable
• •salt, ½, or to taste
• •sugar, ½, balances the tartness

Steps

1. 1 Check that the puffed rice (muri) is crisp; if it has gone slightly soft, spread it on a tray and let it air-dry uncovered for 15-20 minutes before using. Do not add wet ingredients to soft muri or the snack will turn chewy.
2. 2 Prepare the aromatics: finely chop the onion, tomato (if using), cucumber (if using), green chilies, cilantro, and mint. Keep them separate and ready to toss in at the end so the muri stays crunchy.
3. 3 Lightly toast the nigella seeds in a small dry pan over medium heat for 20-30 seconds until fragrant, then remove from heat.
4. 4 Just before serving, put the muri in a large, dry mixing bowl. Add the onion, tomato, cucumber, chilies, herbs, peanuts, and chanachur. Sprinkle over the toasted nigella seeds, chaat masala, chili powder (if using), salt, and sugar.
5. 5 Drizzle the raw mustard oil and lime juice over the top. Using your fingertips or two spoons, toss gently but thoroughly so the oil and lime coat every flake. The mixing is done in one quick motion - the traditional vendor's method - to keep the crunch.
6. 6 Taste and adjust with more salt, chili, or lime. Eat immediately from bowls or cones, because jhalmuri is at its best within 2-3 minutes of being tossed, before the puffed rice loses its crispness.