Jhal Muri

Jhal muri is a popular street food in Kolkata. However, most homes also have a version of this prepared for evening snacking. The beauty of this concoction is that each family can add (or omit) ingredients ad per their taste and liking (or even convenience). You can add boiled potatoes, diced coconuts, boiled black chickpeas (kala chana), or anything that catches your fancy and would not mar the taste of the puffed rice. The recipe uses negligible oil, and makes a tasty snack even if one is watching one’s diet.

Ingredients:
Muri – puffed rice — one medium sized bowl
Green chillies – 1/2 chopped
Mustard oil – 1 table spoon (or less if you want to)
Fresh lemon juice – 1 tea spoon
Tamarind (soaked in hot water and squeezed to extract juice) – 1 tea spoon
tomato sauce – 1 table spoon and mix ½ teaspoon of powdered sugar to it (optional)
Coriander leaves –chopped, 2 table spoons
Red chilli powder – 2 pinches
onion – chopped, 2/3 table spoons (optional)
Chaat masala – 1 tea spoon
salt – ½ tea spoon or less
Each of the below mentioned ingredient will be taken a handful of:
potato – boiled, peeled and chopped
Black Watana / Kabuli matar (chickpeas) – soaked overnight and boiled with salt
Cucumber – peeled and chopped finely or julienned
Coconut –  chopped
Jhuri bhaja (a store bought savoury made of Bengal gram flour or besan)
roasted pea nuts – peeled and halved

Method:

• Take all the ingredients in a big bowl
• Mix all these ingredients together, other than the oil, the lemon juice and the tamarind juice
• Remember to mix them very lightly
• Keep these now in a big bowl with lid and shake it vigorously or you can mix it with a spoon
• Now add the lemon juice, the tomato sauce and the tamarind juice and mix it well.
• The Jhalmuri is ready and is ready to be served.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, jhuri bhaja and chopped coconut