Jhal Muri / Spicy Puffed Rice Snack Recipe

Jhal Muri, a lip-smacking snack is popular street food from the Indian state of West Bengal. Basically, it is a spicy puffed rice salad made with basic ingredients from your kitchen pantry like peanuts, boiled potatoes, tomatoes, onions, spices, and herbs. It takes just 10 minutes to make this vegan and gluten-free snack. Jhal muri can be enjoyed as a light evening snack and taste best when served immediately after making it as the puffed rice turns soggy if kept for a long time.

What goes into my Jhal Muri?

Bengali Jhal Muri is a very delicious and super addictive street food. Jhal means spicy and Muri is puffed rice in Bengali. So basically, Jhal Muri is a spicy puffed rice snack. A quick and simple recipe in which crispy puffed rice is tossed with spiced veggies, roasted peanuts, raw mustard oil, lemon juice and chanachur to make an irresistible Jhal Muri. Chanachur is a Bengali style farsan or mixture. Any crunchy fried snack like sev can be used instead of chanachur. Muri masala is the spice powder used to make Jhal Muri. It is a blend of coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur powder, black pepper and rock salt. I have used chaat masala instead. Traditionally raw mustard oil is used, i have used mustard oil from pickle instead which makes the snack all the more flavorful. The veggies used are boiled and cubed potatoes, chopped onion, tomatoes, cucumber, coriander leaves and green chili. Lemon juice, salt and spice powders like red chili powder and chaat masala season the Jhal muri. 

Is Jhal Muri and Bhel Puri the same?

Both Bhel Puri and Jhal Muri are puffed rice-based snacks and popular street foods of India. While Bhel Puri comes from Mumbai in Maharashtra, Jhal Muri originates in Bengal. We can call Jhal Muri as the Bengali version of Bhel Puri but taste-wise it is different. A distinctive feature of Jhal Muri is the use of raw mustard oil which gives it a pungent flavor and taste. Jhal muri also do not use the tangy-sweet tamarind chutney and the spicy green chutney which is the specialty of Bhel Puri. Roasted peanuts are used in Jhal Muri while a typical bhel puri does not have it.

West Bengal and the Bengali Cuisine:

West Bengal is a state in eastern India, between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. Kolkata is its capital city. Bengali Cuisine is rich and distinct and known for its blend of sweet and spicy flavors. Rice is the staple food which is served with vegetables, lentils, and fish. Food is served in courses rather than all at once. Bengali Cuisine can be subdivided into four different types of dishes, Charbya or the food that is chewed, such as rice or fish; Chosya or the food that is sucked, such as ambal and tak; Lehya or the foods that are meant to be licked, like chutney and Peya, which includes drinks, mainly milk. Daily meals are usually simple and nutritious and make extensive use of vegetables. Bengali curries have a distinct flavor coming from the tempering of Panch Phoran which is a blend of 5 spices - cumin, nigella, mustard, fenugreek, and fennel seeds. 

                                       

Related Event:

It is month-end, and the time for my regional Indian post for our Facebook group, Shhhhh cooking secretly challenge, started by Priya of Priya's versatile recipes and taken further to date by Mayuri di who blogs at Mayuris Jikoni. In this group, each month we select an Indian state depending upon the alphabetical order and partners are assigned for the challenge. The chosen partners then exchange a set of ingredients among themselves and cook a dish with it from the regional cuisine of that month. The other group members who are not aware of the secret ingredients, then take turns to guess the ingredients just by looking at the pic of the dish. Doesn't this all sound interesting?

Swaty who blogs at Food Trails is my partner for this month's challenge. She gave me mustard oil and peanuts as my two secret ingredients and i made this lip smacking Jhal Muri using the two ingredients. In return, i gave her turmeric powder and mustard oil and she prepared delicious Beguni using her set of ingredients. Meanwhile, do check out her space for healthy and delicious recipes from both Indian and International Cuisine.

I owe so much to this group. If it was not for the sake of the challenges of this group, i would not have dared to research so much and come up with regional recipes of each state of India every month. Sadly, this is the last month of our regional Indian Cuisine cooking challenge but we are all set to come up with yet another interesting themes from next month. Stay tuned for the new recipes and challenges of this group. Following are the regional recipes from Indian states that i contributed to this group's challenge.

                                       


Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-5 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients: Measurements used 1cup = 240 ml

• 2 cups puffed rice /murmura/muri
• 1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and de-skinned
• 1/4 cup cucumber, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup potato, boiled, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup tomato, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sev/ chanachur/farsan
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• Lemon juice as per taste
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil ( i have used oil from pickle)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. To make Jhal muri our puffed rice has to be crisp, for that we will dry roast it on low to medium flame for 3-5 minutes while stirring intermittently. Once it is crisp, you should be able to break the puffed rice with your finger with a crunch sound. Do not skip this step as the jahl muri will become chewy instead of crispy. Allow the puffed rice to cool down in a plate while you chop the veggies.

2. In a large mixing bowl, take boiled, peeled and cubed potato, finely chopped onion, cucumber, tomato and green chilies.

3. Add chopped coriander leaves and season the veggies with red chili powder, chaat masala, salt and lemon juice.

4. Next, add the raw mustard oil or the oil from the pickle. Give everything a good toss.

5. To this, add the roasted, skinned peanuts and puffed rice. Toss everything very well.

6. Lastly, add the sev or chanachur and serve the Jhal Muri immediately. Enjoy the blast of flavors !

Recipe Notes:

• Chanachur is a Bengali style farsan or mixture used in Jhal Muri. Any crunchy fried snack like sev can be used instead of chanachur.
• Muri masala is the spice powder used to make Jhal Muri. It is a blend of coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur powder, black pepper and rock salt. I have used chaat masala instead. 
• Traditionally raw mustard oil is used, i have used mustard oil from pickle instead which makes the snack all the more flavorful.
• Make sure your puffed rice are crisp or else the Jhal Muri will be chewy. You may dry roast the puffed rice on low to medium heat in a pan for 3-5 minutes to make it crisp.
• Adjust the quantity of red chili powder and green chilies as per your spice tolerance.
• Serve the Jhal Muri immediately once it is ready as the moisture from the veggies will make it soggy if kept for a long time.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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If you are looking for more Bengali Recipes, do check out the following from my blog

• Misthi Doi

                             

• Bengali Sandesh

                      

• Sponge Rasgulla

                      

• Vegetable Chop

                     

• Kasundi

                    

• Bengali Vegetarian Platter / Durga Puja Thali

                    

• Begun Bhaja

                    

• Aloo Posto

                   

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot Halwa is an utterly delicious Indian dessert. Made from grated beetroot and sweetened milk, this beetroot halwa has a gorgeous color. Jaggery powder is the sweetener in this recipe. Ghee toasted cashews and almonds add a lovely nutty flavor and crunch to the soft halwa. I have mildly flavored it with cardamom powder. This beetroot halwa makes for a perfect after-dinner dessert and can be served as naivedhyam on festivals and special occasions. The halwa tastes great served hot or chilled.

What is Halwa?

Basically, halwa is a popular Indian dessert made on festive occasions. It is basically any sweet pudding with dry fruits, ghee, condensed milk. Vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils may or may not be added. Suji Ka Halwa and Gajar Ka Halwa are the most common and loved halwa recipes in India. Chocolate Halwa, Pineapple Halwa, Orange Rava Kesari, Mango Halwa are the variations of the Suji Halwa. 

What goes into this Beetroot Halwa?

This beetroot halwa is very similar to the Gajar Halwa. Grated beetroot is the core ingredient of this halwa. Grated beetroot is roasted in ghee and then cooked in milk. You may use reduced unsweetened milk, khoya or milk powder to make the halwa rich and to save the time of cooking. Ghee is also used for frying the nuts. Ghee roasting lends a lovely aroma and flavor to the halwa and i would recommend its use if you are looking for authentic taste. Vegans can, however, skip both milk and ghee and cook the grated beetroot in sugar or jaggery syrup. I have used almonds and cashew nuts. You may use any other nut like pistachio or walnut. Jaggery is the sweetener in this halwa. Powdered or grated jaggery can be used and the quantity can be adjusted as per taste. I have flavored the halwa with cardamon powder which compliments very well with the jaggery.

Color Mania @Healthy Wealthy Cuisines

I am a part of a Facebook gourmet group, Healthy Wealthy Cuisines where the participating bloggers share recipes every fortnight on a pre-decided theme. This time it was my turn to propose the theme for our 82 nd week on the group and i suggested Color Mania as the theme, where participating members have to cook any dish which is naturally colorful, without adding any artificial colors. Spring is the season of colors. It is the time of the year when nature awakes from the dull, white gray shades of winter and wraps a blanket of vibrant colors. Just as wearing bright colored clothes makes you feel fresh, lively and rejuvenated, adding colors to your meals acts as mood booster. Also, Holi, the festival of colors is just around the corner, so color mania theme works best. This delicious beetroot halwa is my humble contribution to the theme. Do check out below, the creations of my fellow bloggers on this theme.

• Strawberry Crush by Swaty 
• Rose Falooda by Sasmita
• Horiatiki Salad by Archana

                                            

Health Benefits of Beetroot

Before moving ahead with the recipe, let's have a look at the health benefits of including Beetroot in our regular diet. Beetroot is a delicious and nutritious vegetable with several impressive health benefits. Beets are low in calories yet high in valuable vitamins and minerals. Beets also contain inorganic nitrates and pigments both of which have a number of health benefits. The high concentration of nitrates has blood pressure lowering effects. Beets are a good source of fiber, which is beneficial for digestive health, as well as reducing the risk of a number of chronic health benefits. It is believed that beetroot can boost exercise performance and prevent dementia.Source

                                

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 2 cups peeled and grated beetroot
• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 2 tablespoon chopped almonds and cashews
• 2 cups full cream milk (around 1/2 liter), boiled
• 1/2 cup jaggery powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a nonstick or heavy bottom pan. Add chopped almonds and cashews to it and fry until golden brown. Remove the fried nuts in a bowl and keep aside for garnishing.

2. Add grated beetroot to the remaining ghee in the same pan. Stir fry the beetrrot for around 5 minutes or so before adding the boiled milk to it.

3. Cook the beetroot in milk on medium flame until all the milk is absorbed . Keep stirring intermittently to prevent beetroot catching the bottom of the pan. This may take around 15 minutes.

4. When the beetroot milk mixture becomes dry, add the jaggery powder. Cook the mixture on low to medium flame until all the jaggery melts and gets absorbed in the beetroot halwa. Lastly, add cardamom powder and put off the flame.

5. Now serve the beetroot halwa in individual bowls, garnish with the fried nuts and serve warm or chilled and enjoy with your loved ones!

Recipe Notes:

• Choose fresh beetroots which are hard and firm to touch and without any blemishes to make this halwa. 
• You may add khoya, milk powder or unsweetened condensed milk to the halwa to make it richer and to save cooking time.
• You may use any nuts of your choice in this halwa.
• The halwa stays good for 2-3 days on refrigeration in an air-tight container.
• Vegans may cook the grated beetroot in jaggery syrup to skip milk and ghee.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot/

• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

For more recipes with beetroot, check out the following from this blog

• Beetroot Corn Pakora

                                    

• Beetroot Pachadi

                           

• Beetroot Oatmeal Cookies

                            

• Beetroot Chocolate Cake

                            

• Beetroot Stir Fry

                             

• Baked Beetroot Cutlet

                               

Lemon Chutney

This sweet, tangy and spicy lemon chutney made with winter special lemons is sure to pep-up your meals. With an instant, no-cook recipe you just require 4 ingredients, 5 minutes and a grinder jar to make this delicious lemon chutney. The best part about this chutney is that you use the lemons along with their skin. I have replaced sugar with jaggery in this recipe. This oil-free, chutney is vegan and gluten-free and can be served as a lip-smacking dip with snacks, breakfast or along with your everyday meals. It can also be paired with your favorite fasting foods (vrat ka khana). The chutney stays good in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 2 months.

Condiments like chutneys and pickles form an integral part of Indian Cuisine. You will almost always find a chutney, pickle, dip or preserve served by the side of the main course meal in a typical Indian thali. You will find a variety of dry and wet chutneys in Indian cuisine. Chutneys that are instant have usually short shelf life while pickles and preserves are made using seasonal fruits and veggies and preserved whole year-round. Chutneys and dips can pep-up any snack, breakfast, chaat or an everyday meal.

What goes into this Instant Lemon Chutney:

This lemon chutney is made using just 4 basic ingredients present in any kitchen pantry - lemons, jaggery, salt, and red chili powder. You require winter season's fresh, juicy lemons that are yellow in color, without any blemishes, and with thin skin. This is very important as the lemons with thick skin will make the chutney bitter as we use the whole lemons here along with its skin. The lemons are cut into small pieces, seeds and the pith is discarded. These lemon pieces are ground along with chili powder, salt, and sweetener to get a coarse chutney. I have replaced sugar with jaggery in this recipe. The point to be remembered is that the quantity of sweeter should be little more than the lemon paste. You may use powdered jaggery or grated one. Red chili powder gives this tangy and sweet chutney a desirable spicy kick making it all the more delectable. The added salt balances all the flavors of this lemon chutney. This chutney is a burst of flavors. It is a delicious blend of tangy, sweet, spicy and mildly bitter taste

Variations to this Lemon Chutney

My MIL makes a lemon marmalade by cooking grated lemons with sugar. In this recipe, lemons are kept into a freezer overnight and then the whole lemons are grated along with seeds. The grated frozen lemon is mixed with sugar, red chili powder, and salt and cooked in a saucepan until a jam consistency is achieved. This lemon preserve stays good for about a year on refrigeration and tastes fantastic.

Best from Waste @FoodieMondayBlogHop

This week on our Facebook gourmet group, Foodie Monday Blog Hop it was Archana di's turn to choose the theme for our 235th week. Archana di is a versatile blogger and blogs at themadscientistskitchen. I look upon her space for authentic Goan recipes. She also has many delicious and easy-to-do food recipes from around the globe. I have tried Sweet potato bruschetta from her blog and it was a hit at my place. This time she suggested that we come up with food recipes that aim at zero wastage of food. Did you know that our Indian Cuisine has many dishes made from the ingredients one might consider as wastes? For instance, in Maharashtrian Cuisine, we have a chutney made with peels of ridge gourd and believe me it tastes awesome. Similarly, Punjabi Cuisine has a curry using the tender peels of green peas. It was a delight to see Archana di come up with gobi-ke-denthal-ki-sabzi ( a dry curry made using discarded stems of cauliflower) from Punjabi Cuisine. Usually, lemon juice or its zest is used as flavorant in many dishes. Lemon peels are very bitter and usually discarded. This instant lemon chutney is my humble contribution towards the theme,as in this case, we can eat the lemon peels also. So, let's get started.

                                          
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: Nil
Serves:1/2 cup chutney

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-size lemons
• 2 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1/2 cup jaggery powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Rinse the lemons well and pat dry using a kitchen towel. Cut each lemon into 8 pieces. Discard the pith and seeds. Transfer the lemon pieces to a chutney jar of grinder and make a coarse paste of it.

2. Add red chili powder, grated or powdered jaggery, and salt to taste to the lemon paste. Pulse 1-2 times so that all the ingredients blend well with each other. Do a taste test and add more red chili powder or salt or jaggery if required.

3. Our delicious, no-cook lemon chutney is ready to serve. Transfer the chutney to a clean dry glass jar with a close-fitting lid and refrigerate until use.

4. Serve the lemon chutney with any snack or breakfast dishes or with your everyday meal.

                             

Recipe Notes:

• Select fresh, juicy lemons that are yellow in color, without any blemishes, and with thin skin to make this chutney.
• Make sure you discard all the seeds and the pith of the lemon or the chutney will taste bitter.
• The quantity of jaggery to be added is a little more than the quantity of lemon paste obtained.
• The amount of red chili powder can be adjusted as per your spice tolerance.
• As this chutney is raw, it needs to be refrigerated in an airtight container for better shelf life.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot/

• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Related Posts:

• Lemon and Raisin Muffins

                                 

• Instant Lemon Pickle

                                     

• Lemon Crinkle Cookies