Puffed rice tossed with mustard oil, raw onion, green chilli, chaat masala, roasted peanuts, and a squeeze of lime. The mustard oil is the key: its raw edge cuts through the puff and brings the whole thing to life. Jhalmuri is the afternoon snack of every Bengali city. It is made to order at street carts, tossed in a tin bowl with the speed of a conjuror, and eaten immediately.
The proportions are never fixed — every vendor has their own balance, their own spice mix, their own additions. This is the version made at the Maidan on a Sunday afternoon.
Zone: River Delta
SOURCE: Translated from a recipe documented from a street food vendor at the Maidan, Kolkata, 2019.
LOCAL NAME: ঝালমুড়ি
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g puffed rice (muri)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
- 1 small cucumber (finely chopped)
- 50 g roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp black salt (kala namak)
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 30 g sev (fine chickpea noodles — optional but traditional)
METHOD
- Combine the onion, green chilli, tomato, and cucumber in a wide bowl. Add the mustard oil and toss.
- Add the black salt, roasted cumin, and chilli powder. Mix through.
- Add the tamarind paste and lime juice. Stir to combine.
- Add the puffed rice and roasted peanuts. Toss everything together quickly and thoroughly. The puffed rice will begin to soften within a minute or two — serve immediately.
- Top with sev and fresh coriander. Serve in paper cones or small bowls.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Puffed rice (muri) from South Asian grocers. Sev from South Asian grocers. Black salt from South Asian grocers or online. Tamarind paste from South Asian grocers or larger supermarkets. Everything else widely available. Jhalmuri must be assembled and eaten immediately — do not make ahead.
US adaptation: Puffed rice from Indian grocery stores, Patel Brothers, or health food stores. Sev from Patel Brothers or Indian grocery stores. Black salt and tamarind paste from any South Asian grocer. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: The mustard oil is non-negotiable — it is the flavour of jhalmuri. Vegetable oil produces a completely different and inferior result. Add it first, before the dry spices, so it coats everything evenly.