Recipe : Charmuri / Jhalmuri - Puffed Rice snack

Charmuri is a snack from Mangalore. One of the few indigineous beachside snacks of this city. Indigenous in that I remember it from my childhood visits to the beach before pan-Indian food became available all over India.

In the early days, the vendor used to serve this snack in a newspaper cone and later on they started serving it in small sized brown paper bags. I haven't seen them on the beach, on my recent visits to town, if any Manglorean knows which beach these guys are hiding out at, do let me know :)

Charmuri tasted best when green mangoes were in season, because they added texture and flavour to the snack. Off season, the vendors used lemon juice. I was lucky to find some green mangoes in the market the other day, so the dish was just begging to be made.

Manglorean charmuri is different from Bengali jhalmuri although the major ingredient is the same. - Puffed Rice / muri / laiyya / murmura.

Mustard oil is key to the taste of this dish. You can make it with refined oil but it will lack the bite that mustard oil provides.

Since this is a street snack. Quantities are really based on personal preference. My measurements are just to give you a rough idea. Play around with them as you like.

Ingredients:

1.5 bowls of Puffed Rice / muri / laiyya / murmura / unsweetened rice crispies.
1 small onion chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped fine
1 small carrot grated fine (a cheese grater is best for the size required. Also grate it across horizintally rather than across the length, so you get shorter thinner strands than normal)
1 green mango grated fine (I skinned it before using, but the choice is yours)/ juice of 1/2 lemon.
4-6 stalks of corriander leaves - finely chopped (use the leaves, keep aside the stems for any another dish)
salt to taste
chilli powder to taste - (about 1/2 tsp)
about 1 tsp of mustard oil / sarson ka tel
fistful of roasted groundnuts - optional

Mustard oil is completely based on personal taste. Use too little- you will not catch the flavour, use too much - you won't be able to eat the dish.

Method:
Mix the chopped and grated ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well.

Add the salt, chilli powder and mustard oil and mix thoroughly.

Add the groundnuts and puffed rice.

Mix well and serve immediately before it starts to turn soggy.

Perfect for a tea time or tv viewing snack.

The Bengali Version of Jhalmuri / Tel Muri normally has only puffed rice, onions, chillies, chilli powder, mustard oil and salt and is spicy rather than sour.

The Manglorean version tends to be salty, spicy and sour.