Bangladeshi Jhal Muri: Spiced Puffed Rice Snack Mix in 10 Minutes

Check that the puffed rice is genuinely crisp. If it has gone soft, spread it on a tray and toast at 300F for 6 to 8 minutes, then cool completely before using.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 cups plain puffed rice (muri), fresh and crisp
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely diced
• 1 small cucumber, finely diced
• 1 small boiled potato, cooled and diced small
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup crisp chickpea noodles (sev) or crushed papadum
• 2 tablespoons mustard oil, or neutral oil
• 1 to 2 green chilies, thinly sliced, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Check that the puffed rice is genuinely crisp. If it has gone soft, spread it on a tray and toast at 300F for 6 to 8 minutes, then cool completely before using.
2. Dice the onion, tomato, cucumber and potato small, roughly the size of a pea, so every handful gets a bit of each. Pat the tomato dice dry on a paper towel.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mustard oil with the chaat masala, toasted cumin, black salt and sliced green chilies.
4. Add the diced vegetables, potato and peanuts to the bowl and toss well so they take on the oil and spices first, before the puffed rice ever goes in.
5. Tip in the puffed rice and the sev and toss quickly with your hands or two spoons. Twenty seconds is enough; the longer this sits, the more moisture the puffed rice absorbs.
6. Fold through the coriander, squeeze over the juice of half the lime, and taste. It should be sharp, salty, hot and fresh all at once.
7. Serve immediately in paper cones or small bowls, with the remaining lime wedges alongside for people to add their own.
8. Jhal muri is Dhaka and Kolkata street food at its most direct, mixed to order in a tin can by vendors who toss it a few times and hand it over in a rolled newspaper cone. Jhal means spicy, and the heat is meant to be adjustable, so put the chilies on the table and let each person build their own. Because nothing is cooked and nothing can be prepared ahead once mixed, keep the chopped components in separate containers in the fridge and toss a fresh batch the moment children come through the door.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 210 kcal
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 390mg