London goes the Kolkata way!

For decades now jhalmuri, spicy puffed rice, has ruled the streets of Kolkata. Having been a part of 10 Foods Around the World to Try Before You Die (published by Huffington in 2012), jhalmuri has now found many new admirers on the streets of London.

Well-known industrialist Harsh Goenka recently put up a video on his Twitter account of an English chef selling jhalmuri in London. “Jhalmuri is my all time favourite snack. Jhalmuriwalas dot the streets and lanes of Kolkata, and each neighbourhood proudly boasts of their ‘guy’ being the best. Funny that a mix of simple ingredients can demand such finesse. Now delighted to see it available in London (sic),” he tweeted. What’s interesting is that many foreigners can be seen enjoying the Indian street food in the video.

The chef, who is seen making jhalmuri in the video, is a British chef Angus Denoon, and has been selling jhalmuri on the streets of London for almost a decade since he first tasted it on the streets of Kolkata.

Jhalmuri makes for a perfect rainy season snack. Try this easy-breezy recipe and enjoy it with a cup of adrak ki chai.

Jhalmuri
Ingredients
(serves 4)
250 gm murmura
1 spicy mixture (farsaan) with peanuts
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 potato, boiled and diced into small pieces
¼ cucumber, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp mustard oil, to drizzle for jhalmuri masala
¼ tsp amchoor powder
½ inch roasted cinnamon
1 roasted green cardomom
2 roasted cloves
½ tsp salt
1 roasted dried red chilli
¼ tsp roasted coriander seeds
¼ tsp roasted jeera
(Grind them together. Quantity needed — 1 tablespoon)

Method
Mix all the ingredients of jhalmuri, except the lemon juice and coriander leaves. Sprinkle the jhalmuri masala and then mix some lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Purabi Sarkar, home chef

HT05