The thing about Indian street food is that nobody escapes its charm. Neither you, nor us, and as it turns out, nor do the British folks. Trending on the social media this week has been the gentleman who serves jhalmuri in London, and very aptly goes by Jhal Muri Express. Angus Denoon, a former chef came to the limelight first in 2019, where he was was selling jhal muri in London street outside Oval, during the World Cup. This jhalmuri in London will cost you back by £4 for a cone.
Denoon fell in love with the humble jhal muri back in 2005, when he was visiting India. Jhal muri, which is a very famous street food in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal worked its magic on the chef, who then came back to the UK, left his job, and opened up a jhal muri stall. This stall is now a van, a very colourful one at that, and is called ‘The Everybody Lovelove Jhal Muri Express’.
Jhal muri in Kolkata
While we’re yet to sample the jhalmuri in London, and are open to considering it, it is no brainer that Kolkata does the best jhal muri. It also does other amazing street food like puchka, ghughni, and kathi rolls, but jhal muri often takes the cake. If you’re headed to the city of joy sometime soon, experience the best jhal muri at these places:
Beside Basanti Devi College
If you’re looking for the oldest and best jhal muri in the town, this is where you ought to go. The jhalmuriwala who has run the shop for 30 years now, right beside the college is known for his fresh ingredients and fun iterations that he often comes up with on the spot.
Near Lake Kalibari
Check out the stalls on the pavement near Lake Kalibari for the best jhal muri when it comes to perfectly mixed masalas. Spicy yet very flavourful, this area also has some good puchkawalas but jhal muri almost always gets more love.
Camac Street
This area is known for street food anyway, and jhal muri is no different. Just outside Vardaan Market, there are many stalls churning the best jhal muri you’ll have, making it a perfect mid-shopping snack.
Hedua Park
If you’re the kind who likes a bit of a sharp taste in their jhal muri ingredients, then North Kolkata is where you should have it. With the addition of amra and aam-ada, jhal muri here is tangy, spicy, and quite obviously yummy.
Jhal muri ingredients
What if you can’t head to Kolkata for the best jhal muri rightaway? Well, we got your back. You can always made the much loved street food item at home. The jhal muri ingredients you need are puffed rice also known as murmura/churmuri, finely chopped vegetables like onion, tomato, cucumber, green chilli, potato, ginger, and coriander. The jhal muri ingredients list is incomplete without the spices that make it the perfect snack that it is. For the spice mix, you need kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, dry mango powder, and salt. Apart from this, mustard oil, which is a key ingredient in the local cuisine is also an important part of the jhal muri ingredients. You’ll also need tamarind pulp, roasted peanuts for crunch, and sev to top it all off.
Jhal muri recipe
Jhal muri recipe is quite a simple one but has some prerequisites. For example, the puffed rice ought to be crispy. If it's not, quickly dry-roast it. Crisp murmura can make or break your jhal muri recipe. Similarly, make sure that all the vegetables that you’ve chopped are nearly the same size. If you do not have some jhalmuri ingredients like tamarind pulp, you can always substitute it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. That said, if you want your jhal muri recipe Bengali style, make sure you get your ingredients right.
To make the best jhal muri at home, take some puffed rice in a big bowl, add in all the dry masalas and mix. To this, add the chopped vegetables and give it a quick mix. Now add the wet ingredients like mustard oil and tamarind pulp. Mix quickly, making sure that the jhal muri doesn’t turn soggy, and serve garnished with freshly chopped coriander.