Masala Murmurae Spiced Puffed Rice
Murmure Masaledar (Muri)
Mamta Gupta
Murmurae or Murmurae are very popular in India. They are considered a poor man's snack. Spiced up, they are sold on the streets of India, wrapped in paper cones . We used to have them for snack quite often as kids. This is a simple recipe, but you can spice it up if you like.
They can be mixed with roasted Kala Chana/Bengal Gram, sold by hawkers calling out "Chana Joer Garam". They can be added to spicy, roasted yellow peas/Ghugni or made into many sweet or savoury snacks.
Ingredients
200 gm. packet or 3-4 cups of Indian puffed rice (murmurae)
1 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. mustard seed, optional
10-12 curry leaves, if you have them
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste or omit
2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pan or wok.
Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When the seeds crackle, turn heat down and add turmeric, chilli and salt.
Stir for a couple of seconds and then add murmure/puffed rice.
Stir them frequently, using a wide spatula. Gradually all grains of murmure/puffed rice will be coated in yellow of turmeric, as well as chilli and salt. They will feel quite warm to touch.
Turn the heat off before they begin to turn brown/burn.
Turn out into a large, cold metal bowl or on a newspaper spread out on a table top, otherwise they will continue to cook and may burn at the bottom of the pan.
Cool completely, store in an airtight container, jars or packets.
Serve as an snack. They are good to take care of hunger pangs between meals.
Notes
To make them spicier, you can add 3-4 red chillies when you add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
You can also add roasted, whole peanuts in their skin.
