Churumuri - Indian street food that is best cooked at home

FROMtoday about Churumuri or Churumuri or Chur-Mur - one of the “culinary masterpieces” of Karnataka, a state in India, which is prepared quite quickly and is delicious snack based on rice, nuts and vegetables, flavored with pepper and coriander.

Is it worth buying churumuri on the streets of India?

Somehow it happened that many people think Mysore Churumuri the standard for this dish. Some of them attribute this standard to the special love for the snack of one of the former rulers of the Mysore princely state, the capital of which was the modern city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka for more than six centuries.

This may be partly true, but in my opinion, today it is only a legend, since this or a similar similar snack is made and sold on all roads in India. By the way, where they cook, there they sell...

And now the age-old question from tourists: is it possible to buy food on Indian streets and specifically the dish in question?! And look for yourself, photos of how this food is prepared on the streets!

A woman chops vegetables on a board that has seen more than just “kinds” with a “killed” ancient knife, immediately sweeps them onto a stone tabletop (which is actually a stone bench in the park), immediately mixes everything in a bucket with hands without gloves, then mixes the ingredients in a saucepan, and then arranges the dish in newspaper bags. And all this against the “backdrop” of numerous fatty and not so fat flies... People buy, people are happy, people eat it delicious... However, I categorically refuse to eat this, which I advise to all my friends and acquaintances.

I wouldn’t want to spoil the impression of a truly delicious dish and of India in general, but for less impressionable citizens, I recommend looking at the information and photos in the article Why is India so dirty: garbage, dirt, stink and animals..., then you will most likely agree with my views on Indian street food.

In general I think that Unsanitary conditions are the number one enemy of street food in India., in this very country. Some may argue, of course, but I personally have never seen such a disdainful attitude towards maintaining cleanliness when preparing food anywhere in Asia. Of course, I have seen how in Thailand somewhere at a night market when preparing a smoothie, all this is done in a not particularly hygienic manner, but I have never seen it done so openly, dismissively and disregardingly anywhere.

I personally have had food poisoning, even after visiting certain restaurants, so eat on the streets India I don’t recommend it to anyone, except at your own peril and risk, especially since some Indian cuisine can be prepared anyway, at home and under normal conditions. For example, this healthy, satisfying and unusual snack is easy!

Indian snack recipe churumuri

Churumuri is a light snack consisting of crispy puff rice mixed with onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, salt and lemon juice. This delicious dish is garnished with lots of roasted peanuts and coriander leaves to make it even more amazing! The dish has a crispy texture, slightly spicy, sour, nutty taste.

Ingredients for Chur-Mur

When preparing Churumuri, a little oil is added to the dish. Oil usage may vary by region. Some places use peanut oil, others use coconut oil, while others prefer hot ghee as they find it gives a richer flavor to the snack. However, you can figure out the oil yourself, and even not add oil at all if you don’t want to.

1. 2 cups puffed rice.
2. 1 medium or small onion.
3. 2 medium or 1 large tomato.
4. 1 medium sized carrot.
5. 2-3 tablespoons coriander (finely chopped fresh leaves).
6. 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (refined) or GHI.
7. 3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts.
8. 1-2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice.
9. 1/2 teaspoon pepper (red chili powder).
10. 1/2 teaspoon table salt.
11. 2-3 tablespoons of mango (green, pre-grated, optional).
12. 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin (crushed, optional).
13. 1/2 green pepper (hot, optional).

How to cook churumuri

• The rice in the dish should not be soft. Before cooking, it is recommended to lightly fry it without adding oil, or put it in the oven for a few minutes at a temperature of 70°C.
• Peanuts should be fried in a frying pan with a small amount of oil added until they acquire a golden hue.
• Tomatoes need to be cut into small cubes; it is better to take tomatoes with a strong base.
• Peel and chop the onion, grate the carrots and mix them.
• Add pre-chopped coriander and mango to the carrots and onions and stir.
• Season the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper, pour lemon juice into it, and mix again.
• Puffed rice, nuts and coriander should be mixed in a separate bowl. I have a thin yellow straw on top of my rice - this is one of the types of dry snacks made from potatoes, sold ready-made (called aloo bhuja), whoever has something similar - add it, it’s spicy.
• As a result, before the last step in the recipe, we have two containers: one with the “vegetable mixture”, the second with the “nut-rice mixture”. And the last thing we need to do is mix their contents. This snack should be eaten right there and immediately, while it is crunchy, and for those who “crave” Indian street ambience - in newspaper bags! And Bon Appetit!