Puffed rice made nice

Snacks and savouries made from puffed rice have a good number of merits as they are light on the stomach, almost guilt-free, and are simple to make at home, writes Renuka Krishnaraja

Murmura, mandakki, puri, kurmura, and the list goes on…. So many nicknames for the humble puffed rice and why not, it is as ubiquitous and versatile as its different familiar names. The light and crispy kernels spontaneously evoke childhood memories and remind us of the roadside carts selling our favourite churmuri tucked in handy paper cones that we so eagerly munch upon. Such refreshments offer fiery bites with an upbeat crunch. In fact, snacks and savouries made from puffed rice have a good number of merits too. Being light on the stomach, almost guilt-free, simple and quick to make at home and also quite accessible around each and every street joint and corner, they can be the ideal cure for our evening hunger pangs.

If there was a menu of puffed rice recipes, the kosher bhel puri straight from the beaches of Mumbai would top the chart. That appetising taste and complex texture is derived from the range of assorted elements that go into the flavourful dish. To put forth a plate, the street vendor skillfully assembles puffed rice with chopped veggies like onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and then perks it up with sweet-sour-spicy chutneys and aromatic herbs and spices which is then topped with crunchy fried sev. All of these are tossed well in a large bowl with brisk deftness. And thus, the eventual combo turns out to be amusingly chatpata without any exaggeration.

What’s interesting here is that by altering the measure of chutneys, it could be catered to suit one’s individual taste. As such, jhalmuri from Kolkata and churmuri from Karnataka can be specified as the regional variants of bhel puri wherein the essential components and concept remain the same, but spices and seasonings vary. While mustard oil religiously goes into jhalmuri, Mangaluru-style churmuri has coconut oil in it. If Nargis mandakki is a special feature of Davanagere, the delectable girmit speaks up for the Hubli-Dharwad zone. For girmit, a masala or gojju is made using onions, tomatoes, tamarind and spices which is combined with puffed rice and then garnished. Another setting where we can catch sight of heaps of puffed rice in huge sacks is the temple fair, as it is one of the conventional offerings to the deities. Puffed rice dry mixtures are quintessential as well. Khara mandakki is a go-to snack prepared by mixing toasted puffed rice with seasoned peanuts, chillies, garlic, curry leaves, fried gram, salt and spices. Sure enough, the young and the old are equally fond of this airy-fluffy mixture. And there’s something for sweet lovers too. Made using jaggery syrup, puri unde or laddoo and murmura chikki are some of the few light desserts that can be binged without any regrets. Along with that, upma, made of soaked puffed rice is served as breakfast in some regions. When rinsed and squeezed off of excess water, puffed rice becomes soft and chewy. Just like the poha, it can be well seasoned with the ingredients of your choice. Known as mandakki usli in Karnataka and uggani in Andhra Pradesh, this upma is typically relished with mirchi bajji and hot chai. Well at this moment, the thought of all these goodies is making me drool and I’m heading out for a scrumptious nibble!