For me, Calcutta is synonymous with jhaal muri. I had my first jhaal muri there and though the mustard oil taste was a bit strange at first, I fell in love with it. There were jhaal muri walas everywhere – at bus stations, inside local trains, at all cross roads. I never missed a chance to grab a small sack of jhaal muri from a seller right across the street from where I lived. He even had hot sand in a kadhai going on one side, where he made fresh muri (mamra/kurmura/pori) by popping rice in the hot sand. He would then sieve the sand out of it. I remember for 2 rs. I used to get the “medium” sack which could last a quick chat with friends. And for 5 rs. we got the “giant” sack, which even I couldn’t finish by myself.

This is such a simple recipe and even though it is kind of like bhel, it has a mind of its own.

Mix muri (mamra/kurmura/pori), finely chopped onions, pieces of boiled potatoes, chana (the roasted kind), roasted peanuts, sev, finely chopped green chillies, salt, red chilly powder, jeera powder, a few drops of lemon juice and most importantly mustard oil. Mustard oil is what defines muri for me. You can play around with the rest of the ingredients you can add tomatoes, cucumber and remove a few, but you just can not compromise on mustard oil. And “jhaal’ means teekha/hot in Bengali, so you can make it as “jhaal” a muri as you like by adjusting the green chillies, red chilly powder.

This cone of jhaal muri goes as my 30th December entry at the one week recipe marathon from December 25th to 31st at Nupur’s One hot stove. .

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Oh and I have also been dangerously overdosing on reruns of Project Runway Canada (anything yummier than Evan Biddell I haven’t seen), Iss jungle se mujhe bachao (need something to curse at) and Rakhi ka swayamwar (can’t decide who’s making me wanna pull my hair out – Rakhi or the dulhas) on youtube. Can anyone please tell me some good fun shows to watch on youtube?

To make Sev Usal, you’ll need

- 1.5 cups of dried green peas, soaked for 6-8 hours and pressure cooked
- 2 medium potatoes, pressure cooked, peeled and cubed
- 1 large onion, cubed
- 1 large tomato, cubed
- 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
- 5 pods of garlic, peeled and crushed
- A few sprigs of coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
- 2 tsp mirchi (chilly) powder or to taste
- 2 tsp garam masala (I used MDH kitchen king) or to taste
- 5 to 6 lavang (cloves)
- 2 inch piece of dalchini (cinnamon)
- 2 pieces of tamalpatra (bay leaves)
- 2 tbsp oil
- Sev for garnishing

Method of preparation
Heat oil in a large thick bottomed pan/kadhai. Once hot add the whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves), chopped onions, ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt & saute till the edges start to get some colour. Add the cooked green peas along with the liquid, chopped potatoes & tomatoes. Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala & salt. Bring the usal to a boil & let it cook till the tomatoes become soft. The consistency should be ragda-like, so add water if required to get the desired consistency.

Serve it piping hot in a cereal bowl or a pasta dish and top it off with with lots of sev, a little bit of chopped onion(optional), chopped coriander, lemon juice, chutneys of your choice (garlic chutney, tamarind chutney, green chutney go very well)

We also sometimes eat toasted bread with sev usal and that makes it more fulfilling if you’ve been starving.

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Chilly paratha/ Kotthu parotta

Ingredients:

1. Chapatis or Parathas – 8 to 10
2. Onion – 1
3. Tomato – 1
4. Green chillies – 2
5. Capsicum – 1/2
6. Curry leaves – 5
7. Curd – 1 tbsp
8. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
9. Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
10. Oil
11. Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Shred the chapatis or parathas into 1 inch long and thin pieces. You can also use kitchen scissors to cut them.Beat the curd, add salt, turmeric and chilly powder and pour it on the shredded chapatis. Mix well and keep it aside for the chapatis to soften a little. Chop all the vegetables into thin 1 inch strips. Slit the green chillies lengthwise. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add curry leaves and onions and stir fry till the onions turn pink. Then add capsicum and tomatoes and stir fry on high heat for another 1 or 2 minutes. Add the shredded chapatis and close the pan with a lid. Let it simmer for a minute or two. That’s all! Chilly paratha is a self sufficient meal, however you can serve coconut or dal chutney with it.

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