Whether it was Diwali or not, throughout winter and spring homemade namkeen was continually refreshed at my parent’s home. Made alternatively with wide poha (flattened rice) or with murmura i.e. puffed rice. This puffed rice is similar to the puffed rice pressed together to make rice cakes, very common in the snack aisle in most US grocery stores. Cooler weather from fall onwards is also drier in most of India and namkeens like this stay crisp for longer. Once summer and then, monsoons begin, its an impossible task to keep the rice crisp. So, here is my family’s favorite Murmura chiwda or namkeen! Make it for Diwali or anytime you want a little snack while soaking in the winter sunshine.
Chiwda Namkeen is like saying Chai-Tea; same-same!
So, just the other day as I shared a helping of this batch of homemade namkeen, a friend remarked, “Chiwda? isn’t that flat?” Good question! One I had been seeking to answer as well. What I’ve learned is that the term chiwda/chiwra/chivda is a Marathi word used as an all inclusive term for various mixed namkeens (i.e. savory munchies) made with different kinds of flattened or puffed rice and even cornflakes. My family’s ties to Bhopal and Maharashtra perhaps made this an integral part of our snacking habits. I recall my paternal grandma making this, my mom making it and my aunt sharing her own version and tips for a fat free chiwda. While I am yet to make the fat free version that uses only roasted ingredients, here is what I looked forward to around Diwali in late fall as the temperatures would dip and sipping chai in the winter sun would become a daily afternoon activity. This snack is perfect for such times! I hope you’ll try it too. It also helps that this namkeen is vegan and vegetarian. And as is customary in so many homes, we indulged in some ladoo making too, for Diwali and beyond!
Inactive prep: 10 minutes, Active Cooking: 20 minutes
Ingredients for Murmura Chiwda aka Namkeen
- Murmura/Puffed Rice ~ 1 1/4 cup (can use up to 2 cups)
- Oil ~ 2 tbsp
- Rai/Mustard seeds ~ 2 tsp (optional)
- Moongfali/Peanuts ~ 1/2 cup
- Kari Patta/Curry Leaves ~ 2 to 3 sprigs
- Garlic Cloves ~ 6-8 cloves (optional but I recommend them!)
- Whole Dry Red chillies ~ 5-6
- Split Green chillies ~ 5-6
- Salt to taste
- Saunf/fennels seeds ~ 1 tsp
- Sugar ~ 1 tsp
- Coconut slices ~ 1/4 cup (optional, lend a coconut-ty flavor)
- Haldi/Turmeric ~ 1 to 2 tsp
- Bhuna Jeera/Cumin Powder ~ 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Laal Mirch/Red chilli powder ~ 1/2 tsp (optional)
Easy-breezy-delicious Murmura Chiwda!
This really is the easiest snack to make. Collect all ingredients, wash and dry green chillies (if using) and slit them lengthwise. Keep aside until needed. Rinse curry leaves. Use at least two sprigs, more if you enjoy their flavor. Separate the leaves from the stems, dab dry and keep aside. Pull out 6-8 cloves of garlic. Smash them if you can, otherwise, fry them as is. That’s coming up.
Next, take a large heavy bottom frying pan, wider the better, and put it on medium high heat. Toast all the murmure in this pan. Keep turning until they begin changing color to a rosy hue. Not brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a large platter or paraat.
Add oil to the same pan. Warm it up and then fry curry leaves, chillies and garlic cloves (if using) until fragrant. Use an oil with a high smoking point, such as canola oil, because we will use the same oil for the entire recipe. Try to keep oil at medium/medium high heat. Rushing the process by heating it beyond that will certainly smoke the oil. Smoking oil can be harmful.
Remove fried aromatics onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
On the question of smoking oil – what about mustard oil?
Nik Sharma wrote an article about Mustard Oil and the “for external use only” labeling on all Mustard Oil imported from India in the US. As he explains, it has nothing to do with the place of origin but more to do with an ingredient in the oil called erucic acid which has been linked to heart disease. And apparently, smoking mustard oil isn’t to reduce the presence of erucic acid, instead it reduces some of its pungency and might even signal the purity of the oil. I am not sure about it but I do know from exchanging notes with friends from Bengal, that they savor the pungency of the oil and hence do not smoke it.
Back to the homemade murmura namkeen!
In the same pan using the same oil, fry peanuts, mustard seeds and split green chillies. Cook until peanuts are a deep brown color but not blackened or burnt. Turn constantly to avoid overcooking. Chillies will change color too. Season with salt. When done, drain excess oil on a paper towel.
After this come coconut slices. This is an optional ingredient. It does add a strong coconut flavor to the namkeen, especially as it is stored over time. So do this if you enjoy coconut. You can always add slices later too. Place 1/4 cup of slices in the pan and toast until starting to brown.
We are almost done! Now for the final flourish. To any remaining oil add saunf/fennel seeds and toast them until fragrant; under a minute usually. Add sugar, haldi/turmeric and red chilli. I use only 1 tsp of haldi because as is common in India, we take a spoonful or so of the namkeen in our palm and then chuck it with time. So naturally too much haldi could stain your hands! This would be a good time to add cumin powder, if using. I usually do not use it. Turn off the heat and pour this mix over the peanuts. Toss and mix well.
Assembling homemade murmura chiwda
The only thing left to do is mix everything together. In the platter or paraat where you first removed the toasted puffed rice (murmura) add all the other prepared ingredients and, toss and mix. I do this with my hands. Very gently, as if working with grains of sand.
Serve for Diwali and through winter and spring!
This namkeen is one of my favorites! I love to make myself a cup of adrakwali chai, grab whatever it is I am reading and a bowl of this. Find a sunny spot. Make yourself comfortable. Munch, sip, read, soak the sun; repeat. My recipe for enjoying the winter sun! Try it.
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Murmura Chiwda – Puffed Rice Snack with Peanuts
Equipment
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cup Murmura/Puffed Rice can go up to 2 cups
- 2 Tbsp Oilk with a high smoking point such as canola
- 2 Tsp Rai/Mustard seeds optional, but recommended
- 1/2 Cup Moongphali/Peanuts
- 2-3 Sprigs Kari Patta/Curry Leaves
- 6-8 Cloves Garlic optional, but recommended
- 5-6 Whole Red chillies
- 5-6 Green chillies split lengthwise
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tsp Saunf/fennel seeds optional, but recommended
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Coconut slices
- 1 to 2 Tsp Haldi/Turmeric more will increase color of the namkeen but also stain hands!
- 1/2 Tsp Bhuna Jeera/Cumin powder optional
- 1/2 Tsp Mirchi/Ground red chilli optional but recommended
Instructions
- Collect all ingredients, wash and dry green chillies (if using) and slit them lengthwise. Keep aside until needed. Rinse curry leaves. Use at least two sprigs, more if you enjoy their flavor. Separate the leaves from the stems, dab dry and keep aside. Pull out 6-8 cloves of garlic. Smash them if you can, otherwise, fry them as is.
- Next, in a large heavy bottom frying pan on medium high heat toast all the murmure. Keep turning until they begin changing color to a rosy hue. Not brown. Remove from heat and put into a large platter or paraat.
- Add oil to the same pan. Warm it up, fry curry leaves, chillies and garlic cloves (if using) until fragrant. (Read note about oil) Remove fried aromatics onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- In the same pan using the same oil, fry peanuts, mustard seeds and split green chillies. Cook until peanuts are a deep brown color but not blackened or burnt. Turn constantly to avoid overcooking. Chillies will change color too. Season with salt. When done, drain excess oil on a paper towel.
- Next, coconut slices. Place 1/4 cup of slices in the pan and toast until starting to brown. This is an optional ingredient. (Read notes)
- To any remaining oil add saunf/fennel seeds and toast them until fragrant; under a minute usually. Add sugar, haldi/turmeric and red chilli. This would be a good time to add cumin powder, if using. Turn off the heat and pour this mix over the peanuts. Toss and mix well.
- Final Murmura Chiwda assembly: in the platter or paraat where you first removed the toasted puffed rice (murmura) add all the other prepared ingredients and, toss and mix. I do this with my hands. Very gently, as if working with grains of sand
- Enjoy this munchable snack with a cup of adrakwali chai, and enjoy the winter sun!
Notes
- Use an oil with a high smoking point such as canola oil because we will use the same oil for our entire recipe. Try to keep oil at medium/medium high heat. Rushing the process by heating it beyond that will certainly smoke the oil. Smoking oil can be harmful.
- It does add a strong coconut flavor to the namkeen, especially as it is stored over time. So do this if enjoy coconut. You can always add slices later too.