Bengaluru Special Churmuri Chaat - interesting facts and how to prepare it

Churmuri chaat is a delicious and crunchy snack made with puffed rice, chopped onions, tomatoes, raw mangoes, roasted peanuts, spices, lemon juice, and coconut oil. It is a popular street food in Karnataka, especially in the Mangalore and Udupi regions. It is also known as charamburi upkari, charmuri pachadi, masala mandakki, or spicy murmura. In this article, we will explore its origin and how to prepare it with ingredients.

Origin of Churmuri Chaat

The origin of churmuri chaat is not very clear, but it is believed to be influenced by the North Indian bhel puri and the East Indian jhal muri. However, churmuri chaat has its own distinct flavor and texture, which comes from the use of coconut oil and raw mangoes. Coconut oil adds a nutty aroma and taste to the puffed rice, while raw mangoes add a tangy and sour kick to the chaat.

Churmuri chaat is often sold by street vendors in small carts or establishments at tourist attractions, public parks, temples, or beaches. It is also a common sight at events such as birthday parties, mehendi ceremonies, or picnics. One of the famous places where churmuri chaat is sold is the annual groundnut fair (kadlekai parise) held at the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. The fair is celebrated on the last Monday of the Karthik month (usually in late November), where hundreds of farmers bring groundnuts (roasted, salted, split, whole, fried, etc.) to sell. The story behind this festival is that in the past, Basavanagudi was surrounded by villages where groundnut was cultivated. However, every year, a bull would roam around the fields and eat the crop. The farmers prayed to Lord Shiva to save their crop and vowed to offer him their first harvest. Miraculously, the bull stopped eating the crop and the farmers kept their promise. Since then, every year, the farmers bring their groundnuts to the temple and offer them to Lord Shiva and his bull.

Another interesting story behind churmuri chaat is related to its variation called congress kadlekai or congress masala. This is a snack made with split groundnuts (also called peanuts) that are de-skinned, roasted, and spiced with a tangy masala mix and curry leaves. The credit for this recipe goes to Srinivasa Brahmin Bakery in Gandhi Bazar, Bengaluru. The bakery decided to add this snack to their menu in the late 1960s when they faced a maida quota system. The name congress kadlekai comes from the fact that the groundnut is always split in two parts, just like the Congress party that split into two factions in 1969: INC (O) headed by K. Kamaraj and INC (R) headed by Indira Gandhi. Some people also say that this snack was popular during the Emergency period when it was served at party meetings. Congress kadlekai can be added to churmuri chaat to give it an extra crunch and flavor. It can also be stuffed inside a khara bun (a spicy bun smeared with butter) to make a snack called KBC (khara bun congress).

How to Prepare Churmuri Chaat with Ingredients

Churmuri chaat is very easy to prepare and requires only a few ingredients that are readily available in most Indian kitchens. Here are the ingredients and steps to make churmuri chaat:

Ingredients

- 3 cups of puffed rice (murmura, bhel, or charamburo)
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ½ tomato, finely chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons of raw mango, grated or finely chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons of roasted peanuts
- ½ teaspoon of salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon of coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped

Steps

1. In a large mixing bowl, add onion,tomato,raw mango,lemon juice,roasted peanuts, salt,chili powder,coconut oil,and coriander leaves.Mix well.
2. Add puffed rice and toss well until everything is well combined.
3. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to an hour. Enjoy your churmuri chaat as a snack or as a side dish with your meal.

Churmuri chaat is a simple yet satisfying snack that can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere. It is crunchy, spicy, tangy, and nutty, and can be customized according to your taste and preference. You can add more or less of any ingredient, or add other ingredients such as grated carrot, cucumber, sev, or chutney. You can also make it more healthy by using roasted puffed rice instead of fried ones. Try this recipe and let us know how you liked it.