Kurmura Chiwda - Spiced Puffed Rice

Kurmura also known as murmura or mumra is a type of puffed grain made from rice. This spicy garlic flavored Kurmura Chiwda makes a very light and tasty evening snack. My mom made this very often at home and I have many fond memories of enjoying this snack with her. It was a weekend ritual to sit at our apartment window munching on this savory mixture along with a cup of hot coffee and chatting away for hours together. The garlic, dried red chillies and curry leaves give a very nice flavor to the kurmura. What I love the most about this snack is it hardly takes any time to make it and is loved by adults and children alike. This chiwda also makes a very delicious Sukhi Bhel (Dry Bhel). All you need to do is add some finely chopped onions, tomatoes and lime juice to the chiwda and sprinkle some fine sev and chopped cilantro on it.

Ingredients -
5 cups kurmura
3 garlic cloves (crushed in the mortar pestle/ roughly chopped)
2 dried red chillies
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida/ hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsps oil
salt to taste

Method -
1. Heat oil in a kadhai and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add cumin seeds.
2. The add the crushed garlic and fry until golden brown. Add asafoetida/ hing, turmeric powder, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Now add the kurmura/ puffed rice and mix well.
4. Add salt, sugar, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and roast the kurmura for 7-10 mins by ocassionally stirring to prevent the kurmuras from sticking to the bottom of the kadhai.

This goes to Niloufer's Twenty -20 Cooking Event.