Murmura or Spicy Puffed Rice is a popular tea time snack from India.
It is a quick and easy snack made with puffed rice, spices, curry leaves and nuts.
About this recipe
Murmura is a puffed grain made from rice. It is light and flaky and very neutral in taste.
Its very commonly used in Indian households to make snacks like bhel puri, murmura mixture and chivda.
There are many variations to making the spicy puffed rice. In North India it is called Murmura Chivda, where raisins and powdered sugar are also added in addition to the spices and nuts
I am making the South Indian Style Murmura where the roasted puffed rice is tossed in hot oil which is infused with spices and curry leaves.
In Andhra we call these Karam Borugulu.
This Murmura Recipe
- is a perfect accompaniment for your tea time snack
- can be enjoyed all year
- a great alternative to the deep fried snacks
- can also be made for festivals like Diwali and holi
How to make Spicy Murmura?
Roasting the Murmura in the oven –
I roasted the puffed rice in the oven. I feel roasting the murmura in the oven keeps them crunchy for very long time.
If you don’t want to do this, you can just pan fry them with the spices.
To roast them in the oven, preheat the oven to 200 F and place the puffed rice in a large baking tray and spread evenly. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, mixing it once mid way.
Murmura will not change color or become brown.
While the murmura is roasting, prep the rest of the ingredients.
Step by Step Photo Instructions:
1 – Once the murmura are roasted, heat a large pan and add oil. Once the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them pop.
2 – Reduce the heat to low, and add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Now add the chopped green chili and lots of curry leaves. If you are adding fresh garlic, add it now. Cook for 30-45 seconds.
3 & 4- Add all the spices and salt and immediately turn off the stove. The heat will toast the spices. If the oil is too hot, the spices can easily burn in a fraction of a second.
Add the roasted murmura and toss till well combined. Taste and adjust salt. Add the roaste peanuts and cashew and give a final toss.
Store it in a air tight container. Stays fresh for up to 3 weeks.
Serving suggestions:
Serve it with chai or coffee. Pack it for your picnic or for travel. No mess kind of snack and stays fresh for few weeks.
Pro Tips:
Roast the murmura till crisp. If not the murmura mixture will become soft in few days.
Fry the green chili and curry leaves till crisp, that increases the shelf life.
Variations:
Add roasted chana dal or thinly sliced dry coconut.
For a slightly sweeter version add raisins and powdered sugar.
Few more Snack Recipes-
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Ingredients
- 7 cups Puffed Rice ( murmura/muri/borugulu)
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 5 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder or 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ tsp crushed black pepper
- ½ tsp citric acid ( for sourness) optional
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
- 2 tbsp roasted cashew
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
Roasting the Murmura –
- I roasted the puffed rice in the oven. I feel roasting the murmura in the oven keeps them crunchy for very long time. If you don’t want to do this, you can just pan fry them with the spices.
- To roast them in the oven, preheat the oven to 200 F and place the puffed rice in a large baking tray and spread evenly. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, mixing it once mid way. Murmura will not change color or become brown.
How to make Spicy Puffed Rice –
- Once the murmura are roasted, heat a large pan and add oil. Once the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them pop.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Now add the chopped green chili and lots of curry leaves. If you are adding fresh garlic, add it now. Cook it the curry leaves crisp up.
- Add all the spices and salt and immediately turn off the stove. The heat will toast the spices. If the oil is too hot, the spices can easily burn in a fraction of a second.
- Add the roasted murmura and toss till well combined. ( If you have not roasted the murmura, turn on the stove and pan fry the murmura in low flame till crisp. Mix often to avoid burnt spices)
- Taste and adjust salt. Add the roasted peanuts and cashew and give a final toss.
- Store it in a air tight container. Stays fresh for up to 3 weeks.
Deepa
Amazing tip on roasting the rice puff in the oven. I was wondering how to roast large quantities and with you tip my rice puff were super crispy and crunchy. Thank you so much.
Madhavi
I am so glad the tip helped Deepa. Thank you for sharing your feedback!