How this street snack landed up at the chef’s table
Times of India | 31 August 2026
Ever since Bengal elections grabbed the nation’s attention, the humble jhal muri has had a field day. It started with a muri wallah in Jhargram, tossing up the spicy mix in a thonga for the Prime Minister. It has now made a gourmet appearance at Gaggan Anand’s much anticipated restaurant in Delhi, where he is serving a stylish version of the everyday snack.
Anand, a Kolkata boy, has long experimented with Bengali flavours and ingredients. And the jhal muri has been part of his repertoire, even at his fabled Bangkok restaurant.
Of late, regional Indian snacks and condiments have been mood-boarded and gentrified - whether it is the thecha, bhakarwadi, roasted chana or murukku and more. While anyone who has ever lived in or visited Kolkata might be amused by the sudden global interest in the jhal muri, this everyday snack too has been steadily climbing the pecking order.
You can have your jhal muri straight out of a packet or a newsprint-inspired cone anywhere in the world. Or enjoy healthier and glamorous versions of it at five-star banquets, where the jhal muri corner is now a special attraction.
But if you are new to the jhal muri party here’s what you need to know: despite the apparent similarities, jhal muri and the bhel puri are just not the same.
Bhel is moist, thanks to the chutneys, tomatoes and boiled potatoes. The result is khatta, meetha, teekha and soft, with crunch provided by sev and peanuts, often added to taste.
Jhal muri is fire and brimstone.
Pungent mustard oil is at the heart of the mix, along with that secret weapon, bhaja moshla: the quintessential Bengali blend of roasted cumin, fennel, bay leaves, coriander and dry red chilli. Then come the chanachur, pickle oil, chopped green chillies and slivers of coconut. It is super-crunchy, super-spicy and not for the faint-hearted.
That, says Anand, is the taste and texture of his childhood in the City of Joy.
That one of the world’s most talked-about chefs would pay a tribute to the Kolkata-style jhal muri in his first restaurant in India, is perhaps the crunchiest full-circle moment of all.