Train journeys, Kolkata and the continued magic of mustard..

Train journeys, Kolkata and the continued magic of mustard..

Twenty five years ago and counting, on a train to Calcutta, as it was then. I had just joined my first job and was off to a  training program. 

There were for of us women in a cubicle in the 2nd a/c compartment and the rest of the bogie was empty as a party of MLAs was supposed to board the train halfway down the line somewhere. Well, they didn't and so the four of us traveled in solitary splendor (each with a loo to herself!) in a compartment meant for some 50-odd people all the way from Madras to Calcutta! By the time we reached Vizag, we were firm friends - all of us different ages and at different stages in life. By the time we drew into Howrah station, we had exchanged life stories (being only about 22, i didn't have much of a life story yet!!), recipes and i'd got tips on childbirth (i wasn't even planning on a baby just yet!) and handling moms-in-law and whatnot! 

As we drew into Cal, a vendor got on to the train with a headload of murmura and other stuff. The senior-most lady turned to me to ask if i'd have jhaal murhi.I must have looked blank because she immediately broke into warm and voluble Bengali saying i couldn't come to Cal and not sample this world-famous-in-Calcutta street food! I tried feebly to protest saying i had a training program to go to and Calcutta belly was not really on my agenda but she swept all my misgivings away with magnificent indifference and a flood of Bengali and instructed the muri-wallah to make his very best jhaal muri because this poor girl has had a deprived childhood  and look at her - she is so skinny ( i was all of 95 pounds!) because the poor thing has been brought up in the South where they have only 'dhosas' and idlis and sambar, bichare! Poor things!

The muri - wallah, not to be left out of all this Bengali hospitality, whipped and mixed up things with a flourish which would have done a Yehudi Menuhin proud and presented a newspaper screw full of something that seemed quite unremarkable as though he was presenting it to the queen. Keeping my Southern flag flying high, i accepted with a matching twirl of the wrist and dipped my fingers in. Scrunch, munch, mustard oil hit, lemony tickle, peanut-ty crackle and jeera hint later, i was hooked - for life! Have made this many times more than i care to remember after that....one of those anytime snacks of which no one can eat just one!

Here goes:

Murmura - 2 packets - about 5 or 6 cups  

the ingredients

Boiled potato  sliced into small pieces - 2

Sev or chanachur - 1 cupful

2 large onions - finely chopped

2 green chilies - finely chopped

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Amchoor powder - 1/2 tsp

Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp

Juice of 1 large lemon

Roasted peanuts (optional) - 3 tbsp

Finely chopped raw mango (optional) - 2 tbsp

Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

Mix everything together except the lemon juice and mustard oil in a large pan with a flourish - imagine you're conducting the London Philharmonic. Once they're well mixed, add the mustard oil and mix again . Squeeze lemon juice over the top and give it a final swirl. Serve in screws of paper to save on washing up! Ta-dang!

and the magical jhaal muri...