By Nandini Srinivasan

Spice is life, depends upon what you like. Yes, food is serious but you should have fun with it! You realise this when you see people at the roadside eateries! No dining etiquette, no table manners and no costly cutlery. It’s just fun eating, slurping! Though roadside eateries have evolved, the humble bondas, vadas and the puffed rice variants — Churumuri, Bhel-puri, remain all-time favourites.

Like every State in India, Karnataka has its own favourite evening snack, be it the Mirchi Mandakki from North Karnataka or the Churumuri from South Karnataka. This tasty mix of puffed rice, grated carrots and other seasonings has since seen many variations but the base remains the same — puri or puffed rice.

It is said that the dish actually has its origins in Bengal and was originally called Jhalmuri, an assortment of spices, vegetables and chanachur or bhujia. The uniqueness of this dish is that it has been modified to suit the city it thrives in. So it’s Jhalmuri in Bengal and Bangladesh, Bhel-puri in Maharashtra, Masala Pori in Tamil Nadu, Mandakki in North Karnataka and Churumuri in Mysuru and Bengaluru. In fact, the Bhel-puri has taken on a continental flavour and has travelled to London, thanks to Chef Angus Denoon, who sells it out of a cart called “Everybody Love Love Jhal Muri Express” — that he sells a packet of Jhalmuri at 3.50 pounds (around Rs.320) is another matter!

‘While Bhel-puri and Masala Pori have a little of wet ingredients like tamarind syrup or boiled peanuts, Churumuri is completely a dry mixture. It’s a delightful, crunchy salad with finely grated carrots, a little spice mixture, a handful of Congress kadlekai (spiced-shelled peanuts), chopped onions, tomatoes and a dash of lime and coriander. All this cosily packed in a conical paper cup. Churumuri is never relished on a plate!

And a bite of the special kobbari mitai (the long coconut burfi which is unlike the regular square shaped burfis) which has a unique taste is a must as it soothes the taste buds which have flared up with the spices in the Churumuri.

There are approximately around 350 Churumuri sellers in Mysuru but a few of them have been there since more than four decades and still going strong.

Churumuri Ramanna, one of the first Churumuri makers, set up stall in front of Marimallapa’s School on Rama Vilas Road around 60 years ago and today his wife and son continue to sell Churumuri from near Sadvidya High School in the same vicinity.

What started off as a simple mixture of puri, tomato and cucumber, today has 14 different varieties including Jain Churumuri without onions, Raja Special, Hesarubele Masala and Pomegranate Churumuri. The special kobbari mitai which is dipped in a mixture of lemon and spice is a new addition which has many takers.

Jayamma, Ramanna’s wife, who continued the Churumuri business, is happy that they have several repeat customers and even today hundreds of old students of both the schools from all over India and other countries make a compulsory visit to their cart when they are in Mysuru. Paramesh, her son who continues to help her, says they add to the varieties depending on the demand.

Vanajakshi, who has her Churumuri cart on Kalidasa Road, Jayalakshmipuram (from 1 pm to 6 pm) and in Gokulam (from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm) took over the business after her husband fell sick five years ago. Her Churumuri concoctions are a hot favourite with several yoga students in the area, especially those from foreign countries.

Her cucumber and tomato slices smeared with chilly powder and topped with puri and peanuts are a big hit with the yoga students. They eat spicy Churumuri than what our people eat, says Vanajakshi and adds that the pineapple, banana stem and baby corn Churumuri are also a big sell out with the yoga crowd. “I have learnt a little English too to deal with them. And on Kalidasa Road, a number of Medical students who stay in PGs nearby are my regular customers. I use a lot of sprouts in the Churumuri as it is healthy,” she says.

If you relish the taste of garlic in your Churumuri, then Chatpatta, a regular shop on Kotwal Ramaiah Street near Hong Kong Bazaar, is the place to go to. The shop which started around 20 years back is a favourite joint for those who need their share of pungent garlic aroma with pure ghee in their cone of Churumuri.

Nagaraj Gupta started the shop in the late 80s and now his son Raghuram, who runs it, has added several other snacks and variants of Churumuri, the signature one being the chakli masala, biscuit masala and gold coin. The shop sees a regular stream of a minimum of 200 customers a day with the number reaching over 400 on weekends.

Another very popular Churumuri joint is in Ballal Circle, where the old Ganesha Theatre stood. Started way back in the 70s by his uncle, Cheluvaraju has been managing the shop and his customers are mostly children from nearby schools. “Many kids want me to give them Churumuri for the money they have. So most of the time, I give them the quantity for the money they give and don’t insist on my standard rates,” says Cheluvaraju. The most sold varieties here are tomato slices, nippatu masala and special churumuri. The speciality of Mysuru Puri is its light weight which lends itself to easy mixing. While Bengaluru gets its Puri, which is slightly thicker, mainly from Davanagere, Mysuru gets its supplies from the bhattis in Hinkal, J.P. Nagar, N.R. Mohalla and Mahadevapura.

Raghu, one of the wholesale dealers, says that most of the Churumuri vendors buy at least 60 litres of Puri every day. Presently, one litre of Puri costs Rs. 7.