Pink Powered Puffed rice salad- vegan, gluten free.
Growing up in India, I relished the taste and sight of Jhalmuri ( aka- munta kindha pappu in telugu), a popular street food, made from adding spice mixtures to puffed rice. It still remains a part of my memorable evenings in India. This recipe is inspired from the same street food I grew up with , but with a goal to add more power in terms of nutrition and of course color to it.
Puffed grains have the lowest nutritional value compared to whole grains in their natural form. But some foods are so deeply knit with your memories that you can’t say ‘no’ despite being aware of the nutritional shortcoming. I kept on trying little tweaks to turn up the nutrient factor for the popular, and beloved Indian street food, while consciously working on maintaining the flavors that are associated with this dish. So, I ended up using beetroot, avocado, corn, carrot, chia, hemp seeds, a touch of flax, few cashews to complement the puffed rice. A favorite street food that brings nostalgia, with simple additions, now became a powerful snack. Think about the boost of additional vitamins, minerals, fiber phytonutrients in this version, if you are aware of the classic jhalmuri.
Cooking, especially for moms is a way of the heart, and not always a skill and this dish embodies that thought. Let the heart of the dish be the nutrition content, but preserve the flavors that touch the heart.
A for sure kid pleasing recipe, that is quick to make and is lip smacking good. Do serve it in paper cones ( just like the way Jhalmuri is served ) for the kids and enjoy their smiles.
Pink powered puffed rice salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups puffed rice can try with puffed millet as well
- 1 cup grated beetroot
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 finely chopped green chili can use 1 tsp red chili powder instead
- 1/4 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 avocado( cut 1/4 into cubes and 1/4 into thin slices)
- 2-3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2-3 Tbsp hemp hearts
- 1-2 Tbsp ground flax
- 12-15 dry roasted cashews or any nuts of your choice
- 2 squeezed lime
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/4 cup shredded green mango- optional
- 1 cup finely chopped green papaya – optional you can use firm orange papaya as well
Instructions
- Get your ingredients ready. Do the cutting, grating parts and take your veggies into a plate.
- Dry roast the puffed rice for 4-5 min, till they are crunchy and put them aside.
- In another skillet on medium heat, add few table spoons of water, and once hot, add the beetroot, green papaya (if using), frozen corn. Saute for 4-5 min till the raw aroma disappears.
- Now take a wide big bowl, add the toasted puffed rice. Next add the onions, green chilies, cilantro, carrot, mango shredded. Mix well. Then add the sautéed beetroot mixture.
- Add the chia, hemp, flax and dry roasted nuts. Mix well with a spatula. The amount of chia, hemp, flax depends on how new are you to these ingredients. Chia and flax have lot of fiber in them, so if you are not normally used to these ingredients, go slow and add about 1 Tbsp of each.
- Now add salt. If more spice is needed, can add some red chili powder as well at this stage.
- Add the avocado cubes, and mix gently or by tossing. Squeeze the lime juice, to your taste buds content. Toss again.
- Serve in paper cones, with avocado slices on top.