Bombay mix

Bombay mix or Chiwda is an Indian snack mix (namkeen) which consists of a variable mixture of spicy dried ingredients, such as fried lentils, peanuts, chickpea flour ghatia (sev), corn, vegetable oil, chickpeas, flaked rice, fried onion and curry leaves. This is all flavored with salt and a blend of spices that may include coriander and mustard seed.

Bombay mix
Bombay mix
Alternative namesChanachur
TypeSnack
Place of originIndian subcontinent
Main ingredientsFried lentils, peanuts, chickpea flour noodles, vegetable oil, chickpeas, flaked rice, fried onion and curry leaves
Chaṇāchura in Odisha.
Mixture in Chennai

In India, the large variety of snacks similar to this are called Chiwda (in Maharashtra), farsan (in Gujarat and Rajasthan), or just "mixture" in other parts of the country.

Due to similarities as well as multiple subtle differences, the older traditional terms chiwda, namkeen, and the newer term Bombay mix (the latter popularized in the 1990s when such snacks began to be sold packaged) are often used interchangeably, even though there are clearly marked differences between them.[1]

In India, it is sometimes eaten as part of a meal; as a standalone snack, though, it is usually consumed with the hands.

Etymology

The name "Bombay mix", referring to the city of Mumbai, is mainly used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Names used in India for the mix include:

  • chevda/chivda (Marathi: चिवडा) or chevdo (Hindi: चिवडो, Gujarati: ચેવડો)
  • bhuso (if made without potato) or Bhujiya (when made of potatoes) in Hindi speaking regions of India)
  • chanāchura or barāmaza (Odia: ଚନାଚୁର/ବାରମଜା)
  • chanachur (চানাচুর) in Bengali
  • chuda in Mumbai

Variations

Alternative, regional versions include:

  • In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Bombay mix sold and served in Indian restaurants, take-aways and newsagents often does not contain dried fruit, although authentic recipes from Maharashtra do. This is also called “London mix”.
  • In Afghanistan, it is called simyan.
  • In Pakistan, it is very popular, prepared throughout the country, usually known as chevda (although chevda also refers to another foodstuff) or nimko.
  • A different version, called Danyal mix, and sometimes "Gujarati mix", is a lot spicier and contains only crunchy mix, peanuts and occasionally spices like ajwain, though this version does not use chillies.
  • In the United States, it is alternatively and more often referred to as "Punjabi mix" or simply "hot mix".
  • In Myanmar, they are known as sarkalay chee, which literally means sparrows' droppings, referring to the lentil strips. They are very popular with both the Burmese and the Burmese Indians.
  • In Sri Lanka, it is known just as "mixture", and includes a larger variety of exotic ingredients, such as cassava and fried curry leaves.
  • In Malaysia and Singapore, it is known as kacang putih. Members of the local Indian community usually refer to it as "mixture" as is done in Southern India. It is available from roadside vendors as well as shops and restaurants. Singaporean supermarket Fairprice refer to their Bombay mix product as 'murukku', which is an entirely different product altogether.[2]
  • In Bangladesh, it is known as Chanachur, which is very spicy compared to the other versions, and is much more popular amongst Bengali people. It is an important ingredient of popular Bengali snacks Jhalmuri
  • In southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it is known as just "mixture", and is available in almost all the sweet shops and bakeries. Usually it consists of fried ground nuts (peanuts), thenkuzhal,[3] kara boondhi,[4] roasted chana dal, karasev, murukku broken into small pieces, pakoda and oma podi.[5][6]
  • In Eastern African countries with large populations of families of Indian descent, especially Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, it is known as chevdo or chevra and is often prepared with some sugar sprinkled in.
  • In South Africa it is popular amongst the Indian community of Kwazulu Natal and the Cape Malay community of the Western Cape. Amongst the Indian community it is known as "sev and nuts" and amongst the Cape Malay community as "slangetjies," which is Afrikaans for little snake and refers to the appearance of the chickpea flour noodles.
  • A variation of chevdo without root vegetables, where the potato crisps are replaced by matoke (plantain), is defined as Jain chevdo.
  • In Nepal it is known as "Dalmoth".
  • Called Bhuja in Fiji. Also sold under the "Bhuja" brand in Australia.

See also

References
  1. "About us". www.laxminarayanchiwda.com. Laxminarayan Chiwda - official website. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  2. "catalogId=10051&storeId=90001&productId=314685&langId=-1&categoryId=33965&parent_category_rn=33965&top_category=10059 Product: FAIRPRICE - MURUKU THICK". Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  3. "Thenkuzhal Recipe". Subbus Kitchen. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. "Diwali special – Kara Boondi (Spicy Boondi)". Samai.in. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. "Oma Podi - Oma Podi Recipes, How to make Oma Podi". Food.sulekha.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  6. "Padma's Recipes: OMA PODI / SEV". Padmasrecipes.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
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