Bombay mix
Encyclopedia
Bombay Mix is the name used in the United Kingdom
for a traditional Indian
snack
known as chiwda, chevdo
, chevda (चिवडा) or chivdo (चिवडो) in India, or Chaṇāchura or Chanāchura in Orissa
and chanachur (চানাচুর) in Bengal
. The English name originates from the city of Mumbai
(formerly known as Bombay), India. It consists of a variable mixture of spicy
dried ingredients, which may include fried lentil
s, peanut
s, chickpea flour noodles, corn
, vegetable oil, chickpea
s, flaked rice
, fried onion
and curry leaves. This is all flavoured with salt
and a blend of spices that may include coriander
and mustard seed
. The traditional Indian food can be eaten as part of a meal; as a standalone snack, though, it is usually consumed with the hands some people may prefer to use a spoon. Alternative, regional versions include:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for a traditional Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
snack
Snack food
A snack is a portion of food oftentimes smaller than that of a regular meal, that is generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged and processed foods and items made from fresh ingredients at home....
known as chiwda, chevdo
Chevdo
Chevdo is an Indian snack made with crisped rice, broken potato chips, dry cereal, chow mien noodles, escolar, peanuts, almonds, cashews, raisins, lentils, mung beans and is often seasoned with anise/fennel, curry, and ginger...
, chevda (चिवडा) or chivdo (चिवडो) in India, or Chaṇāchura or Chanāchura in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and chanachur (চানাচুর) in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. The English name originates from the city of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(formerly known as Bombay), India. It consists of a variable mixture of spicy
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
dried ingredients, which may include fried lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, chickpea flour noodles, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, vegetable oil, chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
s, flaked rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, fried onion
Fried onion
Fried onions or French fried onions are a popular snack food or garnish accompaniment to various recipes, made from pan frying or deep frying onions thus preparing them in a manner similar to that of French fried potatoes....
and curry leaves. This is all flavoured with salt
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
and a blend of spices that may include coriander
Coriander
Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...
and mustard seed
Mustard seed
Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. Mustard seeds may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional foods. The seeds can come from three different plants: black mustard , brown...
. The traditional Indian food can be eaten as part of a meal; as a standalone snack, though, it is usually consumed with the hands some people may prefer to use a spoon. Alternative, regional versions include:
- In the United Kingdom, the Bombay mix sold and served in Indian restaurantRestaurantA restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, take-aways and newsagents often does not contain dried fruitDried fruitDried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
, although authentic recipes from MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
do. - In Pakistan, it is very popular, prepared throughout the country, usually known as chevda (although chevda also refers to another food stuff) or nimko.
- A different version, called gathia mix, and sometimes "Gujarati mix", is a lot spicier and contains only crunchy mix, peanutPeanutThe peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s and spices. - In the USA, it is alternatively and more often referred to as "PunjabiPunjab regionThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
mix". - In AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, it can be called bhuja mix, and is often not very spicy. - In MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, 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 LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, it is known just as "mixture", and includes a larger variety of exotic ingredients, such as cassava and fried curry leaves. - In Singapore, it is known as kacang putih.
- In BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, it is known as Chanachur, which is very spicy compared to the other versions, and is much more popular amongst the Bengali people. - In southern states such as Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, 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, kara boondhi, roasted chana dal, karasev, murukkuMurukkuChakli or Murukku is a savoury snack popular in India and Sri Lanka, originating in the cuisine of the South and West India. It is also popular in places with large Indian populations.-History:...
broken into small pieces, pakoda and oma podi. - In Eastern African countries with large populations of families of Indian descent such as KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, it is known as Chevra and is often prepared with some sugar sprinkled in.