I have now lost hope that my missing-home phase is going to go anytime soon.  While it lasts I better be making good use of it. The ICC World Cup brought back so many memories. The anxiety for the matches, the superstitions, the endless after match discussions and the fresh Bhadang that my mom used to make to munch on during the long ODIs.

Bhadang is a simple snack made out of puffed rice. The key to have the great bhadang is the perfectly puffed rice. The small grain rice makes the best Bhadang. Again – I don’t get the kind of puffed rice I love. The puffed rice we get here in US is mainly made with long grain Basmati Rice. Basmati Rice is good for Biryani or Pulav but it does not make good puffed rice. In Sangli they make puffed rice with the smallest grain rice locally available. That puffed rice is almost round as against the oval shape that Basmati brings.  World Cup matches demand something crunchy, spicy, tangy to munch on and nothing can be better than  Bhadang.

This is what you need

1/2 pound Puffed Rice

1 Cup Peanuts

1 Teaspoons Turmeric

2 Teaspoons Red Chilly Powder

2 Teaspoons Salt

2 Teaspoons Sugar

10-12 Curry Leaves

8-9 Garlic Pods ( optional)

1/2 Teaspoons of Asafetida

2 Teaspoons of Kolhapuri Masala (Optional)

1/4 cup Oil for frying.

This is what you need to do

Heat oil in a pan.

Once hot add Asafetida, sliced garlic and curry leaves. Let them fry for a moment.

Add peanuts, turmeric, red chilly powder, salt and sugar and fry till peanuts are crunchy.

Let it cool completely.

Mix the fried and spicy peanuts to the puffed rice slowly making sure all the rice gets coated with the spices.

Adjust salt and sugar accordingly. Garlic is optional here. You can adjust the spice level as per your taste.

You can add some chopped onion and a splash of lemon juice and Enjoy!