Cheuro/Chevdo
Cheuro or Chevdo, also known as Bombay Mix or Chevra is a traditional Indian snack consisting of dried spicy ingredients that are mixed together to form a crunchy combination. Cheuro can be had on its own or sprinkled over other dishes like channa bateta or khara bateta to give them a pleasant crunchy topping.
Ingredients
- 1 cup split channa/lentils
- 1/2 cup whole moong/mung bean optional
- 6 medium potatoes
- 2-3 cups flattened rice/pava
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 2-3 tsp. ground sugar
- 2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 tsp. red chilli powder
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- pinch of cinnamon powder
- 3-4 chopped green chillies
- 10 limro/curry leaves
- pinch of citric acid OR finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Wash and then soak the split channa daal overnight.Wash and then soak the whole mung beans overnight.The following morning, rinse the channa daal and the mung beans, then drain them separately to remove excess water.In the meantime, peel and grate the potatoes, then wash the shredded potatoes a few times until the water runs clear, to get rid of excess starch. Then pour water over them to cover the shredded potatoes completely and sprinkle 2 tsp. of salt. Mix and set aside.Lay down a big kitchen towel and pour the channa daal on it, pat the lentils dry then set them aside. Do the same with the mung beans.Heat oil in a deep pan, then fry the channa daal on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Drain and play them on kitchen towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt over them so they are lightly seasoned. Do the same with the mung beans. While these are frying, drain off the shredded potatoes and pat them dry too. Fry them next, until they are golden. Then drain on kitchen towels.Next, fry the peanuts followed by the cashews. These will each take about 5 minutes, until they are lightly coloured. Drain the excess oil. Add a pinch of salt to them.Then fry the flattened rice until puffed and crispy. When they come out of the oil, sprinkle the turmeric powder and a pinch of salt them and mix well.Finally, fry the limro leaves and green chillies until crispy.Now, take a large dish and put all the fried ingredients into it and give everything a mix. Sprinkle the ground sugar, cinnamon, chilli powder, citric acid or lemon rind. Add a bit of salt, about a quarter to half a tsp. Mix and taste to see if you need some more salt, take care not to over salt because we added a pinch of salt to almost every ingredient right after frying. You can also adjust sugar and chilli to your taste.When you are satisfied with the flavours, allow the cheuro to cool then store in airtight containers. Serve in bowls with a squeeze of lemon for a crunchy snack.Enjoy!
