Apple Churumuri / Spicy Apple Salad

I do not have too many memories of eating in restaurants when I was young. Mainly because we didn't have too much money to spend on that luxury. But, I do have very fond memories of myself and two of my friends taking long walks almost every other day and eating 'churmuri' - a street food made with puffed rice and onions, carrots on the way back home. There was this vendor near 'Ballal Circle' in Mysore who made it so good that thinking about it makes my mouth water even now after 2 decades.

We waited for him to get mangoes in season to enjoy mango churmuri. I had not eaten it anywhere but there. He didn't use any puffed rice in that at all. It was mango pieces (Totapuri mavinakayi) mixed with some onions, chillies, and spices. It used to be very very spicy but that made us like it even more. I had made the regular churmuri couple of weeks back for my friends when we went on an impromptu picnic. That made me remember that mango version and since I can't get good mangoes here, I converted that to use apples. Grannysmith apples work better, but I didn't have any, so I used whatever I had on hand.

One year back - Chocolate Rolls
Ingredients:
Apples - 5 medium sized ones (I used 3 gala and 2 ginger gold)
Red Onions - 2 medium or 1 large chopped fine
Carrots - 5 medium peeled and grated
Green Chillies - 4 or as per taste chopped very fine (almost minced)
Oil - 2 TBSP
Lime - 1
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Cilantro - chopped about 1/4 cup
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup chopped coarsely (Or use these spicy peanuts)
Salt - to taste

Method:
In a bowl, take the grated carrots, chopped onions, minced green chillies, cilantro. Mix well. Fill water in a bowl. Add a pinch or two of salt to it or squeeze couple of drops of lime juice. Core apples and cut them into small chunks. Add the chunks to the bowl of water. Let it sit for few minutes and then drain completely. Add them to the onion, carrot mixture and toss together. Sprinkle oil, salt and squeeze lime juice on it and mix well. If using chilli powder, sprinkle that too. Mix everything well and check for the seasonings. Adjust if necessary. Add coarsely chopped roasted peanuts and mix. Serve immediately.

Enjoy.

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