British chef Angus Denoon fell in love with jhal muri, Kolkata's favourite street food, and decided to sell it on the streets of London.
Editor’s Note: The video states Angus began selling Jhal Muri ‘a decade ago’. He began selling the snack in 2005. The error is regretted.
British foodpreneur Angus Denoon first tasted jhal muri while exploring his fascination for Indian street cuisine, on a trip to Kolkata in 2005. Shortly after his return to London, he quit his job as a chef and started selling the spicy puffed rice snack in the city’s Asian-dominated neighbourhoods of Tooting, Whitechapel and Southall.
Angus was homeless at the time, but preparing jhal muri didn’t require a kitchen, and it wasn’t long before the Bengali snack became a crowd favourite on the streets of London.
In fact, a video of him selling his authentic take outside the Oval– during the 2019 World Cup– went viral on social media and was also appreciated by Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan.
Today, his roadside van ‘Everybody Love Love Jhal Muri Express’ also offers ghugni chaat, puchkas, dhokla, Gujarati dal, lassi and chai.
“I know because of where I am from, I am a novelty. But ultimately I would like to be known as someone who makes jhal muri nicely, with respect for where it comes from, and of how much it means to many people,” he was quoted as saying.
Watch his love for the ‘small piece of personal theatre that you eat’:
British chef Angus Denoon has been selling 'jhal muri' on the streets of London for almost a decade now. #IndianFood pic.twitter.com/yXOu9UVyyh
— The Better India (@thebetterindia) January 18, 2022
Sources:
The Indian Express
The Telegraph