Cereals and millets · IFCT 2017
Puffed rice (murmura): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, puffed rice gives 362 kcal, 7.5 g protein, 77.7 g carbohydrate and 4.55 mg iron, according to IFCT 2017. Gram for gram it is the most energy-dense of the 14 cereals and millets, ranking 1st, simply because almost all the water has been driven out. Because it is so light, though, a heaped bowl weighs far less than 100 g.
About puffed rice (murmura)
Murmura is made by heating parboiled rice in hot sand or a hot drum until each grain swells and pops into a crisp, hollow puff. It is one of the most widely eaten snacks in India, and IFCT 2017 records it in 16 languages: muri in Bengali and Assamese, mudhi in Odia, mamra in Gujarati, chirmure in Marathi, pori in Tamil and Malayalam, maramaralu in Telugu and phulian in Punjabi.
Every region has its own mix. Mumbai has bhel puri with tamarind and green chutneys; Kolkata has jhal muri tossed with mustard oil, onion, green chilli and chanachur; Karnataka has churmuri and the girmit of the north. In Odisha, mudhi is eaten with ghuguni or simply with tea, and in Tamil Nadu pori urundai, puffed rice balls bound with jaggery, are made for Karthigai Deepam.
Puffed rice is also a temple offering and a travel snack. Mixed with roasted chana and peanuts, it becomes the cheapest filling bite on a railway platform, and in Bengal and Odisha a bowl of muri with tea is as ordinary as a biscuit elsewhere.
What puffed rice (murmura) brings to a meal
- 01
Dense on paper, light in the bowl
At 362 kcal per 100 g, murmura ranks 1st of 14 cereals and millets for energy and 32nd of 257 foods. The figure reflects dryness, not richness: puffing swells each grain so much that a big bowl is only a small weight.
- 02
Almost all carbohydrate
Puffed rice has 77.7 g carbohydrate per 100 g, 2nd of 14 in its group and 3rd of 256 foods. It digests quickly, so on its own it is a fast but short-lived source of energy.
- 03
Some iron, little else
Iron is 4.55 mg per 100 g, 5th among the 14 grains, about 24 per cent of a man's daily requirement. Fibre is the lowest of the group at 2.6 g.
- 04
Low in fat
Plain murmura has just 1.6 g fat per 100 g. The fat in a bhel or jhal muri comes from the oil, sev and namkeen mixed in.
Puffed rice (murmura) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 362 kcal | 17% | 22% |
| Protein | 7.5 g | 14% | 16% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 77.7 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.6 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.6 g | ||
| Water | 9.4 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 1 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 15 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 4.55 mg | 24% | 16% |
| Zinc | 1.45 mg | 9% | 11% |
| Magnesium | 65 mg | 15% | 18% |
| Phosphorus | 152 mg | ||
| Potassium | 140 mg | ||
| Sodium | 4 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.25 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.11 mg | 6% | 6% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.87 mg | 10% | 13% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.07 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.04 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 1 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Puffed rice (murmura): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/cereals-and-millets/puffed-rice-murmura/
Where puffed rice (murmura) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 cereals and millets and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In cereals and millets | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 362 kcal | 1st of 14 | 32nd of 257 |
| Iron | 4.55 mg | 5th of 14 | 52nd of 242 |
| Zinc | 1.45 mg | 13th of 14 | 71st of 243 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.11 mg | 12th of 14 | 72nd of 239 |
| Magnesium | 65 mg | 12th of 14 | 78th of 242 |
How puffed rice (murmura) is eaten
- Bhel puri: murmura tossed with boiled potato, onion, tomato, sev and tamarind and green chutneys, eaten at once before it goes soft.
- Jhal muri: muri mixed with mustard oil, chopped onion, green chilli, coriander and roasted peanuts, the Kolkata street snack.
- Pori urundai or murmura ladoo: puffed rice bound with melted jaggery into balls.
- Mudhi with ghuguni or curd: the Odia tea-time plate.
- Murmura chivda: dry-roasted with turmeric, curry leaves, peanuts and roasted chana for a lighter namkeen.
Before you plan around it
Puffed rice is mostly fast-digesting starch with very little fibre, 2.6 g per 100 g, so a plain bowl will not keep hunger away for long. Mixing in roasted chana, peanuts, sprouts and raw vegetables adds protein and fibre and slows the snack down. Watch the extras: sev, chanachur, fried namkeen and spoonfuls of oil can turn a light snack into a heavy one, and some shop murmura is salted during puffing. Keep it in an airtight jar, because it absorbs moisture and goes limp quickly.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about puffed rice (murmura)
Is murmura good for weight loss?
Murmura is very light by volume, so a bowl has fewer calories than its size suggests, even though it has 362 kcal per 100 g. It is low in fibre and protein, though, so mix it with chana, peanuts and vegetables rather than eating it plain.
How many calories are in puffed rice?
IFCT 2017 lists 362 kcal per 100 g of puffed rice, with 77.7 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g protein and 1.6 g fat. Because a cup of murmura weighs very little, a normal snack bowl provides only a fraction of that 100 g figure.
Is puffed rice the same as poha?
No. Both start from rice, but poha is flattened into flakes and murmura is popped with heat. Poha is cooked into a meal; murmura is eaten as a crisp snack. Per 100 g their energy and iron are similar.
What is murmura called in Bengali and Odia?
IFCT 2017 records it as muri in Bengali and Assamese and mudhi in Odia. It is pori in Tamil and Malayalam, mamra in Gujarati, chirmure in Marathi, maramaralu in Telugu and phulian in Punjabi.
Related foods and tables
Poha (rice flakes)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rice
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bengal gram (chana)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Peanuts (groundnut)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mustard oil
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calories (energy) per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
All cereals and millets
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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