Quick facts
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Made by | PepsiCo India |
| Dietary status | Vegetarian, contains gluten |
About Kurkure
Kurkure is PepsiCo India's flagship savoury snack brand, launched in 1999 specifically for the Indian market. The product is an extruded corn-meal puffcorn with bold masala seasoning, denser and crunchier than UK Wotsits. The UK import range covers seven flavours, with Masala Munch as the original and signature variant, and is mainly bought by South Asian diaspora households plus UK shoppers exploring authentic Indian snack flavours.
What makes Kurkure distinctively Indian
If you've never tried Kurkure before, the brand sits in a different category to UK supermarket savoury snacks. A few things to understand before buying.
- Bolder spice levels: even the "mild" Kurkure variants run hotter and more spiced than UK supermarket crisps. The masala blend contains red chilli powder, coriander, cumin, garlic and ginger as standard. The hotter variants (Chilli Chatka, Schezwan) carry real chilli heat, not the mild "smoky paprika" that passes for spicy in UK retail.
- Indian flavour cuisine references: each variant references a specific regional Indian cuisine. Green Chutney = the North Indian coriander-mint condiment served with samosas. Schezwan Chutney = the Indo-Chinese fusion seasoning popular in Mumbai street food. Masala Munch = generic North Indian spice mix. Naughty Tomato = sweet-tangy tomato chutney style.
- Vegetarian as default: Indian food regulation requires a green dot on vegetarian products, and Kurkure carries this on the front of every pack. The recipes are vegetarian-suitable across the range.
- Format variation: not all Kurkure is the same shape. The standard Masala Munch is twist/stick format. Puff Corn is lighter airy puffs. Jowar Puff uses sorghum flour. The flavour range overlaps the format range.
For UK shoppers cross-shopping internationally, Kurkure works alongside Indian Lay's flavours as the most authentically Indian-tasting savoury snacks in our catalogue. The two brands together cover most of what an Indian household would actually buy at a kirana store back home.
The 7 Kurkure flavours we stock
Mix of classic, regional and format-variant products. Each has its own flavour philosophy and place in the Kurkure range.
| Flavour | Cuisine reference | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Masala Munch | Classic North Indian masala | The brand's signature flavour: coriander, cumin, red chilli, amchur (dried mango), garlic, ginger. The Indian Lay's Magic Masala for the puffcorn category |
| Chilli Chatka | Hot chilli | The hottest variant in the standard Kurkure range. Heavy chilli, less of the sweet balancer, for shoppers who want straight heat |
| Green Chutney Style | North Indian coriander-mint chutney | Bright herbal flavour built on coriander and mint, the classic Indian dipping chutney served with samosas and dosas. Tangy rather than hot |
| Schezwan Chutney | Indo-Chinese fusion | The Mumbai-street-food Indo-Chinese chilli-and-garlic profile. Hotter and more savoury than the green chutney variant |
| Naughty Tomato | Indian tomato chutney | Sweet-tangy tomato seasoning closer to Indian ketchup-style chutney than to Western tomato crisps. Mild-warm rather than hot |
| Puff Corn | Format variant | Lighter airier puffed-corn format, milder seasoning than the standard stick range. The Kurkure equivalent of cheese puffs |
| Jowar Puff | Healthier-positioning variant | Made with jowar (sorghum) flour instead of standard rice-corn base. Positioned as a more nutritious snack option with the same flavour appeal |
Ingredients and allergens
Representative ingredient list for Kurkure Masala Munch:
Rice Meal (42.7%), Edible Vegetable Oil (Palmolein Oil), Corn Meal (19.7%), Spices and Condiments (Onion Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Amchur Powder, Coriander Seed Powder, Garlic Flakes & Powder, Ginger Powder, Black Pepper Powder, Turmeric Powder, Spice Extract, Fenugreek), Gram Meal (3.3%), Salt, Sugar, Tomato Powder (0.1%), Citric Acid (330), Dextrose, Milk Solids, Edible Starch.
Allergen profile: contains milk solids as a direct ingredient in most variants (Masala Munch and similar masala-based seasonings include milk powder for richness). Contains gluten from wheat traces in some production lines (always check the pack). Vegetarian-suitable across the range, with the Indian green-dot symbol on the front of every pack. The recipe contains no animal-derived ingredients beyond the dairy in some seasonings. Most variants are not formally halal-certified for UK retail but contain no haram ingredients (no pork, no alcohol); halal-keeping shoppers should verify on the individual pack. The Indian-market vegetarian symbol means observant vegetarians can shop the range with confidence, although strict vegans should avoid because of the milk solids.
Who Kurkure is for
Indian diaspora UK shoppers: Kurkure is one of the most beloved snack brands in India and a daily-purchase staple for millions of households there. For UK-based Indians who grew up on Kurkure, this is the regular supply line for the flavours UK supermarkets don't stock.
Curious-palate shoppers wanting authentic Indian flavours: the range covers genuine regional Indian flavour profiles that UK food retail barely touches. Green Chutney Style and Schezwan Chutney in particular are unusual flavour categories worth trying once for the experience.
Spice enthusiasts: the heat range from Masala Munch (mild-warm) through Chilli Chatka (hot) gives a spectrum that UK supermarket "spicy" crisps can't match. If you cook with Indian spices and want a snack that matches the flavour register, Kurkure delivers.
Vegetarian snack buyers: the entire Kurkure range is vegetarian-suitable, which is a useful given for households where one or more shoppers are vegetarian. The dairy content in some variants means strict vegans should look elsewhere, but ordinary vegetarians are well served.
International snacks basket builders: Kurkure pairs naturally with our Indian Lay's flavours (Magic Masala, Spanish Tomato, Sizzling Hot), and the combined Indian snacks selection covers the most-bought packet-snack profiles from Indian retail.
Buy Kurkure online in the UK
All 7 Kurkure flavours stocked. UK supermarket distribution of Kurkure is effectively zero through PepsiCo's official UK channels; the brand operates primarily through Indian and Asian specialist food shops, which carry a rotating subset of the range but rarely the full catalogue. Online specialist Indian food retailers and international snack importers like us carry the deeper range more reliably. Build the basket past £20 to qualify for free UK delivery. Mix multiple flavours plus a few Indian Lay's packs to complete an Indian snacks selection. Orders placed before our daily cut-off are dispatched the same working day.
Kurkure UK: frequently asked questions
What is Kurkure made of?
Kurkure is made from a base of rice meal, corn meal and gram (chickpea) meal, fried in palmolein oil and then seasoned with the variant-specific spice blend. The standard Masala Munch recipe is roughly 42.7% rice meal, 19.7% corn meal, and 3.3% gram meal as the structural base, with the rest of the recipe being oil, spices and seasoning. The Jowar Puff variant substitutes sorghum (jowar) flour for the rice meal as a healthier-positioning alternative. The format is extruded puffed-corn rather than fried potato slices, which is why the texture is distinctly different to Western potato crisps.
Is Kurkure vegetarian?
Yes. All Kurkure variants in our range are vegetarian-suitable and carry the Indian green-dot symbol on the front of the pack. The recipe contains no meat, fish, eggs or animal-derived ingredients beyond the milk solids used in some seasonings for richness. Strict vegans should avoid the dairy-containing variants (which is most of them); coeliacs should check the specific pack for any gluten cross-contamination caveats from shared production lines.
Is Kurkure halal?
Kurkure is not formally halal certified for UK retail. The recipe contains no haram ingredients (no pork, no alcohol) and the products are vegetarian-suitable, which means many halal-keeping shoppers consider them permissible by ingredient analysis. However, the lack of formal halal certification means observant Muslim shoppers who require certified labels should verify on the individual pack or look at our halal sweets range for certified alternatives.
What is the difference between Masala Munch and Green Chutney Kurkure?
Masala Munch is the brand's signature mainstream flavour, built on a broad North Indian masala spice blend (coriander, cumin, red chilli, garlic, ginger, amchur). Green Chutney Style references the green coriander-mint chutney served alongside Indian street food: the flavour is more herbal, brighter and tangier, with mint and coriander as the dominant notes rather than chilli. Masala Munch is the universal default; Green Chutney is for shoppers who want a fresher herbal profile rather than the standard masala blend.
Where else can I buy Kurkure in the UK?
Kurkure has very limited UK distribution outside specialist channels. UK supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons) do not carry the brand. Indian and Asian specialist food shops typically carry one or two Kurkure flavours (most commonly Masala Munch) but rarely the full seven-flavour range. Specialist international snack importers and online retailers like us carry the deeper catalogue more reliably. Amazon UK stocks individual flavours via third-party sellers, often with inconsistent availability and higher prices than dedicated importers.