Poha, a dish from my childhood

I remember this as one of my special lunch dish to school that my mom made from time to time. I loved it so much that I would take extreme measures to secure my lunch box from being raided by any of my friends.  I wanted to ensure that I had the delicious dish all by myself without having to share one spoon! Good ‘ol memories. Now, whenever I make poha I make sure that I cook more than enough for A and myself. Because every single time A finishes his plate he would invariably glance over mine to see if he can trick me into giving him some more.

Poha is a Hindi term which basically means rice that has been flattened into flakes. Also known as ‘beaten rice’, it is kind of similar to rolled oats and absorbs water very quickly. Poha, popular across Nepal, Bangladesh and India is mainly used to prepare various snacks. This dish is arguably the best snack that can be prepared with flattened rice. This lightly fried dish is a standard breakfast item in the Malvaa region of Central India. I grew up loving this dish, called Chindér pulau a popular variant of cooked Poha in Bengal. In other regions of India it is known as  atukulu in Telugu, aval in Tamil and Malayalam and chindé in Bengali.

Like bread, Poha is a convenience food. It gives you tremendous scope to prepare innovative dishes using it. You can have it as a simple snack by adding milk, water or curd to it; or you can also use it to prepare proper meal items like pilafs and desserts. The choices are endless. So, go ahead and create your own poha dish! 

Recipe:

Serves 1-2

(C= cup, T= tablespoon, t= teaspoon)

Ingredients

1 whole red chili

1 C thin poha ( I used the basmati poha)

1 T oil or ghee

½ t black mustard seeds

2 T peanuts

¼ C minced leek

½ C boiled, peeled and cubed potato

½ C frozen peas or carrots or both, washed

1/3 t turmeric powder

2 T chopped cilantro to garnish

Salt to taste

Gear

Wok or frying pan that has a cover

How to?

1.Heat oil or ghee and add the red chili and black mustard seeds. When the seeds start to dance and pop, add the peanuts stir till they turn golden. Take them out in a bowl.

2. Add the leek and cook on medium till they are soft and translucent. Then add potatoes and frozen vegetables. Sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, take the poha in a colander and wash under cold water. If you’re using the thick poha, wash and soak it for about 10 minutes and drain the excess water. If you’re using the thin poha, wash and soak the poha for just couple minutes and add to the poha to the pan. Mix well.

4. Add salt, turmeric, cilantro leaves and the peanuts and chili that you had set aside. Cook on low heat for about 3-5 minutes adding a couple spoons or more of water if poha seems dry.

Dig in !