Poha (Rice flakes)

Poha is one of my liked Indian snack. I have grown up having it cooked with boiled potatoes. When I moved to North America, my aunt showed how to cook Poha with raw potato and I have liked it that way ever since. Today, I was hungry and wanted to make a fresh snack for my dad. So I decided to go for Poha. I made some modifications to suit his palate, for example I used red chili powder instead of chopped green chili because he freaks out when he seeks green chili in his food.

So here goes the recipe.


Ingredients:
1. 2 cups of potato finely chopped. I used miniature frozen hash browns instead.
2. 150 g Poha (rice flakes)
3. Salt to taste
4. 4-5 sprigs fresh curry leaves
5. 1 lemon juice, squeezed
6. 2 fists of roasted peanut
7. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or 1 green chili chopped
8. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
9. 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
10. 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic and ginger
11. 1/2 large sized tomato, chopped
12. 1.4 teaspoon turmeric powder
13. 2 tablespoons olive oil
14. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

Instructions:
1. Pick and wash poha under running water. Use a gentle hand to not mash the flakes but ensure that the poha gets cleaned well otherwise it will taste bad. Drain the water and keep the poha aside and let dry.
Note: You can add a spoon of milk to the poha at this time which will make the poha softer.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add mustard seeds. You can also add a fist of urad and chana dal at this time to make the dish crunchy but I passed on adding the dals.
3. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add onion, ginger and garlic
4. Fry until the onion turns golden brown.
5. Add peanuts and curry leaves. I used dry roasted salted peanuts without skin on but if you use peanuts with their skin on, it will make the dish look prettier.
6. Add turmeric, red chili powder and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
7. Add tomato and cook until the tomato softens.
8. Add potato and cook until potato turns golden brown.
9. At this time, squeez the juice of 1 lemon into the poha and add salt to taste (I added 2 teaspoons).
10. Mix well.
11. Add the poha. You will notice that the poha would have puffed up and dried by now. Mix everything with a gentle hand.

Serve hot with tea and dhania ki chutney (coriander condiments) which I will show you how to make in another post.

This serves as an ideal evening snack or for breakfast.