SWEET N SPICY RED MASALA POHA FOR PPCS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I have posted my recipes in PPCS  in a particular manner. I started with soup, pickle, chutney, side dish, main dish, rice and dessert. Actually I had planned to post some healthy cookies I made last month. Unfortunately, I lost the photos from my camera. And now I don't have time to bake again and click, I thought of bringing some snack to  Potluck Party, Cyber Style party. Hope you all do not mind and enjoy it.

And even Juice is pending in the menu. I will bring it in coming months.

Poha is very common in breakfast menu in South India and Maharashtra. I am not sure about other parts of India. Poha is prepared in different ways at different places and is enjoyed as an evening snack too. Its a quick snack for unexpected guests. Its filling also.

Here, I am  giving a simple but different recipe which is normally prepared by local Brahmins here in our North Karnataka. They call it as Gojjavalakki. They crush the poha.

Mine is little altered as they do not add onion but I love it in poha. Thats why I can't call it gojjavalakki and hence named it as Masala Poha.

Don't go for the color in my photo as my camera is a very normal one, and sometimes I can not get the proper color. But this poha turns out red as I am using red chilli powder, jaggery and tamarind paste.

You can check my MIX VEG POHA which is very common way of making in our side.

Coming to today's recipe:

It serves 2

Ingredients:

Thick poha(Thick flattened rice) - 1 1/4 cup

Water to soak the poha

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Onion - 1  big, finely chopped

Green chilli - 1 small finely chopped

Curry leaves - few, finely chopped

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Bisi bele bath powder or Rasam powder - 2 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Fresh coconut - grated (2 tbsp)

Marination:

{to add to Soaked Poha(this gives extra taste to your poha as the poha absorbs salt and sugar taste)}

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Puthani powdered - 1 tbsp(optional)

Fresh coriander - 2 tbsp finely chopped

to Garnish(optional)

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped,

Fresh coconut - grated, 1 tbsp

Method:

First soak the poha in little water. I just put it in a colander and sprinkle the water and keep it like that for 5 minutes.

When done, Add all the ingredients under marination and mix well.

Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a wide thick kadai.

Add mustard seeds and wait them to splutter.
Add the urad dal and wait till changes to golden color

Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and onion and green chilli

Fry till onion turns pink.

Go on adding all other ingredients one by one, just stirring each time you add one.

Mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Or cover and cook for 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.

Add the marinated poha and mix really well.

Adjust the seasoning.

Garnish with fresh coriander and Coconut. Serve hot.

Linking it to 

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng... 

Keep Smiling,

Thin poha(avalakki) masala(ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am in Pune for my and my kid's vacation. They both are enjoying their summer camp. I am also enjoying my getting up late in the morning chatting with my sis-in-law, shopping and other things.

I am very sorry I am not able to post regularly. The main reason for this is, my brother's computer is  under repair and I have to wait for him to come home to use is personal laptop. But I will try maximum to use it and post the recipes when ever I get chance.

Coming to the recipe,

Poha, beaten rice, flattened rice, avalakki, call by any name!! A great help for unexpected guests or for quick food for a hungry stomach. Can make many dishes with this!! There is thick poha also which is used either soaked in water or fried in oil.

Even the thin poha is used in many ways. Today, I am giving you one recipe, and hopefully will try to give other recipes also.

This was my father's favorite. He was the first to come home from office. And he loved to keep this ready for us!!!

And, this is a common evening snack in North Karnataka. In Dharawad, there is a canteen from many years named "L.E.A. CANTEEN" which is mainly famous for this poha which we call in Kannada "Hacchida Avalakki". The way he prepares this is really so good, and difficult to get the same taste in the house!!!

What we need for this is,'

Flattened rice or thin poha - 200gm

Onion - 1 big, cubed

Green chilly - 2 to 3, cleaned and finely chopped

Curry leaves -few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pea nuts - 2 tbsp(Optional)

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - pinch

Sugar - 1tsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fresh coconut - 3 tbsp, grated

Fresh coriander - handfull, chopped                                

Heat oil in a kadai, Add mustard seeds. When these splutter, add cumin seeds and pea nuts. Let the nuts fry for 30 seconds. Go on adding, curry leaves, green chilly, onion. Fry till the onion changes its color. Add salt and turmeric. Off the heat. Now add lime juice and sugar. Allow it to cool.

Take the cleaned poha and mix it with the ready onion masala. Add fresh grated coconut and fresh coriander.

Enjoy it in the evening with hot cup of tea.

Keep Smiling,

Mix Veg Poha

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy, simple and healthy breakfast for a family. I will not go into the detail about this recipe, as it is very common all over India. Only difference is the way we prepare it and using ingredients according to our taste.

But I would like to say about poha or beaten rice or flattened rice. It is very healthy food and can be prepared in many ways. It is used in many other food preparations also. It is famous for Lord Krishna and Sudama's friendship also. It turned Sudama from beggar to the richest person, with Lord Krishna's blessings.(In Bhagvat Purana).

Poha is available in 3 sizes usually. One is Thin poha which is used to make chewda or ghee poha or curd poha. Other is Medium Poha,which is used to make soaked poha like the one I have given or again one can make with curds or cucumber. And the last one is very Thick Poha, which is deep fried in oil to make chewda.

Here is the recipe for Mix veg poha,

Poha (medium) - 2 big cups or 200 gms

Oil - 3 to 5 tbsp

Onion- 1 big, chopped

Green chilly - 4 to 6 according to the taste and how strong the chillies are.

Curry leaves - few

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Peanut - 2 tbsp

Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped finely

Potato - 1 big (peeled and cubed)

Tomato - 1 medium chopped

Capsicum - 1 small chopped

Carrot - 1 medium chopped

Green peas - 1/4 cup(boiled or frozen)

(I did not put as I did not had when I prepared this)

Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi -1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander to garnish

Soak poha in water only for 30 seconds. Be careful to remove it immediately from water, or else the poha will turn into paste. Keep it aside till all the water goes.

Heat oil in kadai, add jeera, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and peanut. Let the dals turn into little golden colour. Go on adding, ginger, green chilly, onion, potato and carrot. Saute for 2 minutes. Now add green peas, capsicum. Again saute for 2 minutes. Now goes, tomato and salt.

Mix the masala properly and cook it till the potato is cooked properly. Keep on low flame. Add lime juice, haldi and sugar. Off the heat. Mix the soaked poha in the masala and garnish with fresh coriander. The mix veg poha is ready to serve with papad.

OR

another way is, after you take the soaked poha from water, mix it with salt, sugar and lime juice. Keep it aside for some time. And while preparing masala, drop these ingredients. Then while mixing the poha garnish it with fresh coriander and mix the masala. This is the way I like to do. The taste also is little different.

Try either way!!!

Keep smiling,