Poha (rice flakes) recipe

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prep time: 10 mins

cook time: 20 mins

level: easy

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rice flakes, the only kind of flakiness you should tolerate

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What is ‘poha’? Poha are flattened rice which take the form of light and dry flakes and usually cooked with peanuts, potatoes and onions. It is a popular Indian breakfast dish, especially in the Maharashtrian and Gujarati region and can be readily found in any Indian supermarket.

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Ingredients:

1 medium potato
*a heaped handful of peanuts
1 tomato
1 1/2 cup poha (thick or medium flakes)
a heaped tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
juice of 1 lemon
oil
a handful of spring onions/ 1 shallot
a handful of fresh coriander
1 – 2 green chillies (depending on spice preference)
*1tsp garam masala (optional depending on spice preference)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds

*peanuts can be substituted with cashew nuts or taken out completely if you are allergic to nuts
*feel free to omit the mustard, cumin seeds and garam masala if you don’t have any but these do make a difference to the taste and are a staple in Indian cuisines. You can find these easily in an Indian supermarket.

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Method:

Heat a pan (we use a cast iron kadai – a deep, thick and circular pan to get the extra iron in) with oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds – you should hear a popping sound and once this stops add chopped green chillies and some salt (we like to add salt/season continuously as we cook)
Next, add the chopped spring onions/shallots and sauté until soft ( approximately 3 minutes)
Then, add the peeled and chopped bite sized potatoes. Lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid to allow the potatoes to cook quicker. Occasionally mix the potatoes to avoid them sticking to the pan or getting burnt.
After 10 – 15 minutes, add a chopped fresh tomato, a handful of chopped coriander and the juice of one lemon to the pan and mix.
Now add the rest of the salt, tumeric and garam masala (optional to spice preference).
Prepare the poha by washing and rinsing them once or twice with water in a colander – you don’t want to rinse them for too long in water because they will get really soft/soggy and break apart. Drain the water completely.
Make sure the potatoes are soft/edible and then immediately add the prepared poha to the pan and mix. Leave on heat for a minute.
Enjoy with some yogurt (we love coconut yogurt from ‘Coconut Collaborative’ ), fresh onions and pickle (we love homemade carrot pickle – recipe coming soon).

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