Poha is a very popular breakfast or tea-time dish in India. Due to the diversity in Indian cuisine, there are different variants of poha. Poha is basically a flattened rice flake and is available in different grades of thickness. Having grown up in Maharashtra, I have had the ‘Kande Pohe’ (uses medium poha) which is pretty awesome. This time I tried the ‘Indori Poha’ from the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. So, the first difference I noticed in the preparation method is that for this dish, I had to use thick poha. The second difference is in the ingredients used as the garnish. The presence of fennel seeds and a hint of sweetness in the form of sugar and pomegranate seeds are the prime differences in the two styles of poha. When you add all the flavorful components in this colorful dish, I can assure you that you won’t stop eating it. This dish is also perfect for a teatime party as poha with chai is a divine combination. For those staying in Singapore, I picked the nylon sev from Mustafa and thick poha from Sri Murugan stores.
Recipe Details :
Serves: 3 pax
Time: 20 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients :

• 2 cups thick poha / flattened rice flakes
• 1 big potato cut in cubes
• 1 big onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (without skin)
• 10-12 cashews
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut (optional)
• 5-6 curry leaves
• A handful of pomegranate seeds
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp nylon sev (for garnish)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1 lemon
• Some cilantro leaves for garnish

Indori Poha

• Soak the poha in water for 5 mins. Drain using a strainer and keep aside.
• Cut the veggies on the side so that the prep work is done.


Poha veggie preparation

• Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame. Add the mustard seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves and wait till they splutter.
• Once you get the pronounced aroma of fennel seeds, add 75% of the chopped onions and some salt. If you don’t like raw onions as garnish, then add all the chopped onions at this stage.
• Once the onions turn translucent, add the peanuts, green chillies, cashews and saute them for around 2-3 mins.
• Next, add the potatoes along with salt and turmeric powder. Cover the pan with a lid so that the steam cooks the potatoes quickly.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, add the soaked poha and mix it well – such that all the rice flakes are coated with the yellow turmeric powder.
• Check the salt level at this stage and adjust only if required. If you like a bit of sugar, add at this time.
• Switch off the flame and keep the pan covered for around 7 mins so that the poha can cook a bit more in the steam.


Indori Poha

• Finally garnish it rest of the chopped onions, cilantro leaves and grated coconut before serving. You can also add the pomegranate seeds and nylon sev (I forgot to take the pic with these toppings)
• Lemon goes great with poha, so squeeze it just before serving. Serve this dish hot / warm only!

Tips:

• Do not over-soak the poha. If you do that, the flakes will not separate and the dish will become mushy.