Name: Poha
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; a sprig curry leaves; 2 green chillies; 1/4 cup peanuts; 1 onion; 1 potato; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 2 cups thick poha; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; a handful coriander leaves; to serve sev

2 tbsp

1 Temper until the mustard seeds pop 3m

2 Cook until the potato is tender 8m

4 Fold the poha through, cover and steam 3 minutes 4m Fold, do not stir hard. The flakes break up easily once wet.

1 tsp

a sprig

1/4 cup

1/2 tsp

1 tsp

2 cups

3 Rinse in a colander until just softened, then drain 5 minutes 6m Rinse under running water — never soak. Soaked poha turns to paste.

1 tsp

1/2 tsp

1 tbsp

a handful

to serve

Rinse, never soak

Poha is rice that has been parboiled, rolled flat and dried, so it rehydrates almost instantly. Thirty seconds under a running tap is enough; five minutes in a bowl of water and the flakes dissolve. Draining for a few minutes afterwards lets them finish softening on residual moisture alone.

Notes

Thick poha, not thin. Thin poha is for chivda and disintegrates here.
The teaspoon of sugar is not optional in most versions — it balances the lemon and the salt.
Peanuts fried in the tempering give the one crunchy element in an otherwise soft dish.

Method

Temper until the mustard seeds pop

Cook until the potato is tender

Rinse in a colander until just softened, then drain 5 minutes

Fold the poha through, cover and steam 3 minutes

Rinse, never soak

Notes