PATAL POHE CHIVDA (THIN BEATEN RICE FLAKES MIXTURE)

PATAL POHE CHIVDA (THIN BEATEN RICE FLAKES MIXTURE)

My Husband Yo hails from Pune and Patal Pohe Chivda is his favorite dish. He buys it from the stores here and sometimes adds tomatoes, onions etc to the chivda and relishes it with his tea. We were not getting Patal pohe(the thinner rice flakes) earlier so I didn't attempt it. But, nowadays it’s available easily especially during Diwali.

I think they specially order these here in Singapore, So I bought 1 kilo of these. 

 

 

Ingredients

Thin Poha - 1 Kg.

Peanuts - 2 cups

Daliya (Roasted Gram Dal/ Chutney Chana dal) - 2 cups

Cashewnuts- 20-25 pieces

Golden Raisins - 20 -25 pieces

Copra (dry coconut) - 1 cup (copra slices)

Chopped Green chilies - 12-15

Curry leaves -  5 sprigs (25-30 leaves)

Mustard seeds - 2 teaspoons

Sesame seeds - 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 3 teaspoon

Asafetida - 1 teaspoon

Salt as per taste.

Powder sugar - 2 teaspoon

Oil - 1/2 cup

 

 

Method

Patal Poha has very think flakes so it gets cooked very fast. I decided not to fry it and dry roast it instead. While I was making the preparations for the dish my friend called me and she suggested that I put poha in the microwave instead. So I placed the poha in a shallow microwave safe dish and microwaved it on high for 1 minutes. I sieved it and let the fine powder if any to be filtered leaving only the flakes. For those who don't have a microwave you can dry roast it in a wok(Kadhai)on a very low flame till it becomes crispy.  This needs attention else it can burn very easily. Keep this Poha aside.

If you have roasted the poha in the microwave, then Add 2 tablsepoons oil in a big wok, add in the mustard seeds and sesame seeds and when they start spluttering, add in the poha, turmeric, salt and sugar and saute for about 3 minutes. Keep aside. Now in another wok fry all the ingredients one by one on a low flame ensuring that you don't burn them. Fry the peanuts until golden and split, then the daliya until golden, then the cashews until golden, Raisins until plump, then the copra until golden and then the green chillies and lastly the curry leaves. Preferably use a net to fry all this as it can catch all the ingredients from the oil. Ensure that none of the ingredients become black. If they become black throw them, don't use them in the chivda as the taste of the chivda can spoil with it. Drain the oil well and mix all the ingredients that you fried in a vessel, add in some salt and sugar and mix well.

Now add this to the wok in which you roasted the poha with the mustard and sesame seeds.. Toss everything well with a light hand ensuring that you don't break the thin poha flakes. Roast for another 2 minutes on a low flame while mixing. Put off the flame and spread this on a newspaper or a big plate. Let this get cool for some time then store it in an air - tight dabba(box). Your Patal Pohe chivda is ready.

 

 Tips

• You can add poppy seeds to the tadka while adding mustard and sesame but Poppy seeds are banned in Singapore so I didn’t add them
• You can add Puffed rice (kurmura) with Poha.
• You can add grated and deep fried crispy potato sticks and mix with the Poha.
• You can add red chilly powder instead of green chilies.
• You can add citric acid or amchur powder for some sourness. I didn't do it in my recipe.
• You can add deep fried garlic in the Chivda
• You can deep fried onion to the chivda.
• I have seen a recipe wherein fresh coriander seeds are roasted, pounded into a powder and added to the chivda for extra flavor.
• My Mother-in-law adds Roasted and pounded fennel seeds into the chivda.