Poha, a vegetarian recipe from India

Name: Poha
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 250 g thick flattened rice (poha); 1 onion, finely chopped; 60 g raw peanuts; 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 15 curry leaves; 2 green chillies, sliced; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp sugar; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tsp salt; Juice of 1 lemon; Fresh coriander

Method

Tip the poha into a sieve and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds, stirring gently. Leave to drain for 10 minutes; it should swell without turning pasty.
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the peanuts for 3 minutes until golden, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
In the same oil, pop the mustard seeds, add the curry leaves and chillies and let them crackle for 20 seconds.
Add the onion and soften for 4 minutes until translucent.
Stir in the turmeric, salt and sugar, then add the drained poha and fold very gently with a spatula to colour the grains without crushing them.
Cover and warm through for 3 minutes on low heat so the rice turns tender.
Off the heat, add the peanuts, lemon juice and coriander, and serve at once.

Poha lives or dies by the rinse: too brief and the grains stay hard, too long and they collapse. Use thick poha, as the fine sort turns to porridge.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my poha either mushy or hard?

It all hinges on the rinse: thirty seconds under cold water, stirred gently, then ten minutes to drain. Too short and the grains stay hard in the middle; too long, or under a strong stream, and they collapse into mush.

Can I use thin poha?

No, you need thick flattened rice. Thin poha disintegrates during the rinse and cannot take the time in the pan. Check the thickness of the flakes when you buy, the difference is easy to see.

What can replace curry leaves?

There is no real equivalent: their aroma is distinctive and is found neither in bay leaves nor in curry powder. If you have none, make the dish without them, keeping the mustard seeds and chillies that also carry the seasoning. Frozen curry leaves are available and keep well.

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Poha

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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