Masala Poha (Garam Masala Pohe/ Avalakki Aval Upma)

My mother used to make this Poha (Flattened Rice) when we were younger. This is very easy to make and can be put together in about 10 minutes. This used to be a great hit with my college friends. Whenever I took this to college, my friends would make it a point to exchange lunch boxes with me and neatly finish off my stuff. Of course, my friends would not leave me hungry; they would be gracious enough to share their delicious food with me as well. I even remember that one of my friends used to call this “Poha Chaat”. Apparently it reminded her of Chaat mainly because of the sweet, spicy taste and also because of the presence of raw onions in the dish. This brought back so many memories when I made this at home recently.

The distinct flavor of this Poha comes by dry roasting cumin and coriander seeds and then powdering it. It is best to make this fresh as the store bought cumin and coriander powder does not do justice to the flavor. Traditionally the seasoning is done using coconut oil, but since most people do not use coconut oil for seasoning, vegetable oil could be used instead.

Please note that this is different from the regular Kanda Poha as the Poha is not cooked on stove top.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup thick poha
• 1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
• ½ Tbsp Coriander seeds
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• Red chilli powder
• Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Sugar
• Mustard seeds
• Asafetida
• Curry leaves
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Coconut oil for seasoning ( use vegetable oil as substitute)

• Soak the poha in enough water; let it sit until it turns soft. Drain the water completely. (Here in the US (States), even the thick poha/avalakki does not take time to turn soft, so exercise caution.
• Dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Allow it to cool. Powder it using mortar and pestle or spread the roasted seeds on a sheet of paper. Now use the roti/chapathi rolling pin to make powder.
• The powder need not have to be very fine, but should not be coarse either.
• Chop the onions finely and also the coriander leaves and keep aside.

Method:

• Add the dry powders, turmeric, chilli powder salt, and sugar to the poha and mix thoroughly but lightly using tip of the hand.
• Add the chopped onion and coconut to this mixture and mix well.
• Now for the tadka(seasoning) heat oil, add mustard seeds, asafetida, curry leaves.
• Put this onto the poha mixture and add chopped coriander leaves for garnish.