Rice is a staple grain in many Indian recipes and is used in many of them. For example, poha, also known as beaten or flattened rice, is a popular morning dish in India. It is packed with vital vitamins and antioxidants and an excellent source of healthy carbs to get your mornings started on an energised note.
These rice flakes are enjoyed as a snack throughout the nation when they are fried or toasted and mixed with anything from cheese to spices.
Poha is tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves in Maharashtra and Gujarat; yoghurt is mixed with it in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Jharkhand. In the meantime, it's used in South India to make recipes like Kesari bhaat and kozhukattai in place of semolina and rice. These are but a few of the instances. Give your hunger pangs a new taste and dish to explore at night!
12 Types Of Poha Dishes To Enjoy Midnight
1. Kande Pohe
The most popular snack item in Maharashtra, kande pohe, is made with soaked and flattened rice that is cooked with curry leaves, peanuts, green chilli, and a gently sautéed onion. It has coriander leaves as a garnish and a squeeze of lemon juice on top. Kande pohe derives its distinct texture, flavour, and appellation from onions, known as kanda in Marathi. Poha from Maharashtra is made similarly to that from Gujarat. However, the latter recipe calls for fried potatoes and less sugar. In fact, some Gujarati homes skip the onion entirely from their recipes.
2. Aval Puli Upma
Puli aval upma, essentially soaking poha and roasted peanuts cooked in tamarind paste and tempered with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and green chilli, is a dish that Tamilians eat religiously. Some people compare the flavour to tamarind rice. This recipe for snack is called huli avalakki by the Kannadigas, who treat it with the same affection as the Tamilians do.
3. Chuda Santula
Chuda Santula, a meal from Odisha that is cooked with flattened rice and aromatic Acharmati rice—a short, bold variety—is used. In the state, this poha is used to make several different cuisines, including khichdi, pulao, and kheer, but chuda santula is the most well-liked. Vegetables like carrots, peas, and capsicum are added to cooked chuda, along with mustard seeds, ginger, and turmeric powder for flavouring.
4. Poha Indori
Indore's well-known street dish, Indori poha, is particularly tangy-sweet and goes well with jalebi. The addition of pomegranate seeds and jeeravan masala—a special spice blend made of cumin, bay leaf, nutmeg, mace, asafoetida, cardamom, cinnamon, dry mango powder, cloves, black salt, and dry ginger powder—sets it different from the poha varieties from Maharashtra and Gujarat.
5. Atukula Laddu
The chefs of Andhra Pradesh are the source of this delectable laddu dish. The Tamil term for it is aval laddu. On Janmashtami, it is also a customary offering presented to Lord Krishna. Preparing atukula laddu is simple. All you have to keep in mind is that if you don't form this with hot ghee, you'll end up with a crumble instead of a laddu.
6. Aval Kesari
Aval Kesari is a sweet, creamy, ghee-filled version of the well-known rava kesari or Kesari Baat from south India. This is made by powdering roasted poha and cooking it with ghee, sugar or jaggery, and water. For extra taste, cardamom powder is used, while raisins and mixed nuts dipped in ghee are used to decorate aval kesari.
7. Nanachuthu Aval
This is a famous tea-time snack in Kerala, which is a sweetened poha meal. Nanachuthu is a type of poha that is soaked for a few hours in a solution of sugar, grated coconut, liquid jaggery, or both. It is then served with slices of banana and a spoonful of ghee or milk on top. To enhance the taste, many people add cardamom powder to the food.
8. Chur Maatar
Chur maatar hails from Varanasi, is a classic dish. Salt, black pepper, sugar, garam masala, amchur (dry mango) powder, and coriander leaves are used to season fresh green peas and poha. For extra taste and texture, you may also throw in some nuts and raisins with ghee. It is simple and perfect for late night jitters in your tummy.
9. Gur Dahi Chura
This gluten-free treat is regarded in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh as one of the healthiest foods similar to oats bowl. It's a no-cook treat that calls for rinsing poha in water and then mixing in jaggery and curd. Ripe banana slices are added to this dahi chura gur recipe in some regions of Bihar to give it more taste and texture.
10. Dadpe Pohe
Dadpe pohe is another Maharashtrian poha meal that has rice flakes, diced veggies, and a tempering that is comparable to kande pohe. Furthermore, this dish—unlike kande pohe—is poured over the veggie-soaked poha mixture rather than cooked in the tempering. Pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves, and grated coconut are added for garnish too.
11. Chirer Pulao
Chirer pulao, like chuda santula from Odisha, is a vegetable-rich dish. This poha variety, which is primarily consumed in the winter, is packed with seasonal veggies, including carrots, cauliflower, and green peas. The vegetables give it a slight sweetness, while the Bengali garam masala and kalonji give it spice. A hot cup of strong tea goes nicely with the chirer pulao when consumed with a dollop of ghee on top.
12. Allepak
The ideal way to enjoy Belgaum's unique allepak, also known as alipaak, is with ginger balls and a glass of fresh sugarcane juice. The poha is soaked in water for a short while before being drained and combined with sugar, salt, lime juice, green chilli, and coriander leaves. The ginger ball that is enjoyed with it is the main attraction here. It's essentially a laddu made with ginger, chilli, and roasted chana dal.
Poha is a multipurpose pantry staple that's ideal for breakfast. It is packed with fibre, probiotics, and good carbs to help you start the day off with a bang. Many flavorful and aromatic recipes can be made with the flaky, light-beaten rice. Nearly every region of India enjoys poha, and there are tons of delicious regional variations! Give these a try right now.