Kande pohe are perhaps one of the most popular dishes in Maharashtra prepared across most households as a breakfast or afternoon snack staple. Made from flattened rice or poha and seasoned with green chillies, turmeric, curry leaves and loads of chopped onions, this snack is packed with flavour. On rainy evenings, a warm plate of poha is simply irresistible.
Yet, for all its fame, poha is one among many recipes in Maharashtrian cuisine that is made from flattened or beaten rice. There are several other dishes made using poha, that are not poha! Read on to find out about the varied dishes concocted using flattened rice in many a Marathi household:
Kol Pohe
This dish popular along the coastal regions of Konkan is made by mixing flattened rice in coconut milk. The sweetness of the fresh coconut milk and of grated jaggery gives the poha a delicious flavour. For a more savoury taste, a tempering of cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves can also be added to the poha.
Dadpe Pohe
Dadpe pohe are basically a variation of poha without putting the flattened rice onto a flame. This means a tempering of mustard, chillies, turmeric and curry leaves is poured over poha that is mixed with chopped onions and tomatoes. Poha is first washed and soaked in water before mixing with these ingredients to make this tasty afternoon snack.
Poha Ladoo
Nutritious and full of energy, poha ladoo is made using very sparse ingredients like poha, jaggery and a bit of grated dried coconut. It is loaded with energy and makes for an excellent pre-workout meal. Dry fruits including cashews, almonds and raisins can be added to the ladoo for an extra layer of sweetness and nutrition.
Dudh Pohe
If there is nothing cooked for breakfast, dudh pohe is perhaps the go-to option in many households. Mixed with a bit of sugar, milk and cardamom powder, flattened rice becomes soft and comforting, perfect for a meal packed with energy. Dudh pohe and dahi (curd) pohe also have a cultural significance and are often alluded to as a snack packed for someone going away on a long journey.
Poha Cutlet
A recipe concocted over time to incorporate the starch in the poha as a crisping agent, poha cutlet makes ingenious use of flattened rice to prepare a scrumptious snack. This is a perfect dish for high tea made using flattened rice, moong dal, coriander and chillies. Carrots, peas, spinach can also be added to the cutlet mixture to get kids to eat their veggies!