As soon as I know there’s poha for breakfast, my eyes wander in search for aloo bhujiya ( a crunchy sev) because without it my bowl of poha seems incomplete. Slurrping on a cup of hot tea with a spoonful of poha in my mouth, the mesh of flavours it creates is unexplicable and it’s not just me. My sister is an even bigger fan of poha, so much so that she demands a heap of poha to be prepared for breakfast on her birthday every year. This craze for poha began when I first tasted it at my maternal grandmother’s house.
We had gone there to stay over for summer vacations and the cook prepared poha with no potatoes, but only sweet corn and a katori of bhujiya on the side. Perplexed, I thought to give it a try and since then, there has been no looking back. Honestly speaking, I’m glad I tasted it otherwise I would be having a major FOMO (fear of missing out) today for being deprived of one of the most famous breakfast staples in most parts of India.
Now, that’s the way I have always eaten my poha and I was happy with it too but my trip to Mumbai a year and half ago (just before the pandemic) changed my perspective. It was a college friend’s trip and we were staying at one of our friend’s place who was a native. Although a little far from Mumbai, Thane lies on the outskirts of the City of Dreams yet serves the best Kanda poha that I’ve ever had. We had it for breakfast one morning, flattened rice mixed with lightly sautéed onions and garnished with crunchy peanuts and yellow sev. At the small tapri (shack), they offered us some mint chutney to go with it but it tasted good as it is.
Since Maharashtra borders with Gujarat, you’ll see the popularity of poha here too. Pauva no Chevdo, another name for chivda or poha, diverges from the spicy Maharashtrian version with the addition of raisins and cashews along with some fried coconut flakes. The sweetness of the poha transforms it into a suitable Gujarati dish. The fanfare of poha is not just limited to one or two odd states but Maharashtra has managed to it spread to Madhya Pradesh too.
You would be amazed to know that it was the Holkars and Scindias who brought poha and shrikhand, two of the most popular Maharashtrian dishes to MP. In fact, today, Indori poha is equally, if not much more, famous as the Kanda Poha. The touch of Indore is added to the flattened rice with the use of a special jeeravan masala that is unique to the city. Served with a plate of hot and crispy jalebis on the side, the poha-jalebi combination has become a quintessential Indori breakfast that you cannot miss out on.
With a strong influence of Marathi language and culture, the Nagpuris are no far behind in their poha expeditions. If there is one thing that comes to a foodies’ mind when they talk of Nagpur, it has to be their Tarri Poha. The specialty of this flattened rice dish lies in the masala gravy that is served with it. Unlike the other poha varieties, which are generally eaten as a dry snack, this one comes with a tarri (gravy) of tomatoes and onions along with cumin and other spices that lend a tangy flavour to the entire dish.
Contrary to this gravy-based poha, the Bengalis treat the chivda as their teatime snack which is supposed to be light, refreshing and filling. Tempered with red chilies, the tingling sweet and spicy sensation of Chirer pulao along with the crunch of roasted peanuts is enough to satisfy any Bengali’s evening hunger pangs. Don’t be surprised if you bite into florets of cauliflower and sweet peas while munching on the rice dish!
My encounter with poha variations has not been very extensive yet when my Bihari friend called for some curd poha during breakfast and I wasn’t quite surprised. It took me back to the memories of dahi chivda at home, that my mother used to make for anyone who had digestion issues. The cooling property of dahi along with the light flattened rice is considered to be good for the stomach and is an effective home remedy at my home to this day. Apparently, that’s how poha is relished across the middle belt of Jharkhand and Bihar, simply mixed with a bowl of curd and eaten for breakfast.
Our search for poha ends as we reach South India. Tamil Nadu’s milagu aval, with a simple and rustic preparation wins hearts because of its peppery flavourings through the use of curry leaves, mustard seeds, jeera and fried cashews.
The stakes are higher with Khara Avalakki, Karnataka’s flattened rice makeover since it is full of proteins and vitamins, all thanks to urad and moong dal along with curry leaves and several other spices. The traditional poha is served alongside coconut chutney and I think that this time, I wouldn’t say no to a condiment.