Chivda (Flattened Rice Savory)

Make this crispy, crunchy snack ahead of time and store in an airtight container.

Poha is available in two varieties: one is 'thin variety', which can also be called as dry variety because it is not soaked in water to prepare but directly fried in oil; another is 'thick variety', which can also be called as wet variety because it is prepared after soaking in water.

Prepare this munching snack with thin variety. For people living overseas, please note that most of the ingredients are available only in Indian Grocery stores

Ingredients:

• 2 cups thin poha (thin/dry flattened rice)
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts without skins
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts (optional)
• 2 tbsp cups raisins
• 5-6 thin slices of dry coconut (optional)
• ¼ cup skinned split roasted Black gram (available at most Indian supermarkets in the Snack section called as “bhuna chana”)
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp powdered citric acid or tartaric acid (lemon salt)
• 1 tbsp sugar coarsely powdered
• Pinch of asafetida
• 2 dried red chili whole
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder (optional)
• 5-6 green chilies chopped
• 7-8 curry leaves
• ¼ cup cooking oil

Method:

• Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Fry the peanuts, coconut slices, cashews until golden; drain and keep aside.
• Fry the curry leaves and green chilies until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
• In remaining oil add asafetida, dried red chilies and turmeric powder; immediately add dry poha and stir continuously for 5-6 minutes on medium flame until poha flakes are crisp and light pink. Take out in a bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients together to crispy poha when it is still hot. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
• Serve as teatime snack.

Do You Know?

Poha or Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is dehusked rice, which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids.

The thicknesses of these flakes vary between almost translucently thin to nearly four times thicker than a normal rice grain.

This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across India and Bangladesh, and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles,

Flattened rice can be eaten raw by immersing it in plain water or milk, with salt and sugar to taste, or lightly fried in oil with nuts, raisins, cardamoms, and other spices.