Vegetable Poha

This recipe is for my son who's been after me for it........for quite some time now.

You can make many different types of snacks with poha or aval, as it is called in Tamil.e.g a very light & tasty thengai aval with coconut & fresh pepper, tangy puli aval with tamarind in it,the slightly sour & spicy more aval with buttermilk in it, etc, etc. All these aval recipes have very little oil in them & are light on the stomach but quite filling. I like most of these preparations... but the one the family likes best is the vegetable poha, which is basically, I think a Maharashtrian recipe. It is a wonderful dish to have at any time of the day with a refreshing dash of lime in it. Here's the recipe...

First of all, there are many types of poha available in the market. There is a really thin fine one which is meant for frying ( used in this dish it becomes kind of mushy & lumpy ), then there is the really thick hand pounded variety, which takes long to cook, ( but it is alright to get this if you don't get any other variety ). It is best to get a poha of medium thickness , if possible. So do check out the variety available & choose the right one.


Ingredients

poha ( puffed rice) - 2 cups
onion - 1 medium sized, chopped
alu ( potato ) - 1 medium sized, finely
mattar ( peas ) - 2 tbsp
green chillies - 2-3, cut into 1 inch bits
juice of 1/2 a medium lime
chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
oil - 2 - 3 tbsp
turmeric ( haldi ) - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste - about 3/4 tsp

For the Tadka
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp
split urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Wash the poha in plenty of water a couple of times. Drain off the water & keep the poha aside for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard & wait for it to sputter. Then add the jeera & urad dal. Stir until the dal just starts turning golden. Now add the chopped onion & green chillies & fry for a few minutes until the onion becomes transparent. Now add the chopped potatoes. Cover & cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the peas, a pinch of salt , sprinkle a bit of water . Cover & cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are done. 3. Now add the poha , salt & haldi powder & mix well. Cook for 6- 7 minutes , stirring every now & then.
4. Add the lime juice & mix well.
5.Top with chopped coriander & serve immediately.

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