Avalakki Upkaari ~ Mangalore Style Poha

'Poha' is the Hindi word for both beaten rice flakes / flattened rice and a dish prepared with it. The latter is a popular breakfast dish from India that goes under different regional names and prepared with regional variations. Today's version 'avalakki upkaari' comes from the Mangalore region and is called bajil in Tulu. It is a favorite of mine among the 'spicy poha' category and thought of sharing it today. 

This delicious poha can be prepared in no time as it involves very minimal cooking. There is no need to saute / cook anything here as it does not contain onion, tomatoes or potatoes. In fact, even poha is not cooked in this case which makes it quite a simple dish. This poha is usually served as a breakfast or snack and is often paired with upittu / upma and the combo is a popular pair called sajjige-bajil. In fact the combo used to be a popular breakfast served during weddings in the Mangalore area until a few decades ago. 

This upkaari uses thin variety of beaten rice flakes since they are not soaked here. They are combined with shredded fresh coconut which lends the moisture and softens them. Frozen coconut can be substituted instead of fresh coconut but needs to be thawed before using in the recipe. There are both sweet and spicy version pohas made. The sweet version called sihi avalakki / gul pohe is prepared by mixing beaten rice flakes, coconut, jaggery and cardamom. The spicy version is made by tossing together the beaten rice flakes, coconut, spice mix, jaggery and a simple tempering. Rasam powder / Sambhar powder can be substituted in case if there is no time to prepare the spice mix. Jaggery can be replaced by sugar.

Ingredients for tempering:

1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 or 2 green chili / dried red chili (optional)
Few curry leaves

A pinch of turmeric powder (optional)

Ingredients for avalakki:

1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. coriander seeds

4 Byadagi chillies 

2 cups thin rice flakes / paper avalakki / thin variety poha
1 cup fresh / frozen shredded coconut

1 or 2 tbsp. minced cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
2 tbsp. jaggery (or to taste)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and black gram. When black gram starts to change color, add curry leaves and green chilies if using. Saute for few seconds if using green chilies. Add turmeric if using and turn off the stove.
2. Lightly toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chilies and grind them together coarsely when they cool down.
3. Add the above tempering and the spice powder, coconut, cilantro, jaggery and salt to a bowl and mix well. Next add the rice flakes / poha and mix again thoroughly with hand. 
4. Let the mix sit for at least 15 minutes, for the beaten rice flakes to absorb the flavors and soften. 
5. The upkaari is ready to serve when the poha softens.

Comments

Poha Laddu / Sweetened Beaten Rice Flakes' Balls / Atukula laddu

 
Here are some delicious laddus which happen to be a quick preparation. These are very easy even for a novice and are apt sweet choice for festivals like Diwali, and Krishnasthami.

Ingredients: (Yield 10 laddus)
2 cups beaten rice flakes / poha / atukulu
1/2 cup sweetened desiccated coconut / grated dry coconut
3/4 cup powdered jaggery *
2 cardamoms
2 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. each - cashews and raisins
2 tbsp. melted ghee or milk at room temperature to shape the laddus
* Adjust the quantity of the jaggery depending upon it's sweetness
 
Method:
* Toast rice flakes on medium flame in a wide pan until crisp. Transfer the flakes to a wide plate and let cool.
* Toast cashews and raisins in ghee until the cashews turn golden and the raisins turn plump. Keep them aside.
* Grind the cardamom seeds finely.
* Grind the beaten rice flakes, coconut, jaggery and cardamom in a blender / food processor finely. Remember to grind the mixture fine since coarsely ground poha bits are hard to chew.
* Transfer the ground mixture to a wide plate and add the toasted cashews and raisins along with the ghee. Mix well and add extra ghee / milk as needed to shape the mixture to balls.
* Make lime sized balls using the mixture. Store them in a bottle or a container with a tight lid. Refrigerate them if milk was used to shape the balls.
 

This goes to Blogging marathon #73, under the theme 'Sweets prepared in less than an hour'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

Comments

Podi Atukulu / Spicy Beaten Rice Flakes / Chutney Powder Chivda

This easy poha / beaten rice flakes based snack takes hardly 10 minutes to prepare irrespective of whether it was made for one or many. This guilt free snack is perfect when those evening hunger pangs kick in and one is not in a mood for a calorie laden treat or when one do not have enough time for elaborate prep work. This poha comes from my mother in law's kitchen and I have heard that the older kids in the family would make this quick fix snack for themselves while growing up. This is equivalent to our version of this sweetened milk poha while growing up, a snack that kids could make without disturbing the matron of the family. I had heard often about this podi atukulu from my husband over the years but somehow I had relegated it to weird food category until I tried it myself recently. This no fuss poha really tastes good and makes a nice crunchy snack. It can also be a part of picnic or travel food too. The original recipe do not have peanuts or curry leaves but they would make a great flavorful addition.

Ingredients: (Yield 1 serving)
1 cup poha / beaten rice flakes (I used thick variety poha.)
1 tbsp. chutney podi (adjust as needed)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil
A sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp. peanuts

Method:
* Dry toast the poha on low flame until the flakes feel crisp thin to taste, about 5 minutes.
* Heat oil and add peanuts and curry leaves if using. Toast until the peanuts turn golden brown and turn off the stove. Add chutney podi, salt and mix well. Next add the poha and combine with a spatula until the poha flakes are coated well with the podi. Taste it and adjust the salt and podi quantities if needed.
* This can be eaten immediately or can be stored in an airtight container once it cools down.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Cooking for One'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

Comments 

Paalatakulu / Sweetened Milk Poha

I was on a tight time schedule for the past two weeks to even ponder about recipes and my post today is an apt one when stuck in similar situations. Or when one is looking for a quick snack / breakfast option in the rush hours. I am supposed to post recipes that feature only three ingredients, as part of the blogging marathon theme this week. After giving the theme a little thought, I realized that I didn't really need to go around scouring for interesting recipes over the web. There are a number of everyday recipes that are regular in my kitchen which involve only three ingredients like this paalatakulu for instance.

Paalatakulu is basically beaten rice flakes dunked in sweetened milk and probably a familiar one in many south Indian homes. This used to be a quick snack, we children would prepare on our own whenever we felt hungry in the evenings. It was way long before I became acquainted with the breakfast cereals of the Western world. The steps of preparation are pretty basic and so simple that I was wondering whether a recipe is really needed for this. Some leftover boiled milk after coffee / tea preparations is commonly found over the kitchen counters in Indian homes. That milk, beaten rice flakes and sugar are mixed and allowed to sit for few minutes before eating it.

Ingredients for a serving:
1/2 cup thick variety beaten rice flakes
3/4 to 1 cup warm milk or boiled and cooled milk
Sugar to taste

Method:
* Rinse the beaten rice flakes using water and drain. This step is optional.
* Add sugar to milk and dissolve it. This step is also optional.
* Add the beaten rice flakes to the milk and let it sit until the rice flakes soften.
(The variety of beaten rice flakes I get locally take about 2 to 3 minutes to soften. The variety available in India take longer time.)
* Stir the mixture and serve immediately.


This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #64 under the theme '3 ingredients' based dishes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

Comments

Dahi Chura / Dahi Choora ~ A Bihari Breakfast

A few decades ago, a teenager was visiting his brother in Bangalore and was having a gala of summer vacation. The above mentioned brother's colleague happened to visit their home once and saw the kid. The colleague thought that the kid was probably bored sitting at home and invited him over to his house for a weekend breakfast. That colleague incidentally happened to be a Bihari and the kid got all excited for the invite. He was up and ready when Sunday dawned and tagged along his cousin too to the host's house which was near by, expecting a wonderful meal from another cuisine.

To their dismay, they were the ones to wake up the host and hostess. The kids were now in a fix and they did not know whether to stay or run back home with an excuse. However the sleepy eyed host opened the door and dragged them inside. After what appeared to be some agonizing moments, the 13 & 9 year old got a call from the hostess for the breakfast. Their embarrassment had turned into bewilderment seeing their breakfast platter. Bowls of uncooked poha served along with some yogurt and sugar on side. They somehow finished their breakfast with a smile plastered on their faces and ran back home.

Those two kids survived the ordeal, to share the story with mirth decades later and one of those kids also happened to live in Bihar for a while. My husband shared this experience with me when I asked for Bihari recipes while doing the Indian odyssey themed blogging marathon and BTW the older kid in the story was my husband. I did dalpuri at the time and this dahi choora remained back in my mind. And I meant no offense in any way while sharing the above anecdote.

And though I did not know it at the time, I happened to meet the said Bihari friend at Bangalore airport while I was flying to USA for the first time, with an infant in tow 17 years ago. When my husband was mentioning his name while narrating the incident, it clicked that he was the same person who helped me at the airport on my Brother-in-law's request. Phew, small world. :)

I am used to sweetened milk poha (I have to yet post the recipe) and dahi poha in a savory version and so the recipe did not come as a shocker to me but generally speaking, a breakfast based on uncooked poha is unheard of in most of the parts in southern India. Where as this dahi choora based on yogurt and flattened rice flakes happens to be a very common breakfast / snack served in Bihar. Dahi is yogurt in Hindi while the uncooked flattened rice flakes are called chura in Bihar and hence the name of  the recipe. Actually I found the recipe very cool and to me it sounded like an Indian version of cereal flakes. This is a quick, no cook recipe yielding a complete meal with no fuss and no mess, besides being very convenient in the morning rush hours. The addition of fruits is optional but makes the dish wholesome.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup thin variety flattened rice / poha / chura
1 cup yogurt
Jaggery / Honey / Sugar to taste
1/2 cup chopped fruits of choice (Optional)

Method:
* Wash rice flakes thoroughly with water in a colander. Drain and leave aside until they soften. Fluff the flakes well with a fork.
(The poha variety I get softens in under five minutes. It must be possible to mash a flake with the gentle pressure between the thumb and the fore finger.)
* Whisk the yogurt well with the sweetener of your choice. Add chura and fruits if using to the yogurt and combine well.
* Serve immediately.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56.

Comments

An InLinkz Link-up

Batata Poha / Beaten Rice Flakes with Potato

 

I am ending this week's marathon with a favorite dish of ours, batata poha. This simple and quick dish is one of the staple breakfast dishes from Maharashtrian kitchens and can be served for breakfast, brunch or as an evening snack.

Ingredients: (For 3 servings)
3 cups of beaten rice flakes / poha (Use thick variety.)
1 Tbsp. to 2 Tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. peanuts
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust the quantity as needed.)
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Few curry leaves
1 big or 2 small onions, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and cubed
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar (optional. I don't usually use it.)
Minced cilantro to garnish
Lemon juice to taste

Method:
* Add poha to a colander and rinse well. Drain and leave the poha aside in the colander.
* Heat oil in a kadai / saute pan. Add peanuts, mustard and cumin seeds.When peanuts start turning golden brown, add green chillies and saute for few seconds. Then add onion, curry leaves and turmeric powder.
* Cover and cook until onions turn translucent, stirring intermittently. In the mean time, potato cubes can be cooked in the microwave adding a little water. If not, then add potatoes to the pan, sprinkle some water and cover the pan. Cook until the potatoes are done.
* Next add the soaked poha, salt and sugar if using. Mix well,cover and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes until the poha is done. Add cilantro and lemon juice as needed. Mix once and serve warm.

Notes:
1. Use thick variety poha to prepare this. Thin variety poha is good for snacks like chivda and not suitable for this dish. It turns mushy if soaked in water.
2. Lemon juice and sugar are optional. Leave them out if you don't prefer those flavors in poha.
3. Skipping potatoes from the recipe would give you the plain poha recipe. To make the dish more wholesome, you can add other vegetables like finely chopped carrots, green beans and carrots along with potatoes.
4. Even some fresh, shredded coconut can be added to this poha. Add along with poha at the final stages of the cooking. 

Check here to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking during Blogging Marathon #48.

Comments