The other day when I asked my colleagues that I won’t be able to join the con call as I had to prepare the breakfast myself, she kindly covered for me. Post the call, when she asked me why did I prepare eventually, “poha and chai”, I replied. “Oh nice, what else could you have prepared so quickly, anyway”, she stated. While she did have a strong point, but I couldn’t help but wonder, how even if I had a little more time that day, I would have still opted for this classic breakfast over anything else. For when poha cravings hit, you do nothing but surrender.  

For the unversed, poha is a mild snack made with flattened rice flakes, tossed with spices and veggies. Poha is so widely popular among Indians, that it has many regional avatars. If the Indoris like to throw in some sev on top, or have it with gravy (tari), in Maharashtra, Kanda Poha rules the roost, where Kanda is a local word for onions. Finely chopped onions are sprinkled on top, in generous quantity for a pungent kick. Just like dosa, idli and paratha, poha is a breakfast favourite among many, for reasons aplenty. The massive scope it gives you to experiment is one of the reasons why I adore poha so much. Don’t like it the classic way, no problem, spruce it up. In this tomato poha recipe that we stumbled upon, poha gets a scrumptiously tangy makeover. You can garnish it with coriander leaves and lemon juice for an additional burst of freshness.

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Some Tips To Keep In Mind:  

  1. Make sure you wash the poha well, ensure there is no dirt. Using a strainer, drain and keep aside. Also, ensure that you do not let it dry up completely. As soon as you put the pohas to drain, proceed with other steps.
  2. In the meanwhile, start working on the masala of the poha. Heat oil in kadhai, add bay leaf, saunf, jeera and wait till it crackles.
  3. Then add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilli, green peas etc. You have to sautee it, until the raw smell goes.  
  4. At this point add chopped tomatoes and sautee until mushy. Adding a pinch of salt at this speed, helps speed up the process of cooking.  
  5. As soon as they turn mushy, throw in chopped capsicum, carrots, pudina leaves. And saute for a minute. Add powdered spices like haldi, red chilli powder, garam masala etc. Saute for a minute, do not sautee a lot, if you want other veggies to retain their crunch.
  6. Once the masala is ready, add drained poha and mix very gently.
  7. Sprinkle some water, this could help build steam cover the lid and cook for 5-10 minutes. Garnish and turn off the heat.  

Here is a detailed recipe, try it soon and let us know if it impressed you as much as it impressed us.