This Indian Rice Dish Is Good for Oatmeal Lovers

In my Indian house state of Maharashtra, a favourite conventional savory breakfast is pohé: parched, flattened rice (which can also be referred to as pohé or poha) paired with onions, a medley of spices, and greens corresponding to potatoes, inexperienced peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes. Whereas a breakfast mainstay, pohé can also be usually served at teatime, loved with a scorching cup of chaha (chai). It was my most popular Sunday breakfast as a toddler and now as an grownup, a straightforward and satisfying meal I routinely cook dinner at house on busy weekday mornings, and even for a easy mild dinner.

I first realized easy methods to cook dinner pohé from my mother. Her model was brilliant yellow from a beneficiant quantity of turmeric and closely spiced with cumin and mustard seeds,a mixture of spices she utilized in most of the savory Indian dishes she made. However truthfully, her model was by no means my favourite. The model I like greatest I realized from my father’s household, who come from the town of Pune.

It wasn’t till I used to be residing in California that I realized easy methods to cook dinner their model throughout a go to from my father’s cousin Shirish Marathe and his spouse Sushama Kaku; my recipe under relies on theirs. It’s faint yellow from a reserved quantity of turmeric (lower than my mother’s), with a delicate sweet-and-savory kick. For my part, it’s the very best approach to put together pohé.

How one can Make Pohé

Pohé (the ingredient) is de-husked rice that’s been soaked in scorching water, dried, after which pounded into flat flakes; at this level they’re a preserved meals with a protracted shelf life. Because it’s principally rice that’s been par-cooked and handled, it cooks a lot quicker than uncooked rice does; it actually solely must be briefly rehydrated and heated by means of earlier than consuming.

One of the best ways to do that is by soaking the grains in a small quantity of chilly water for simply quarter-hour. Chilly water works greatest, as soaking it in scorching water runs the chance of overcooking the par-cooked grains. It’s additionally essential to stir sometimes throughout this time to make sure the grains hydrate evenly.

To construct the seasoning-base for this recipe, I exploit the identical mustard seed, turmeric, and asafetida seasoning that my cousin’s spouse Sushama utilized in her model. Within the Indian state of Maharashtra, the place my household is from, asafoetida-mustard-turmeric is commonly thought-about the “holy trinity” of seasonings.

Asafoetida is a gum resin that drips off the roots of an herb referred to as ferula asafoetida, a Central Asian plant within the celery household. It’s gathered after which floor right into a powder. Nuggets of it was left in sacks of grain as a result of bugs stayed away from its robust aroma. Cooks in India realized that its sulfurous, onion-garlic scent and taste was a welcome addition in lots of dishes. My father did not like asafoetida’s pungent aroma, so my mom by no means cooked with it once I was rising up. However as an grownup I’ve grown to like its taste and all the time use it once I make a mustard-seed seasoning, like I do right here on this pohé recipe.

The spices are bloomed in scorching oil—and I imply ripping scorching, these mustard seeds ought to pop like popcorn on contact with the pan—earlier than contemporary inexperienced chiles, curry leaves, and onions are added. It’s essential that the onions are cooked solely briefly so that they nonetheless retain a little bit of their crunch, which creates a pleasant distinction to the tender rice within the dish. At this level, the greens—your alternative of potatoes, inexperienced peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes—are added and steamed within the lined pot till simply tender.

The soaked rice is then stirred in and every thing is briefly cooked till simply warmed by means of. For the reason that rice is already softened from soaking, you’re actually simply warming it by means of and coating it evenly within the spice combination. Simply earlier than serving, I like so as to add a small quantity of sugar and lime juice to steadiness the pungent and savory spice mix.The ultimate dish needs to be salty, tart, faintly candy, and pungent all of sudden, and also you would possibly want to regulate with extra salt, lime juice, or sugar to seek out the fitting steadiness.

Past my listed serving ideas of a sprinkle of cilantro, grated coconut, and a aspect of plain yogurt, I additionally suggest serving pohé with quite a lot of condiments corresponding to cilantro chutney, tomato–curry leaf chutney, or fast mango pickle.

Each time I put together pohé this fashion, I really feel deeply related to my aunt and my household, and am grateful to them for studying easy methods to put together this extremely flavorful dish.

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