Aloo Poha (Bataka Pawa) - flattened rice and potatos

Thanks to the unhealthy love for potato and rice in our household, Saturday morning breakfast is invariably aloo poha (aloo - potato, poha - pressed rice). It is undeniably appetizing, to be enjoyed with a cup of hot adrak-fudina chai.

I personally do not like the flavor of cinnamon with bataka pawa as it is popular known in Gujarat, but it is a popular garnishing. Also, I avoid onions in my cooking. Onions enhance taste but I can vouch for the fact that the onion-less recipe is equally yummy.


Make aloo poha breakfast for 4.

Ingredients 

For the poha

• 6 cups poha (pressed rice)
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 medium potato, finely chopped 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - optional
• 2 tspn lemon juice 
• 1 tspn sugar 
• salt, to taste

For the tempering

• 2 tbspn vegetable oil 
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts 
• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves, chopped
• 1-2 mid-sized sticks of cinnamon - optional

For the garnishing

• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped 
• 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sev,  finely chopped - optional
• lemon slices, finely sliced
• 1 cup coconut, grated

Preparation (10 minutes)

1. Chop the peppers, cilantro.
2. Slice the lemon.
3. Chop the white onions and red onion fine.
4. Chop potato fine (cross-sections of french fry sized).
5. Wash the poha in cold water, strain immediately and set aside.  
6. Chop the cilantro.

Instructions  (10 minutes)

1. Heat the oil in a pan on High, and add curry leaves.
2. After a minute, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
3. Add peanuts, and stir for a minute.
4. Add the sliced peppers, and white onion, and stir for 2 minutes on Medium heat
5. Add the potato, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt.
6. Stir for 5 minutes, till the potato is done.
7. Add poha, take off the heat and stir lightly for 2 minutes.
8. Put the pan back on the heat, and stir for 1 minute.
9. Add lemon juice and sugar and stir.
10. Take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. To each serving, add a fine slice of lemon, cilantro, red onions on top. 
2. Sprinkle sev. 

Serving

1. Serve hot.