Poha is a common snack and breakfast dish in India, and one of the easiest foods to make. However, while preparing poha, one often faces a common issue: poha clumping together and not retaining its texture after being washed.
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Taking to Instagram on March 25, celebrity chef and MasterChef India judge Ranveer Brar demonstrated the right way to wash poha before cooking. He suggested using jada poha, the thicker variant of poha, for preparations, not the one used to make chiwda.
How to wash poha properly?
According to Ranveer, poha does not need to be soaked like rice, a mistake we commonly make. All it needs is a good wash.
“The biggest mistakes that are made by people who are not familiar with preparing poha are letting poha soak for too long or using the thinner variety of poha to cook with. This simply turns the poha into halwa and ruins the texture,” observed the chef.
Steps to wash poha properly are as follows:
- Take the jada poha in a large bowl and run water over it.
- Move the hands fast and lightly roll the poha in the water. This removes the dirt from the poha.
- Once the dirt is removed, drain the water by putting the poha in a strainer. The poha should not be allowed to sit in water for long. It will absorb the moisture it requires on its own and get the right texture.
Recipe for Mumbai-style kanda poha
Once the poha is drained, it can be used to prepare Ranveer’s recipe for Mumbai-style kanda poha, an easy dish that can be whipped up in about half an hour and serves two people. The detailed making process is presented as follows.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 3 green chillies, chopped
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 1 medium-sized potato, small cubes
- 2 onions, chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 200 gms pressed rice (poha), thick variety (jada)
- ½ lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh coriander leaves
Method of preparation:
- Wash the poha in a colander. Poha should be moist but not mashed. Add salt and sugar and mix lightly.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds, and when they splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves, and peanuts. Sauté for half a minute, then add onions and potatoes; continue to sauté.
- Add salt and turmeric powder, and mix. Sauté for two minutes, then add poha.
- Mix and cook till the poha is heated through. Add lemon juice and mix lightly. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
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This article is for informational purposes only.
