Poha is the most go to option breakfast in all over India. This delicious yet light and healthy dish, is prepared with flattened rice and enjoyed as staple breakfast in various parts across the country. The taste and ingredients of this simple dish also varies across the country.
In Indore poha is a signature breakfast dish and a popular street food item which use jeeravan masala, , chopped onion, mustard seeds, green chilies, lemon and boondi in the recipe. It has a distinct sweet and sour taste often served with jalebi.
Whereas Kanda Batata poha, the Maharashtrian version of poha which uses potato and onion in the recipe. The South Indian version of poha is made with curry leaves, mustard seeds and roasted peanuts.
In Bengal, poha or "Chirer Polau" is a bit different from all those version. It has a subtle hint of sweetness and an aromatic delights from "Ghee" or clarified butter. Various kinds of vegetables like green peas, carrot, beans, onion, cauliflower, potato are added to flatten rice with cashew and kishmish (raisin).
In our home we used to have roti or luchi in the breakfast mostly. Maa rarely used to make "Chirer Polau" in breakfast, though I often got it in my school lunch box. Those days I used to take the whole recess time for finishing my lunch as I used to enjoy my every bite of the "Chirer Polau" :).
In my own version of "Chirer Polau", I usually add some small pieces of potato as after all I am a Bengali and we put "aloo" in everything. I also usually avoid adding the turmeric and cauliflower in my "Chirer Polau". You can definitely go by your choice.
Now before starting the recipe I would like to share few tips with you.
For "Chirer Polau" always use the flatten rice of medium thickness and sieve the flatten rice at first. Why??? Because it has always some small tiny pieces of flatten rice presents in there and when we wash the flatten rice it makes the whole thing mushy which we don't want in our "Chirer Polau".
Another tip is that, put the flatten rice or chire in a colander and just wash it with warm water allowing all water to drain completely. Cover and set aside for soften. It will take hardly 10 minutes. Don't soak or over rinse it. Using warm water gives the chire a little extra fluffy look.
The last but not the least is when the water will drain completely, break the lump with your finger, add sugar and salt according to you taste to the chire and mix light handedly as it will allow the chire to absorb all the flavours.
Bengali Chirer Polau:
Serves:2
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Ingredients:
2 cup Chire or flattened rice, rinsed and drained, mix with salt and sugar
1/2 cup Carrot peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Onion chopped
1/2 cup Green Peas blanched
1/2 cup Potato peeled and chopped
2 Green Chilies chopped
5-6 pieces Cashew broken into small pieces
10-12 pieces of Kishmish (Raisin)
1 tsp Ghee
1and 1/2 tbsp Oil for Frying
1 stick Cinnamon ,1 dry Red Chili for tempering
Salt and Sugar to taste
Recipe:
In a pan, heat up the oil over medium high heat, fry the cashew and raisin till golden, kept aside.
Now add all the tempering to the oil. Stir about 5-10 seconds until all the aroma from whole spices come up.
Add carrot and potato, fry for 4-5 minutes until they are 3/4th done.
Now add green peas, green chili and small amount of salt and sugar for the vegetables. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
Bring the temperature of the stove moderate low. Add the chire, fried cashew and kishmish.
Mix all the things with light hand so that the chire don't brake.
Add the ghee, turn off the heat and keep the lid closed for at least 5 minutes so that all the aroma soaked up in the polau.
Serve hot with some ginger tea. Trust me, your morning surely brighten up.
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