Flattened rice softened with turmeric, peanuts and lemon; a light, no-cook-heavy breakfast from western India that kapha types especially take to.
Breakfast · 10 min prep · 5 min cook · serves 2 Newly added
Ingredients
- 2 cups poha (flattened rice) , thick variety
- 3 tbsp peanuts
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 8 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger (fresh) , grated
- 1 green chili , optional, finely chopped
- to taste rock salt
- 1 tbsp lemon , juice
- 2 tbsp coconut (fresh grated) , to garnish
Preparation
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Rinse the poha in a colander under running water for a few seconds, then leave it to soften and swell for 10 minutes.
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Roast the peanuts in the ghee until they crackle; add mustard seeds and let them pop.
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Add curry leaves, ginger, chili and turmeric; stir for 30 seconds.
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Fold in the softened poha and salt gently, so the flakes do not break, and warm through for 2 minutes.
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Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice; garnish with coconut and serve immediately.
In the tradition
Poha shows up across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh as a breakfast that neither sits heavy nor leaves you hungry by ten. In ayurvedic terms flattened rice is considered lighter than cooked rice, useful when kapha is high, while lemon and ginger wake up the morning agni without heating pitta.
Sources & further reading
- Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing , Vasant Lad & Usha Lad
- Bhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu (Dhānyavarga, flattened rice (laja/taṇḍula) noted as light and easy to digest)
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.