Poha Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is also called Avalakki in Kannada, Atukulu in Telugu and Aval in Tamil.
This vegetable Poha is one of our favorite go-to meals. I make this whenever we are in a hurry or have to eat something healthy or just don’t know what to cook. It is light tasting, healthy, full of nutrients but yet manages to fill the stomach for an hour or two.
Poha tends to have a dry taste after few bites, so some tips to overcome this is to add slightly more oil during seasoning, more onions, add some shredded coconut and also some peanuts. But important of all is to serve when hot as it tends to dry when it begins to cool.
Ingredients
- 2 cups poha (preferably thick)
- 1 cup vegetables diced (peas/corn/bens/potato) fresh/frozen
- ½ cup chopped onions
- Handful of peanuts (optional)
- 1 Tbsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Asafetida
- 3-4 green chillies (slit)
- Curry leaves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (optional)
- 3-4 Tbsp oil
- Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
-
Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Soak the poha in enough water; let it sit until it turns soft. Drain the water completely. (Note that the soaking time depends on the type of poha, if it is thin then just sprinkling of water is good enough to soften it).
- Chop the vegetables finely and boil them separately either in the microwave or stovetop.
- Chop the onions finely and also the coriander leaves and keep aside.
Method:
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan and add mustard seeds let it splutter then add asafetida followed by curry leaves.
- Add the peanuts (optional) and mix continuously until it crisps.
- Add the chopped onion to this mixture, mix well and sauté until it turns translucent.
- Add the other boiled vegetables, green chillies, salt, and turmeric and mix well. Add more oil at this point if necessary.
- Next add the soaked poha, sugar(optional), grated ginger and mix well.
- Allow this to cook by covering a lid.
- Finally garnish this with chopped coriander, juice of a lemon and shredded coconut.
Your post has just reminded me that it has been ages since I made avil upma :-))
RC the aval upma looks great and with those vegetables truly delicious I guess though I prefer the sweet version to the spicy one.
I did the same thing today. Looks great as usual.
Upma with ginger, how better can it get! I have noticed that potato tastes great with aval upma as well. I mean just roast a few, and mixing it in the upma itself…
Nice post RC…! Poha is all time fav snack.
just the way I make this poha upma.Looks so bright and delicious RC!
Poha looks inviting. I mix finely chopped tomatoes once the poha is ready..this doesn’t dry the poha.
Poha looks nice and ginger touch is gud…veggie poha always taste better than plain one..nice one dear
lovely avalakki .. i have never used ginger in this dish .. shall try sometime ..
I’ve never had poha or aval upma, as i read it here, with coconut. Must be so lovely! I just love anythig with coconut.
Thats a lovely picture RC..poha looks so inviting!
Thank you all very much for the warm comments.
How do u used to have it..? I mean what’s the combination for aval upma? Is it chutney or something else?
Hi ssaa08, Aval Upma is usually eaten as is or along with chivda, some savory snacks. Or if nothing works then try sugar and yogurt 🙂 😉 (This is usually my last trick and resort)