Poha chutney or “phanna (seasoned) phovu” or sometimes called "poha upkari" is a traditional, healthy breakfast dish of the south Indian Konkani community (GSB’s) of Mangalore.
When we crave for something homely, delicious, quick, easy to make and healthy, then I love to make this instant snack to go with our evening chai/kaapi/coffee or even as a jhatpat breakfast idea on busy days!
It is a delicious mixture of poha or phovu (beaten or flattened rice), grated coconut (preferably fresh or frozen but thawed) and some spices like coriander, jeera (cumin) and chilies/chili powder.
It is often relished with evening tea too!!
You will find this popular dish in the hotels of Karnataka, especially where they specialize in Mangalorean food like Mangalore Buns or Buns Rotti, Biscuit Rotti etc.
Our 5 o’clock tea is usually accompanied by some snacks (either fried, steamed or just store bought dry snacks) and poha chutney is one of our favorites!
We normally have it mixed with sev (fried gram flour or besan/chickpea flour noodles), bibbe upkari (cashew nut curry) or chana upkari (black chickpea curry).
It is a very quick, almost no cook dish as poha, coconut and the spices along with jaggery (Indian unrefined sugar) are a staple in any Konkani or Indian household.
POHA CHUTNEY/UPKARI/USLI:
So easy to make, all you need is some poha (also called flattened rice), freshly grated coconut (can use frozen too but thawed), basic spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds), a few red chilies (or even store bought chili powder) and if you like more spicy, homemade or store bought sambar powder (again optional) along with salt and some jaggery/brown sugar/white sugar to sweeten it up a bit!
Basically, and if you have to make it traditionally, all you have to do is make a dry mix or bliztz some coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, green chilies and some coconut in a blender.
(If you have already blended coriander powder and cumin powder, all the more better. I always blend up a fresh batch of these powders for every day use and replenish as needed).
Transfer to a bowl, add salt to taste and some jaggery and mix well. For more oomph, you can add sambar powder too!
Best part is the tadka or tempering!
Just pop some mustard seeds and curry leaves in some cooking oil especially coconut oil and add to this spicy, slightly sweet, aromatic and delicious coconut mixture!
This is the basic mixture which you can premix and store in the fridge to use any time you want!
Just before serving, stir in enough thin poha (not the thick variety!) and mix well, preferably using your hands.
For more flavor, you can add freshly chopped coriander leaves or cilantro too.
Add as much of poha as needed only to make a spicy, savory and a tad bit sweet taste.
Mix well and best enjoyed immediately.
(If you have leftovers, they taste good too! Just store in an airtight container at room temperature) for at the most a day).
It is best served topped with some freshly chopped onions (we avoid during festival days as we do not eat onions or garlic on those days) and some crispies on the side like sev, boondis etc.
We love the combination of POHA CHUTNEY with BLACK CHANA UPKARI. The best combination our family loves!
Do try this easy peasy south Indian snack and enjoy with family and friends anytime.
Hope you will enjoy this favorite delicacy of ours in your home too. Do try and let me know!!
Poha chutney or “phanna (seasoned) phovu” is a traditional, healthy breakfast dish of the south Indian Konkani community (GSB’s) of Mangalore.
Almost no cook, it is a quick snack to enjoy any time of the day!
Ingredients
- 2 cups or as much as needed, poha (thin variety) or beaten rice
- 1 cup grated coconut (fresh/frozen but thawed)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons jaggery powder (or as needed)
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoon jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 green chili
- 3 to 4 dry roasted red chillies
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
- Finely chopped red onions (optional)
- Sev
Instructions
- In a blender, make a coarse powder of the coriander seeds, jeera, green chillies and red chillies.
- You can add a handful of coconut too with this. Just blitz to form a coarse mixture.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the rest of the grated coconut, jaggery or brown sugar (to taste; add by the teaspoonfuls) and salt.
- Mix well (preferably by hand) to distribute the flavors.
- Adjust the amount of jaggery or salt to taste.
- In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and once hot, add the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves and pour this seasoning into the coconut mixture and stir well.
- (This mixture can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge to make poha chutney whenever you like or crave!)
- Now, add the poha little by little, and mix well gently, preferably by hand; you can adjust the amount of coconut mixture and poha according to your taste.
- Serve immediately topped with chopped onions, crispy sev (fried gram flour noodles), bibbe/cashew nut upkari or chana upkari (dry curry of black chickpeas) or as such.
Notes
Adjust the amount of spices according to personal preference.
Adding jaggery or any sweetener is optional but adds a lovely sweet note to the dish!
Make sure to use only the thin variety of poha.
Best eaten freshly made.
For a quicker version, just mix coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and if preferred some homemade or store bought sambar powder (optional) to grated coconut to make poha chutney in a jiffy!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!
Step-by-step method to make Poha Chutney:
(Serves 3 to 4)
In a blender, make a coarse powder of the coriander seeds, jeera, green chilies and red chilies with a little grated coconut.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the rest of the grated coconut, jaggery or brown sugar and salt.
(If using spice powders, then just add to the coconut).
Mix well (preferably by hand) and adjust the amount of jaggery or salt to taste.
Sometimes, when in a hurry, I use already blended coriander and cumin powders. NO NEED TO USE THE BLENDER!
Just mix 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin powder 1 teaspoon of sambar powder, 2-3 tablespoons of jaggery powder and salt to taste with 1 1/2 cups of grated coconut.
Then stir in the tempering/seasoning (check below).
For the seasoning/tempering:
In a small saucepan, heat the oil and once hot, add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves and pour this seasoning into the coconut mix well.
Now, add the poha little by little, and mix well gently; you can adjust the amount of coconut mixture and poha according to your taste.
Serve immediately with sev (fried gram flour noodles), bibbe upkari or chana upkari (dry curry of black chickpeas) or as such.
MORE TIPS/NOTES
If you do not have access to the different spices or are in a hurry, you can substitute with sambar powder and mix in the coconut and poha.
Jaggery (unrefined sugar made from raw, concentrated sugarcane juice) can be replaced with brown sugar or just plain sugar, but jaggery gives it an authentic, earthy taste.
This poha dish is normally mixed with hands to allow all the flavors to blend through.
You can make the spice powder, mix in the jaggery and salt with grated coconut, stir in tempering and store and make fresh poha chutney anytime.
The amount of jaggery, coconut, poha and salt is a personal preference; in our family, we like it a bit sweet, so we add more jaggery.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!
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