Spicy Kurkuri Poha/Healthy Indian Spiced Flattened Rice

Spicy and healthy Kurkuri Poha is a quick and healthy crispy snack with poha, oats, nuts and aromatic Indian spices, best enjoyed with lots of fresh grated coconut on top or with some finely chopped onions, tomatoes and lemon/lime juice for a quick chaat experience!

I remember, when my brother and I were kids, my mother (a super gourmet and a very good cook!) used to make dabbas (large metal tins) and dabbas of fried snacks like fried tapioca chips, banana chips, chivda, murukkus or chaklis etc. all fried in fresh virgin coconut oil, pressed from coconuts sourced from our family garden!

Those days, there was no TV yet and of course, no internet or computers, so we used to plonk ourselves in a comfortable chair with a good book and those dabbas of snacks around us with the lid open and both of us digging into them and munching on all the goodies! Being young, any amount of crispy fried snacks gobbled up would just burn out soon!

But today, one bite and like someone said,” a minute on your lips, a lifetime on your hips”!!!!! So, true, so it is mostly healthy snacks (most of the time!!!).

This time, the theme for our facebook gourmet group Healthy Wellthy Cuisines was “healthy munchies”  and the past few days, I have been racking my brain to see what I can come up with using the ingredients I already have in my pantry! I hate to run to the grocery just to  make something to eat and love coming up with tasty dishes with whatever I have at home!

When I think of something quick and healthy, I normally reach out to my favorite ingredients poha (flattened rice) or murmura (puffed rice).  A quick saute with some spices (more like less than 5 to 7 minutes!), you have a healthy and quick munchy to enjoy with evening tea or coffee.

So, this one was also going to be something like that but to amp up the nutrition and crunch, I have added some roasted oats and sunflower seeds. Being a south Indian, addition of slivers of dry coconut is a must in most snacks. A dash of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and hing or asafetida powder along with of course, lots of fresh curry leaves and green chillies or jalapenos to add a spicy bite rounds up the final dish.

Just roast oats ahead of time and then in a tempering of mustard seeds, green chilies and curry leaves, saute all the ingredients with all the spice powders until crisp. Cool and enjoy  with your evening masala chai or coffee. Our favorite way of enjoying this super quick healthy snack in our family is mixing it with lots of freshly grated coconut for the tropical aroma, texture and flavor!

If you love chaats, then you can mix in some chopped onions, tomatoes, lemon juice or even chaat masala powder and partake of this healthy munchy any time. The best part is, you can make this ahead of time and once cooled, store it in airtight containers. When you need a quick snack, mix in coconut or anything else you like and savor it!

Hope you love this quick and easy healthy munchy as much as we love it and if you do make it, please do not forget to share it on my Facebook page!!

Enjoy and happy cooking!!

Step-by-step method to make Spicy Poha Kurkuri:

Dry roast oats in a saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously; remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil in a large flat saucepan and add peanuts; roast on medium heat until crisp and light golden brown; remove and set aside.

To the same oil, add mustard seeds and once it starts to splutter, add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté on medium low heat till they are well fried and crisp.

Tip in the slivered coconut and fry again for a few seconds; take care not to brown them too much!

Stir in the turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix.

Add the roasted peanuts, oats, poha and a 2 handfuls of sunflower seeds (or any other that you have) along with salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Keep frying and roasting on medium heat, stirring often until all the flavors and spices have been well incorporated and the poha is crisp.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Enjoy crisp, spicy, healthy and low-fat  delicious kurkuri poha with lots of grated coconut mixed in or stir in finely chopped onions (red onion only please), tomatoes, grated carrots etc. and enjoy as a chaat with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice!

Savor this easy and super quick snack with hot, hot masala chai or coffee or as we call it in the southern part of India, "kapi"!!

Craving for more such south Indian snacks? Then do check out some of these:

Crispy Fried Peanuts with Curry Leaves

Moong Dal Murukkus

Instant Suji/Semolina Appes or Dumplings

Biscuit Rotti

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Spicy Kurkuri Poha/Healthy and Indian Spiced Flattened Rice

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Spicy Kurkuri Poha is a quick and healthy snack with poha, oats, nuts and aromatic Indian spices, best enjoyed with lots of fresh grated coconut on top or with some finely chopped onions, tomatoes and lemon/lime juice!

Ingredients

• 2 cups thin poha/flattened rice
• 1 cup oats (I used rolled oats)
• ¼ cup peanuts
• ¼ cup slivered dry coconut/copra
• 2 handfuls sunflower seeds (or you can use pumpkin, watermelon or any other nuts)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 large green chilli/jalapeno, cut into roundels
• 2 large sprigs of curry leaves
• ½ tsp hing/asafetida powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder or as needed
• ½ to 1 tsp red chilli powder/cayenne powder or as needed
• Salt to taste
• Pinch sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (olive, coconut etc.)

Instructions

1. Dry roast oats in a saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large flat saucepan and add peanuts; roast on medium heat until crisp and light golden brown; remove and set aside.
3. To the same oil, add mustard seeds and once it starts to splutter, add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté on medium low heat till they are well fried and crisp.
4. Tip in the slivered coconut and fry again for a few seconds; take care not to burn them too much!
5. Stir in the turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix.
6. Add the roasted peanuts, oats, poha and a 2 handfuls of sunflower seeds along with salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Keep frying and roasting on medium heat, stirring often until all the flavors and spices have been well incorporated and the poha is crisp.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.
8. Enjoy crisp, spicy, healthy and low-fat delicious kurkuri poha with lots of grated coconut mixed in or stir in finely chopped onions (red onion only please), tomatoes, grated carrots etc. and enjoy as a chaat with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice!
9. Happy Snacking!!

Notes

You can use thick poha too for this; but you will have to roast for a longer time or you can deep fry them for puffy crisp poha!

Feel free to add any of your favorite nuts or even raisins to amp up the flavor, texture and nutrition!

Adjust the spices according to your taste.

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I am sharing this with the group Healthy Wellthy Cuisines for the theme #healthymunchies. Other healthy snacks shared by my fellow bloggers are:

Paneer and Aloo Appe/Paniyaram

Pineapple Salsa

Lilva Ni Kachori (Baked)

Baked Whole Wheat Methi Puri

Healthy Makhana Munchies 4 Ways