L Is For… Lemon Poha

It has been a year (a year!) since I posted for the Alphabet Cooking Challenge, I just realised. Shameful, definitely. I have definitely been cooking a lot, but haven’t been focused enough to cook dishes based on the letters of the alphabet, what with a hyperactive toddler, a busy-but-not-busy way of living, and different sorts of ingredients making a sudden appearance in the house and taking over my kitchen, not leaving room for anything else. But then, I am not the sort of person who gives up on something midway, unless it becomes absolutely necessary to do so. So, here I am with the next post in the series – Lemon Poha for L.

Lemon poha happens to be one of the most prepared dishes in our house, specially for breakfast. Everyone loves it, and it is super easy to make as well. Total win-win situation.

Now, I am sure there are a whole lot of different ways to make lemon poha, but I am here to tell you how we have always been making it – our family recipe.

Here’s how we make it.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1-1/2 glasses of beaten rice (poha) – I use the Bhagyalakshmi brand, poha that is neither very thin nor very thick

4 green chillies, slit length-wise

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 cup of raw groundnuts

A few stalks of fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely

A few fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

Juice of 1-1/2 lemons, or to taste

Method:

1. Place the poha in a colander and wash it well in cold running water. Keep aside for a couple of minutes, for all the excess water to drain out. Then, add the salt to taste and turmeric powder to the washed poha in the colander, and mix well. Keep aside till you are ready to use the poha in the dish.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, dry roast the groundnuts on a medium flame till they get crisp. Remove the groundnuts onto a plate, and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil on the same pan. Add the mustard seeds, and let them splutter. Add the asafoetida.
4. Add the roasted groundnuts. Let them stay in for about a minute.
5. Add the washed poha, green chillies, and curry leaves. Mix well.
6. Check for seasonings and add more salt if required. If not required, move on to the next step.
7. Cook on a medium flame, stirring intermittently for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook it, or the poha has a tendency to turn hard.
8. Switch off the gas and add the finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix well.
9. Serve hot.

You like? I hope you will try this out at home, too!

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This is an entry for the letter L, for the Alphabet Cooking Challenge.