Poha / Aval Upma / Flattened Rice Upma

My mom prepares aval upma very often as a snack food for us during our childhood days. But I tasted the slightly sweeter version of it, only when I joined my first job in Pune. It was served with sev and lemon wedges there. I loved the combination of crunchy sev and soft poha. From then, I started to eat Aval upma with sev.

It is also sometimes served with potato. Till now, never tasted poha with potato but I have heard the combo works out well. Here I am posting my Mom’s way of preparing aval upma with my favourite sev and lemon wedges.

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves:3

Ingredients:

Thick Poha/ Aval/ Flattened Rice – 2 cups

Turmeric powder – a big pinch

Oil – 3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds – 1/4 teaspoons

Peanuts – 1/4 cup, with skin

Green chilli – 2 nos, slit

Curry leaves – 1 string

Onion – 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Salt – to taste

Fine Sev – for serving, optional

Lemon Juice – 1/2 – 1 teaspoon, optional

Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon, optional

Method:

1) Wash poha in a running water quickly. Use colander to make this job easier.

2) Completely drain the water and transfer the poha to a bowl.

3) Add turmeric powder and toss well to mix it evenly. Cover and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, Heat oil in a frying pan.

5) Add mustard seeds when it is hot.

6) Add greenchilli, curry leaves and peanuts after all the mustard seeds splutter.

7) Fry for 3-4 minutes without burning.

8) Add onion and saute until it becomes soft and translucent. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir well to spread the salt evenly. Add sugar if using.

9) Add poha and reduce the flame. Stir gently without breaking poha.

10) After 4 minutes turn off the stove. Squeeze out lemon juice if using.

11) Serve with fine sev.

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Idly Upma / Leftover Idly recipe