Pohyacha Chivda

Diwali for me would began with the end of semester examinations. No more studying for the next month would definitely burst crackers in my heart, reality been I am extremely scared of them. But what was more exciting was waking up to the whiff of Aai roasting Bhajani peeth or the nutty aroma of roasting Besan; or even making fodani(tempering) for the pohyacha chivda.

So what is Chivda?

Chivda in India refers to a savory snack mix, made with poha (flattened rice), peanuts, garlic, chilies, nuts among many other things. It is a delicious savory snack that is sweet, tangy, and crunchy with a bit of spicy kick. Making chivda is simple, quick, and hassle-free. 

To be honest, Pohyacha chivda is my favorite among all the Diwali faral. I remember whenever we had guests, or relatives bringing faral I would keep foraging for chivda. While I love the one my mami makes (she makes the best ,honestly) and even though over the years I have developed my own pattern of making chivda, I truly crave the one she makes.

As I am writing this, I am filled with nostalgia, it has been years since I have eaten the one my mami makes. It has been 8 years. I haven’t been home for Diwali since the last few years and staying away especially on festivals, increases your home sickness thousand fold more. So I usually make all the faral, just to bring that light, love and happiness into our lives.

A bowl of chivda, topped with chopped onions and tomatoes and a dash of lemon juice was my favorite evening snack with side of cup of chai. Book in one hand, reading with eating morsel of chivda and seeping chai in midst makes for a perfect vacation evening.

Points to remember while making the chivda

• Thin Poha: There are two types of poha varieties available in the market, thin and thick. We are using thin verity today to make this chivda recipe. It has a papery thin texture. On other hand, the thick one is used in making kande pohe.
• Nuts: I mostly use peanuts, and coconut slices. You can add cashews, almonds or even raisins.
• Citric acid (Nimbu ful): This adds a nice tangy flavor. Instead, you can use amchur powder.   

Making Chivda is very easy and comes together very quickly.

There are 3 main steps to make the chivda:

1. Roasting the poha
2. Make the tempering
3. Mix it all together

TA DA your chivda is ready for munching.

Makes about 6 cups of Chivda. The suggested quantities of the ingredients  (peanuts, coconut, futanaychi dal, cashew, raisins) can also be adjusted according to your preference.

Pohyacha Chivda

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Cups

6

Cups

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• 5-6 cups thin Pohé (flattened rice flakes),

• 3/4 cup peanuts, skin-on

• 1/2 cup dry coconut pieces, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup futanyachi dal, or roasted bengal gram (chana) dal

• 1/4 cup golden raisins

• 1/4 cup cashew nuts

• 10-15 curry leaves, whole

• 6-8 green chillies (thai), chopped into big pieces

• 6-7 chopped garlic

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon asafetida

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds

• 1/2 tablespoon mustard seed

• 1 tablespoon corainder seeds

• 3/4 cup plus vegetable oil,

• Sugar to taste

• 2-3 pinches citric acid (optional)

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Heat a heavy bottom pan or kadhai on medium flame.  Turn the flame to low and add the thin poha and roast it while stirring gently (preferably use a silicone spatula). Use can also shake the pan so that the poha does not break. Roast for 6-8 minutes until the poha becomes crisp. Remove roasted poha in a large bowl and set aside.  Let it cool while you prepare the tempering.
• In a small saucepan, heat the 3/4 cup of oil on low-medium heat until shimmering. Fry the peanuts for 2-3 minutes until they take on a slight color, and remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set onto a paper-towel lined plate. In the same manner, one at a time, for 2-3 minutes each, fry the dry coconut slices (until lightly browned), followed by futanyachi dali (until lightly browned) cashew nuts, and finally golden raisins (until plump). Set aside in a paper-towel lined plate.
• To the same pan, add oil if you are not left with any and add the curry leaves, green chillies ,and garlic and fry well until they are crisp. Set aside in a paper-towel lined plate.
  
• To the oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, and mix well until the mixture is sizzling. Pour this onto the toasted pohe, along with the mixture of fried peanuts, coconut pieces, Futyanachi dal, cashewnuts and raisins.
• Add sugar, salt, citric acid and combine everything using 2 wooden spoons or rubber spatulas, taking care not to crush the Pohe! Adjust the seasoning while still warm.
• Allow the chivda to completely cool down. Store in airtight container or a glass jar up to 1 month.

Notes

• Roasting in the Oven: One of my friend prefers roasting pohe in an preheated oven at 300 degrees F. Spread the poha on large baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes gently tossing halfway through, so it gets evenly crisped.
• Sauté green chilies, garlic and curry leaves until become crisp and no moisture left. This is very important to increase the shelf life of chivda and to keep it crisp for a longer time. If there is any moisture is present in them then chivda becomes soggy and soft over time.

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Serving Chivda:

Serve it as is along with some tea or you can add finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and a dash of lemon to amp up its taste.

Are you a pohe fan?

Love it in any form? Then you have to try our Dadpe Pohe.

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