What is Poha Chivda?
‘Poha’ is flattened rice, and ‘Chivda’ refers to a crunchy, savory snack. Poha Chivda, also referred to as just Chivda (or Chiwda), is a classic Indian snack recipe, made using thin poha, peanuts, spices, and tempered in oil with chilies and curry leaves. It is most popular in Maharashtra and North Karnataka. It is delicious, and crunchy, great for road trips, busy mornings, tea time, or after-school snacks. Chivda is best if served with a hot cup of Masala Chai. There are plenty of variations to prepare this dish. You can also make this chivda using phool makhana, corn flakes, red rice flakes, and puffed rice. Chivda is made for festivals like Diwali, Holi, and Ganesh Chaturthi in India. It is served to neighbors, friends, or guests, along with other traditional Indian sweets and savories. My mom used to make a big batch of these all around the year, as we liked to relish it for snacks and milk after school. There are different ways to make this chivda, pan-roasted, deep-fried, air fryer, or oven-roasted.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients required to make the poha chivda recipe at home.
How to Make Poha Chivda
Roasting the Poha
In Pan/Kadai: Heat a heavy bottom kadai or pan on low flame. Add the thin poha (thin rice flakes) and dry roast gently with a spatula for 5-6 mins or until they become crisp (Make sure you don’t over-roast them). Remove the roasted poha to a plate and set it aside. Other ways you can roast the thin poha are as follows In Oven: Spread the thin poha on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or until they become crispy; stir once halfway through. In Microwave: Put the poha in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high powder for 2-3 minutes on high power or until crisp. Toss halfway through once. Sun Dry: Spread the poha on a large plate or thali and keep it in direct sunlight for 1 hour or until it becomes crispy.
Preparing the Chivda
In the heavy bottom kadai, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil on medium flame. Add peanuts and roast until light golden while stirring continuously. Then, add the cashews. Roast until the cashews start turning lightly golden in color. Then add the fried gram (dalia) and dry coconut slices. Roast them together for a minute or until the coconut slices change color and become a little brown. Next, add the raisins and roast for 30 seconds or until they swell up a bit. Push the roasted nuts to the side and add mustard and cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds. Lower the heat to low and add the chopped green chili, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Saute for 1-2 minutes or till curry leaves, and green chilies become crispy. Make sure there is no moisture in curry leaves and chilies otherwise, they can make the poha soggy. Then add turmeric powder, salt, and powdered sugar (ensure the heat is low). Mix well. Turn off the flame. Immediately add the roasted poha and gently mix the poha with a spatula or your hands (making sure the flakes do not break). Remove the kadai from the stovetop. Let the poha chivda cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or serve this poha chivda with a cup of masala chai.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Roasted Poha Chivda as a tea-time snack with a hot cup of masala chai. It is also great for road trips, picnics, or after-school snacks. You can also munch at any time of the day.
Make-Ahead & Storage
You can store Poha Chivda in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 15 days. If it gets soggy after a few days, roast it in a pan on medium-low flame for a few minutes or bake it in a preheated oven at 300F (150C) for 10-12 minutes. Once it cools down, store it back in the airtight container.
Tips to make the Best Poha Chiwda
Always use a thin variety of poha (beaten rice). Make sure to roast all the ingredients on a medium-low flame in a heavy or thick bottom kadai or pan. If you roast on high flame, ingredients can get burnt easily. You can also roast the peanuts, cashews, roasted gram, and dry coconut slices in the oven or air fry them separately to make a low-oil snack. Gently mix the poha (or toss the poha), so the flakes don’t break. You can adjust the quantity of nuts, coconut slices, and fried gram as per your liking. Make sure to cool down the chivda to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. Add the turmeric, salt, and sugar at the end just before mixing in the poha so that they don’t get burnt with increased exposure to heat.
Variations
Garlic: If you like garlic flavor, you can add slightly crushed whole garlic cloves along with curry leaves during the tempering. Nuts: You can also add almonds, pecans, walnuts, or nuts of your choice. Seeds: To make it healthy, you may add sesame seeds, melon seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds. Spicy: You can also use dry red chilies or red chili powder for the heat instead of green chilies. Other Flakes: In place of poha or along with it, you can use oats, makhana, puffed rice, quinoa flakes, chana jor garam, red rice flakes, or corn flakes. Just make sure to roast them if required before adding them.
More Diwali Recipes
Makhana Chivda Maddur Vada Besan Ladoo Instant Coconut Ladoo Milk Powder Burfi
Other Snack Recipes
Spicy Roasted Makhana Bhel Puri Chaat Corn Bhel Veg Chili Cheese Toast Paneer Tikka Beetroot Cutlet Khaman Dhokla
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