Beetroot Podi Poha
Beetroot Podi Poha is a breakfast that comes together in under fifteen minutes — flattened rice tossed through a mustard-and-curry-leaf tadka, then coated in the roasted dal-beetroot-coconut warmth of Earthy Beetroot Podi. The podi does the work of several ingredients at once: the chana dal crunch, the coconut sweetness, the mild chilli heat — all already in there. The result is poha with a faint blush of colour and a depth that plain salt-turmeric poha simply cannot match.
Prep: 7 min | Cook: 8 min | Serves: 2 | Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Earthy Beetroot Podi
- 1 cup poha (flattened rice), thick variety
- 1 tsp ghee (neyyi) or oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (aavalu)
- 6-8 curry leaves (karivepaku)
- 1 green chilli, slit (optional, adjust to taste)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (pasupu)
- salt to taste salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- handful fresh coriander, chopped, to finish
Method
- Rinse the poha in a colander under running water for 10 seconds, then shake off the water and leave it to soften for 5 minutes — it should be tender but not mushy, with each flake holding its shape.
- Heat ghee in a wide pan or kadai over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle and pop, then add the curry leaves and green chilli — they will sizzle and release a sharp, fragrant cloud.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add turmeric and stir once, then add the softened poha and toss gently to coat every flake in the golden tadka oil.
- Sprinkle the Earthy Beetroot Podi evenly over the poha and fold it through — the flakes will take on a warm, blush-orange tinge and smell of roasted dal and coconut. Add salt to taste.
- Cook on low for one more minute, stirring gently, until the podi is fragrant and fully absorbed into the poha with no dry powder remaining.
- Take off the heat, squeeze lemon juice over the top, scatter fresh coriander, and serve immediately while still warm.
✓ High Protein | ✓ High Fibre | ✓ Rich in Iron | ✓ Rich in Potassium