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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Take off the heat, squeeze lemon juice over the top, scatter fresh coriander, and serve immediately while still warm.

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✓ High Protein  |  ✓ High Fibre  |  ✓ Rich in Iron  |  ✓ Rich in Potassium