Traditional Pova/ Poha Chutney (Spiced Masala Beaten Rice).

“Traditional Pova/ Poha Chutney (Spiced Masala Beaten Rice)” … Pova chutney is a delicious snack from Konkani Saraswat Cuisine prepared with beaten rice to which prepared masala using either red chillies or green chillies along with other spices and coconut is prepared and added … It is mostly served for breakfast with chana upkari or kanga upkari along with sometimes ripe banana or steamed bananas ... you can also top it with some finely chopped onions while serving and it tastes absolutely great … Yummilicious … 

** Pova/Poha Chutney as called in Konkani by Konkani Saraswats/ GSB’s is a dish prepared using thin textured poha/ pova/ beaten rice/ avalakki to which coarsely ground sweet~spicy coconut masala is added and mixed in. Pova chutney or also known in some parts as teekh pohu meaning spicy beaten rice and I have already posted the same a few times before with slight variations. This is a dry snack served mostly during breakfast or for tiffin in the evening or can be prepared in a jiffy when guests drop in if you have all ingredients ready. This is a common dish served during functions or festivals including in temples as a snack. 

** Pova chutney masala can be prepared either with red chillies or green chillies while grinding along with other ingredients. By and large red chilly are used in preparing pova chutney that is served during festivals and celebrations while the green chillies are usually prepared at homes when we need a quick snack to serve guests who drop in unannounced or for the in between hunger or when children demand for something to eat when they feel hungry during holidays after playing games all through the day. Both are tasty though the red one rules more than green one and in my home I prepare each one in turns. 

** Changing of times have made things available easily and now people do not prepare it in the traditional old method of grinding etc. We now get the masal mixture powder readily in some stores just like how we get sambar/ rasam powder and many use the same as we are always in a hurry and there is no point in wasting time when you get equally good results. Well, I am trying to get the exact taste of the powder and till my experiment goes on you can prepare either using sambar powder the way I do at times or you can follow the traditional method given below for preparing the pova chutney, all taste equally good. 

** Here I would like to explain why it is called chutney to all those who may be wondering on the name given. Chutney as you all know can be of many types, some are in the dry powder form while some are in slightly coarse mixture form while some are ground with water, sort of thick gravy form. These all fall under the bracket of chutney and for this particular dish we grind the ingredients with coconut to a coarse textured well mixed in chutney form of mixture without addition of water and then mix it in with the thin quality of beaten rice/ poha/ avalakki and serve the same immediately after seasoning it, hence the tag chutney. 

** Pova chutney is served in combination of many dishes as an accompaniment to it. It’s served with some upkari/ usli prepared using pulses like chano (whole Bengal gram), moogu (green gram), alsande bee (black eyed bean) etc. and it tastes wonderful in combo. In my home I also serve it with sweet potato/ purple yam bhaji. It is a very filling dish that can be served as breakfast or for tiffin in the evening to children when they come home hungry. If you are in hurry or would like to prepare the same prior you can do so and keep the mixture in air tight container in fridge and use the same whenever required too. 

** I have also included how in many homes it is served topped with finely chopped raw onions. This was my fathers favorite way of relishing pova chutney and I guess I like it that way too and so does my hubby. However, some do not like eating raw onions, so they avoid it, but if like us, you love them, then do give it a try, it tastes crunchy and wonderful. In southern parts of India, especially Mangalore my home town, ellaichi banana, those small variety of banana is served along with pova chutney for breakfast, this is considered to be a complete meal in itself and will definitely keep your tummy full for hours. 

** Do try this out and enjoy the same with your family and friends for breakfast or evening tea as is suitable to you. Though I have already shared Pova Chutney recipe in different combos before in the blog, I felt I needed to write about this simple humble poha our Lord Krishna’s fav. Dish in a little bit more explanation as my posts before may not give the same to those who are novice or may never have heard of this dish. I will be sharing a few common links at the bottom of this recipe to all the posts in connection with this one, so also the combinations with which they can be served. If still in doubt, you can always mail me your querry. 

** Here is my simple and easy method of preparing “Traditional Pova/ Poha Chutney (Spiced Masala Beaten Rice)” … My Style .. 

** Ingredients : 

Povu/ Poha/ Flattened Rice/ Beaten Rice/ Avalakki : 3-4 cups approximately 

** For the Masala : 

Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : 1 cup (approx) freshly grated. 

Red Kashmiri Chillies/ Byadgi/ Kumte Mirsanga : 6-7 

Coriander Seeds/ Kothimbir/ Dhania : 2 tblsp 

Jeera/ Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp 

Asafoetida/ Hing Powder : large pinch 

Turmeric/ Haldi Powder : a pinch (Optional) 

Goda/ Jaggery/ Bella : 3 tblsp 

Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste 

** For Seasoning/ Tempering : 

Coconut Oil/ Nariyal Tel/ Narlel Tela : 1 tblsp 

Mustard Seeds/ Sasam/ Rai : 1 tsp 

Curry Leaves/ Kadipatta/ Karbevu : 8-10 fresh leaves 

**Serving Options : You can serve it as it is or with any one of the item mentioned below 

½ cup of finely chopped red onions (Optional) 

Sev/ Shenvo/ Farsan 

Ellaichi Bananas/ Steamed Nendrabale Kele 

Any Usli/ Upkari/ Bhaji prepared using Pulses like chana, moong or alsande bee 

Any Usli or Bhaji with kananga (sweet potato) or con (purple yam) 

** Pick, clean and sieve the thin texture pova/ patla pova/ beaten rice/ avalakki in a wide stainless steel bowl. Keep this ready aside in a wide bowl. 

** In a thick bottomed kadai, roast Red Kashmiri Chillies, Coriander Seeds and Cumin Seeds separately for a few minutes. Let cool, then add it into a mixer grinder along with salt, haldi and hing powder and grind to a semi coarse powder form. 

** Now add coconut and jaggery to above ground mixture in mixer grinder and continue to grind without addition of water till well combined. All ingredients should be well mixed in and the mixture too should be maintained dry, so do not run mixer at high speed. 

** For Tempering / Seasoning : Heat coconut oil, when hot, lower the heat and add in mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter add 8-10 fresh curry leaves, fry to a second and then pour it over the poha chutney. Mix all well till it is combined with the poha mixture. 

** “Traditional Pova/ Poha Chutney (Spiced Masala Beaten Rice)”  is done and ready to be served. Pova/ Poha Chutney is a snack that should be served immediately on mixing for best taste as it turns limp if stored. This snack though can be relished as it is, is usually served with an accompaniment side dish like upma (uppittu), sev (shenvo/chivda) sheera, chana upkari, sweet potato upkari etc. 

** You can also serve it topped or serve a little bit on the side some fresh finely chopped onion. The same is to be mixed with the poha chutney while eating and it tastes great, especially for those who like the taste of crunchy raw onions. 

** Otherwise you can also serve with any one of the item mentioned below Sev/ Shenvo/ Farsan along with Ellaichi Bananas/ Steamed Nendrabale Kele. You can also serve with Any Usli/ Upkari/ Bhaji prepared using Pulses like chana, moong or alsande bee or bhaji with kananga (sweet potato) or con (purple yam). 

** Note : Do not discard the sieved powder form or small bit, store it away in a container, you can add it while preparing dosa batters. I usually sieve all the beaten rice/ poha in one go bought from stores and store them separately that way the sieving work is curtailed and can be used directly when in need. 

** Note : For many traditional dishes we use coconut oil for seasoning as it imparts a lovely aroma to the dish which we are used to. However, if you do not wish to use coconut oil, you can use any oil of your choice or normally that which you use in your home. But do try with coconut oil, if you have it in your home. 

** Note : You can also add in ½ tsp of urad dal/ black gram dal when seasoning if desired. Some people do so, though I do not, however, that is entirely your choice. 

** Note : Traditionally Jaggery/ Goda is added to the pova chutney dish, however for some reason you do not want to add the jaggery and prefer sugar you can do so to. Again, you can cut down and add just a little bit if you prefer it that way too. 

** Note : Do not grind to a very smooth paste at this point, just keep mixing in between and run the grinder, you just need a coarsely ground masala. Remove and add the ground masala to the poha/ beaten rice in the bowl and mix well with in tossing movements till well mixed in with each flake. 

** Note : Do not use kneading movement while mixing the poha or the poha/ beaten rice will break up, we need the poha intact with layering of the masala to it. So, just use light hand movements, tossing them all round up and down and it will get done. 

** Sharing a few links below, through which you can browse through and try out the optional combos for serving with as mentioned above ....

http://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/2015/02/purple-yam-upkari.html#more

https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/search?q=chane+upkari

http://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/2014/12/pova-chutney-with-onion-topping-beaten.html#more

https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/2014/12/pova-chutney-with-onion-topping-beaten.html#more

https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/search?q=pova+chutney