Apartment Therapy, Poha and Chai

Last week I did my second kitchen tour for Apartment Therapy’s kitchen-related site, the Kitchn. This time, I chose to tour my friend Devesh’s kitchen. Devesh is an old and dear friend, and an avid and adventurous cook. I focused the piece on his spice treasure trove, and he agreed to cook and share the recipes for a couple of dishes that take advantage of his stash. After some brainstorming, we agreed on a flavorful breakfast dish made with flattened rice, and authentic chai to go with it. You can read the main article and view the slideshow here. For the recipes, see here and here (or keep reading below).

Usually, I try to share recipes that I think you will have a reasonable likelihood of trying. I don’t like to post things that are unnecessarily complicated or time-intensive, too specialty-ingredient heavy (or too banal for that matter). It gives me great pleasure when I hear that a post actually inspired you to cook the dish, and a huge thrill if you loved it!

In this particular case, I know the odds are against me. These dishes most certainly require a trip to an Indian grocer or specialty spice store. Unless you have breakfasted in an Indian home, you have most likely never had Poha, and chances are high that you have never heard of flattened rice. You probably can’t quite imagine what this dish would taste like, and it might sound a little unusual for breakfast. If I have earned any credibility, at all, I’d like to cash in a little of it and get you to at least read the recipe and consider it.

It’s a very quick dish. It cooks in less than 10 minutes. It is incredibly flavorful and hearty yet light at the same time. The flavors for breakfast are not that far of a stretch: after all, we eat huevos rancheros and we don’t consider the zip in that dish to be unusual. The truth is, while traditionally a breakfast dish, you could certainly serve this as a side dish at lunch and dinner if you wanted to. But it works great for breakfast: I left the table full but not weighed down. I didn’t have that heavy residual egg taste in my mouth, and wasn’t high on sugar. It truly hit the spot. And the chai – well if you think of chai as that stuff that comes in a green and white takeout cup, think again . . .

p.s. the "click" photography contest voting polls are open. I entered my photo of peppercorns in spoons for the theme of metal. Hop on over and have a look at the gallery and cast your vote. Voting ends Monday, April 7 at noon.

Poha (flattened rice) (note: ingredients are pictured at the top of this post)
(makes ~3 cups)
2-3 cups (when dry) (thick) Poha (flattened rice)
A generous pinch asafoetida
1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds
1-2 green chilies (chopped small) (or according to desired level of heat - can leave out if you prefer)
1 onion (small dice)
1 potato (small dice – use the waxy kind, i.e. red bliss, Yukon gold, eastern white. Avoid boiling potatoes, which don’t retain their shape once cooked)
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
3/4-1 teaspoon turmeric
5-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped) for garnish
Fresh lemon (to squeeze at end)

Soak the Poha for 5 mins then drain in a colander (there's a thick and a thin Poha - this recipe is for the thick Poha). Heat oil in a pan (Devesh uses a wok). Season with asafoetida, then mustard seeds. As soon as they crackle, add diced onion and green chilies. Fry until translucent.
In parallel, heat diced potatoes in microwave for ~2 minutes to partly cook them. Add turmeric and curry leaves to hot oil once onions are done. Add nuts. Add heated potatoes. Sauté until potatoes are done. Add Poha and salt and mix thoroughly. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and lemon juice (or lime juice) before serving.

Authentic Chai
(All measurements are per cup – multiply for the number of cups or medium-sized mugs you are making. There are two approaches: focus on one key spice, like cardamom, or use a smaller quantity of several ingredients)
3/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup milk (if you are using skim or 1 percent, use half milk and half water)
Sugar to taste
Roughly ~2 teaspoons per cup loose black tea leaves (Ideally Assam or Ceylon tea – English Breakfast will do)

Some or all of the following (measurements are per cup or per medium-sized mug):

2 green cardamom pods
2-3 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1-2 pieces cinnamon (“real cinnamon” not Cassia. May be labeled “Vietnamese cinnamon”)
Fresh ginger (2-3 thin slices for extra zing)

Or

Loose tea masala (a mixture of spices) (Devesh has both the MDH and Everest brands. Kalustyans has a loose Tea masala sold by weight);
and ginger (see above) if desired

Heat water and milk. Before it comes to a boil, add fresh ginger (with skin, sliced into thin rounds), if using and any or several of the following: a few pods of green cardamom, Cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, peppercorns and/or cinnamon. Devesh used 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of tea masala per cup and fresh ginger, skipping the other spices. When the milk / water mixture boils, add loose black tea. Turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a sieve to strain out tea leaves and spices. Add sugar / sweetener to taste (start with one Tbsp per cup).