Chana poha ~ Beaten Rice flakes with mixed vegetables and chickpeas

A few years back, my mother in law mentioned an idea she had come across of making poha with a variety of veggies. This idea appealed to me a lot and since then, from time to time I make a version of poha with veggies in it . A couple of months back when I happened to flip to a cookery channel, I caught the last bit of a show, where the chef made poha with chana/ chickpeas in it. His version had no vegetables though, just chana. Now I had never tried poha and chana together but I liked this idea too, so I decided to make a version which combines both ideas.

So the very next time I made poha I made this version with vegetables and chana in it. Turned out amazingly well, it was so hearty, filling and delicious. We enjoyed it a great deal and I have been making this version much more often nowadays. It works great as a snack/ tiffin, for breakfast or even dinner. All the veggies and chana makes it much more filling then the traditional poha. Give this a try and enjoy with your family :)

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Ingredients and Method to make chana poha

3 cups medium thick beaten rice flakes/poha/aval

1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (chana)

1 onion cut fine (pyaaz/ vengayam)

1 bell pepper cut fine (capsicum/ Simla mirch)

1 carrot cut fine (gajar)

2 Tbsp oil

5 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine or to taste ( hara mirch)

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai/ kadagu)

1 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera/ jeeragam)

15 to 20 curry leaves (kadi patha / karvapillai )

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

Salt to taste (namak)

Juice of half a lemon or to taste (nimbu )

3 to 4 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves/hara dhania)

Place beaten rice flakes/ poha in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water for a few seconds. Allow to drain completely for 10 to 15 minutes.

Prep all the vegetables and keep aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds/ rai to it. When the seeds begin to splutter, add cumin seeds/ jeera, when the cumin sizzles. Add green chilies, curry leaves/ kadipatha and stir a couple of times.

Add onions and stir until the onions turn translucent. Add the other vegetables, stir a few times, sprinkle a few tsp of water if required, cover with a lid and cook until the veggies are soft, cooked yet firm. Add turmeric powder and stir a couple of times.

Add cooked chana and mix with other vegetables. Add softened poha, salt to taste and mix well. Cover with a lid and allow the poha to heat all the way through.