The festival of lights, Diwali is India’s most popular festival, celebrated over 5 days in autumn. My love for celebrating Diwali is also a result of my mom’s passion for cooking up traditional and the most delectable sweets and snacks for this holiday, with tempting scents of food that leave wafting smells of goodness beyond the kitchen, deliciousness that we can’t wait to savour.
After treating you to her melt-in-your-mouth ‘Water Chestnut Flour Halwa’ today my mom Chandrakanta Dhar, is back with her secret recipe of Chivda (flatted rice tossed in spices and nuts) – a snack specially made during Diwali but enjoyed round the year.
The crisp golden roasted Chivda is one of my favourite Diwali snacks. Especially because compared to the other savouries, it is far less calorie-laden, since it is roasted. Plus, it is simple and quick!
A few things to note: For this Chivda, you need the thin variety of Poha or Nylon Poha. This is almost paper thin and crisps up nicely when roasted with minimal oil. Feel free to adapt the recipe to your own taste and preference. Add cashews, thinly sliced pieces of copra or dry coconut, raisins for a hint of sweetness; whatever you like!
Ingredients:
Thin /Nylon Poha: 500 gms
Peanuts / Groundnuts: 200-250 gms (Depending on how much you like them!)
Roasted Chana Dal (Roasted Bengal Gram, also called Futana dal): 150 gms
Your regular cooking Oil: 4-5 Tablespoons
Green chillis: 3 -4 depending on how spicy they are and how spicy you want your chivda
Curry leaves: 25 leaves
Mustard seeds (Rai): 2 teaspoons
Asafoetida (Hing): ½ teaspoon
Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 2 teaspoons
Optional ingredients:
Powdered sugar: 1-2 teaspoon (If you like a hint of sweetness)
Sesame seeds: 2 teaspoons
Garlic: 10 cloves thinly sliced
Dry coconut (copra) slices: 4-5 tablespoons
Cashews (halved): About 15-20
Sieve the poha so that the broken bits and powdery stuff gets sieved out.
Method:
Step 1: Take a large Kadhai / Wok. Heat the oil. Drop in the peanuts and fry till they are a reddish brown. Take them out on a plate lined with a paper towel or just drop them on top of the poha. In goes the roasted Chana dal / Futana dal. Fry till it is a nice golden colour (Do not let it brown; that spoils the taste!) Take them out. If you are using the copra / cashews / garlic: fry those till golden and take them out too. We like our Chivda simple so we do not add these, but they do make the Chivda more delicious for sure!
Step 2: Next add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and let them splutter. Add the asafoetida (Hing), then the green chilli pieces. Once the chilli is fried, add the curry leaves and let them turn crisp. If using sesame seeds, add those. Add the turmeric, stir it into the oil and then slowly add the poha along with all the previously fried ingredients. Add salt and powdered sugar.
Step 3: Mix carefully on low heat till the poha turns a golden yellow and the oil and masala is absorbed by it. Be gentle as you don’t want the poha to break. Once the mixture is an even yellow colour, switch off the gas and let it cool. The Kadhai is still super-hot, so continue to stir every minute or two, so that the poha at the bottom of the kadhai doesn’t get too brown. Let it cool completely and then store in an air-tight container. This keeps for days, and is delicious with evening tea! Enjoy!
Video Credit : Sonal’s Travel Diaries
Sanjay has been navigating the stormy waters of the Indian media and entertainment industry for nearly 3 decades, and has worked with some of the leading Indian and international media brands in this time. His travels to various international destinations for work and leisure has led him to appreciate the connection between food and travel, and he likes to share his experiences through his articles on Travel and Food Network. He lives in Mumbai, but considers himself a global foodie-citizen.
