Batata Poha for bachelors- Gujarati Batata Poha

Poha is a delicious spicy breakfast that keeps you full for few hours. It can be made with a variety of vegetables like onions, peas, carrots, corns or mix of 1 or two vegetables.

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp sunflower, canola or peanut oil {not it’s not typo. Try it, you’ll thank me later}
• 2 Tbsp raw peanuts
• 1 tsp mustard seeds {rai}
• A pinch of asafoetida {hing}
• Few curry leaves
• For Potato mixture
• 2 medium potatoes or 1 big, cubed in small.
• Salt to taste
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder {less or more}
• 1 tsp coriander/dhanajeera powder
• ½ tsp garam masala

For Poha

• 2 cups medium poha/flattened or beaten rice {easily found at any Indian grocery stores}
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder {less or more}
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Salt to taste

How to prepare

1. Take the poha big wide bowl. Rinse under cold tap water. Rinse repeat 2-3 times. Soak the poha in just level, just less than ½ inch level of poha. The amount of water is very important here. Cover it and keep it aside for ½ hour.
2. When poha is soaked enough you’ll have beautiful fluffy poha ready. If you feel your poha is very dry sprinkle 1 or 2 Tbsp {not more than that} water and cover it again for 15-20 minutes.
3. In poha add salt, all spice powders and sugar in poha. Mix gently with spatula
4. Wash and scrub the potatoes and cut in small cubed size. Rinse and wash. Submerge in a bowl of water. Keep it aside.
5. Heat the oil in a wide pan add raw peanuts. Fry them till they are nicely pink brown and start to give a toasty smell. Remove and keep it aside.
6. Drain the potatoes and keep it ready in the colander. If you’re going with boiled potatoes then skip this step and go ahead with a 7th step but no need to cook boiled potatoes.
7. In same hot oil add mustard seeds. Let it crackle for 8-9 seconds. Sprinkle asafoetida. Immediately add the chopped potatoes and cover with lid. Add salt for potatoes. Let it cook on slow-medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Cooking time may differ as it depends on potato variety. Check with the knife for doneness. It should be cooked 95% cooked. Remove the lid.
8. Add ¼ tsp each of red chilli powder and coriander powder and a pinch of turmeric. Also add fried peanuts, curry leaves and green chillies. Mix it well. Let it cook without covering lid for 5 more minutes. You’ll see all oil has started to float on sides.
9. Now add into poha mixture to cooked potatoes. Mix thoroughly but gently with a spatula. Cover with lid and let it cook on lowest heat for 5 more minutes.