Poha chivda

Chivda is the crisp savoury mix that Maharashtrian homes make in bulk for Diwali faral and keep in a jar the rest of the year for chai time, train journeys and unexpected guests. Poha chivda is the everyday version, built on poha rather than the fried gram flour of other mixes, which is why it is light enough to eat by the handful. This chivda recipe is the roasted kind: the poha is dry-roasted in a kadai until it crushes easily, and only the peanuts, curry leaves and chillies see oil, so the whole batch needs just three tablespoons of oil.

The flavour is salt, heat and a faint sweetness from jaggery powder, with turmeric for colour and hing in the background; the crunch comes from the flakes and the peanuts, and from roasted chana dal if you add it. This version uses thick poha, like COWBERRY's organic rice poha, roasted slowly so each flake dries through instead of only browning; there is no rinse, and the flakes go in dry. Thin poha also works and roasts in about half the time; the thick poha vs thin poha page shows the difference. Dry coconut slices, a few raisins or cashews go in with the peanuts if you like the Diwali version. Sugar can stand in for jaggery, or leave the sweetness out. Plain poha is just rice, with no gluten of its own, and the poha recipes roundup lists what else to cook with the flakes.