Calling Poha “Cooked flattened Rice” is criminal, it is totally being insensitive to Poha lovers, Poha is Poha and it doesn’t have an “English” name to it.
Traditionally, a Central Indian dish, Poha is extremely popular in the northern belt of Maharashtra and southern belt of Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi also have a sizeable consumption of Poha. Poha as a dish is continuously evolving and becoming more flavourful. The dish looks very inviting in its many avatars. This adaptation of Poha is very popular in Northern States of India, especially Delhi. Essentially the North Indian adaptation includes 15 ingredients other than flattened/ beaten rice flakes: Potatoes, Green Peas, Carrot, Ground Nuts, Fried Red Chilli, Green Chilli, Hing (asafoetida), Onion, Turmeric, Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves, Salt, Black Pepper and Freshly Squeezed lemon juice.
The skill lies in keeping Poha light enough to maintain its position as a breakfast dish and also be an all time snack. The South Indian adaptation of Poha, Avval Uppma is considerably lighter and whiter than the one shown above. it has minimum spices and only a few veggies added to it. If you are looking for a healthy breakfast choice, Poha made as light as possible is always great option. Enjoy!
