Avalakki / Flattened rice with nuts and veggies

Avalakki / rice flakes or flattened rice are like pop corn , quick oats or rice crispe . They are already cooked, baked or toasted and need no precooking. This makes them my go to for quick breakfast lunch or dinner.

Prepping.

There are 2 types of flattened rice. One is super thin and transparent , the other is thick, mostly labeled that way. Either one of these varieties work for this dish. The thin ones does not need presoaking and can get mushy pretty quick. The thick ones have a little body and can be hydrated by rinsing them in cold water. I like to place them in a colander, run under water, sit them for a few minutes , run a fork through them to avoid being mushy. Even drizzle a little oil if i remember. I take one of the rice flakes to see if its completely soaked through by crushing with my finger tips . You do not want them to have a hard center.

Ingredients

1 cup poha ( soaked and hydrated)

2 TBsp of oil ( needs some amount of grease as the rice flakes dry out pretty fast)

1tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 cup raw peanuts

1/4 cup raw cashews

1Tbs Chana dal

1Tbs Urad dal

1 cup of chopped onion

2 thai green chili, slit in half

1 sweet potato chopped into small dice

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 cup frozen peas thawed

salt to taste

juice of 1 lime

cilantro for garnish _________________________

In a large skillet, heat up oil.

Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop

Add peanuts and fry them for a few minutes on a low flame.

Add cumin, toor dal and urad dal. Fry them until golden brown

Add cashews and fry them to a soft brown

Keep the flame on medium low so that the nuts and lentils do not burn.

Add green chillies, onions and sweet potatoes . Add about 1/4 tsp of salt and let them saute until sweet potatoes are cooked through and onions are slightly caramelized.

Add turmeric powder and turn off the stove. Give everything a good mix and add the pre soaked Poha/ rice flakes.

Add 1/4tsp of salt, lime juice cilantro , thawed peas and mix thoroughly .

Taste and adjust salt or lime.

Serve with a small bowl of plain yogurt

** Tips :

1. Poha can get sticky and mushy pretty quick.Trick is to allow them to sit for little bit so they dry out. You can use rice crispe cereal and run them under water if you cannot find rice flakes.

2. I do not heat up the pan once I add poha to the pan. Poha tend to dry out or become too sticky if I over work them.

3. If you add a 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut , it add a sweetness to the dish. Adding a pinch of powdered sugar also does this.

4. You can add roasted nuts at the end of the dish if you are not working with raw nuts.

5. Serving Poha with a small bowl of plain yogurt helps to add that creaminess missing in this dish.

6. I place a wet towel on my dish if I have to microwave leftover Poha. It rehydrates poha without drying it out further.