Roasted poha chivda

Every Indian home needs one trustworthy dabba snack, and this is it. Thin poha is dry-roasted until crisp, then tossed with a light tadka of peanuts, curry leaves and turmeric. No deep frying, no mystery packet ingredients, and one batch quietly handles a week of chai-time hunger.

Why it helps

The problem with packet namkeen is not one katori, it is the frying oil and the fact that nobody stops at one katori. This chivda is roasted with just a couple of spoons of oil, and the peanuts and dal add protein and crunch that make a small portion feel complete. Keeping a homemade option within reach makes the better choice the easy choice. What to eat and avoid

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3 cups thin poha (patla poha)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/3 cup raw peanuts
• 2 tablespoons roasted chana dal (dalia split)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 15 to 20 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies, chopped small
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of hing
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon amchur or a small pinch of powdered sugar (optional)

Method

1. Heat a wide kadhai on low. Dry-roast the poha in batches, stirring gently for 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until crisp. A flake should snap, not bend. Set aside.
2. In the same kadhai, heat the oil on medium. Add the peanuts and roast till they turn golden and crackle.
3. Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry leaves, green chillies and hing. Let the leaves crisp up.
4. Add the roasted chana dal and turmeric, and stir for a few seconds.
5. Lower the flame fully, return the poha to the kadhai, add salt and toss until every flake is lightly coated yellow.
6. Add the amchur if using, toss once more, and switch off.
7. Cool completely, then store in an airtight dabba. It keeps well for about two weeks.

Make it your own

• Add cashews or dried coconut slices for a festive Diwali-style chivda.
• Mix in roasted makhana or puffed chana for extra crunch and variety in the same dabba.
• Serve a katori of chivda with a bowl of curd on the side to turn a snack into a small, steadying mini-meal when cravings hit.

Enjoy it as part of the CurviCare Plate, and keep roasted makhana as the second dabba for variety.