This poha recipe / dish is popular in Indore in Central India! My usual recipe for poha is kanda poha (onion poha) from Maharashtra. This Indori poha is a very popular street food served on the streets of (you guessed it) Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It is flavoured with mustard & cumin seeds, peanuts, fennel seeds, onions and pomegranate. Sev is sprinkled on top for a delicious crunch ! This poha recipe is spicy, tangy but also sweet. 

The unique flavour of this poha comes from a special spice blend called jeeravan masala. This contains spices like chaat masala, chilli powder and cumin powder. I don't have this masala at home, but you can simply around 1/2 tsp each of these individual spices to get the same desired effect. Serve this Indori poha with some chai or coffee for a tasty snack - or even breakfast!

Ingredients 
250g (2 cups) poha use medium or thick poha - thin poha won't work for this recipe 
Handful red skin peanuts few tbsp 
10 curry leaves 
1 large red onion finely chopped 
1 green chilli finely chopped 
Small piece of ginger finely chopped
Pomegranate seeds to garnish 
Sev (Indian gram flour noodles) to garnish 
Handful freshly chopped coriander to garnish
2 tsp sugar 
1 tsp salt or to taste 
Water as required 
Vegetable oil as required 

You'll need these spices 
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1 tsp mustard seeds 
1 tsp turmeric 
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp cumin powder 

Method 
Time - 20 minutes 

• Rinse the poha in a sieve under cool water to remove excess starch. Set aside. 
  
  
• In a large kadai or frying pan on medium-low heat, add a few tbsp vegetable oil. When hot, add the peanuts and roast them until golden and slightly charred. 
  
  
• Move the peanuts to one side of the pan, leaving the oil on the other side.  Add the cumin, mustard seeds, and fennel seeds to the oil. Let them splutter for 10-15 seconds and then add the ginger, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute. 
  
  
• Add the onions and cook them until translucent and soft. When the onions are soft, add the poha and a splash water. Add the turmeric and mix well - you want each poha flake to turn a pale yellow. 
  
  
• Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Don't overcook otherwise it will go mushy - you still want to have individual poha flakes. 
  
  
• When the poha is soft and cooked through, add the remaining spices. Also add salt to taste and the sugar. Mix well. 
  
  
• Finish with the freshly chopped coriander, pomegranate seeds and sev. Serve warm with a cup of coffee for a complete and satisfying breakfast!

These puffed rice squares are a (relatievely!) healthy snack which you can rustle up. They keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. I had quite a bit of puffed rice after making mumura chivda and jhal muri. I wanted to make a healthy snack with the remaining puffed rice and this was the result! These kind of sweets/snacks are usually loaded full of sugar but this just uses maple syrup to give it a sweetness. Peanut butter and some dark chocolate add a delicious flavour - almost like a snicker bar!

You make also like these other sweet treats!

• No bake peanut butter, coconut & date snack bars 
  
  
• Chocolate, peanut butter, banana & date bites

This Mumbai sev puri is one of my favourite savoury snacks (chaat in Hindi) to make - they are so addictive and delicious! I've been learning Hindi during the corona lockdowns and I've learnt that chaat in Hindi originally means to "lick" or to "relish". Although when people refer to chaat they usually refer to the collection of savoury Indian snacks. This Mumbai sev puri really is the epitome of a good Indian chaat - you really do relish every single bite! 

This masala popcorn chicken is a fun take on the KFC popcorn chicken, flavoured with Indian spices! These bitesize chicken pieces are great for an afternoon snack and go well with some ketchup or chilli sauce! 

I don't make this kind of food very often - but I had a chicken breast in the freezer thought this was a nice way of finishing them up! I don't usually use chicken breasts for curries as they tend to dry out with slow cooking - I prefer to use legs or thighs which remain juicier and so a better job of soaking up flavours. However, for popcorn chicken - chicken breast is ideal as the act of frying them quickly with a breadcrumb coating means they keep their moisture - and the breast is easier to cut into bitesize pieces compared to thighs. To make these popcorn chicken bites you will need to use a technique called "panne" or "breadcrumbing". This means to coat the chicken pieces in flour, egg and them breadcrumbs before frying. You will need three separate bowls in order to do this and it does require a bit of washing up afterwards (or more space in your dishwasher!) - but it not a difficult technique and results in a crispy exterior. 

Ingredients 
1 large chicken breast chopped into bitesize pieces 
1 large egg 
120g (1 cup) plain flouur (all purpose flour) 
120g (1 cup) breadcrumbs 
1 tbsp rice flour 
1 tsp salt or to taste 
Oil for shallow frying I used sunflower oil 

You'll need these spices 
1 tsp chaat masala 
1 tsp red chilli powder 
1 tsp coriander powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp cumin powder 

Method 

• In a large saucepan or kadai (suitable for frying) add a 2 cm layer of oil. Turn the heat to medium and let the oil heat up. 
  
  
• Combine the rice flour, plain flour, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder in a bowl. Mix well to ensure that the spices are evenly distributed. Set aside.
  
  
• In another small bowl, beat the egg. Set aside next to the flour mixture. 
  
  
• In a final third bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Set aside next to the beaten eggs. 
  
  
• To test if the oil is hot, take a few breadcrumbs. If they fizzle straightaway then you know the oil is hot enough. The oil needs to be a medium for this recipe so the chicken pieces don't absorb a lot of oil and become too oily. The coating needs to seal straightaway so the chicken pieces remain juicy. 
  
  
• To start frying the chicken, take the chicken pieces and coat them in the flour mixture.
  
  
• Next, dip a chicken piece in the beaten egg and shake off any excess. I tend not to dip all the flour coated chicken pieces at once in the egg as they can clump together and it can get a bit messy. 
  
  
• Dip the chicken piece in the breadcrumbs and ensure that the chicken piece is evenly coated.
  
  
• Drop the breadcrumbed chicken piece in the hot oil and repeat this process with the remaining flour-coated chicken pieces. 
  
  
• Fry the chicken pieces until they have a golden exterior and until they are crisp. Tip: after frying one piece it is good to cut it in half and see if the chicken is cooked all the way through. That way you know if they need a little longer. 
  
  
• Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and shake of any excess oil. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl. Whilst hot, dust with the chaat masala and shake well.
  
  
• Enjoy this masala popcorn chicken with a cup of chai and some dips like ketchup of chilli sauce!

Usually chakli is made from urad dal and rice and the process can be really lengthy and laborious as you have mill them separately to get flour. This recipe uses supermarket bought rice and plain flour, avoiding any grinding of rice and lentils. Win win! The spices used in the chakli are your typical Indian spices that you would have, so not fancy ingredients there either. 

Some chakli making tips & tricks

• Make sure not to overknead the dough as it will make the chakli chewy. So knead just enough to bring the dough together. 
• Always fry chakli on a high heat. This means they absorb as minimal oil as possible and remain nice and crispy. If the heat is low, they will absorb too much oil and won't become crispy. 
• If you don't have a chakli maker - you should be able to use a piping bag with a star nozzle. I would suggest then to use a sturdy reusable fabric piping bag - better than the plastic ones which generally can't be reused and are more flimsy.
• Chakli keeps well in an airtight container for at least 1-2 months. So make a big batch and you'll always have a chai time snack to hand. 
  
  

Ingredients 
Makes 8 parathas 

These methi parathas are a wholesome Indian flatbread made with fresh methi (fenugreek). They are delicious at all times of the day - for breakfast or for a tea time treat with some pickle and yoghurt. 

Fenugreek is a vegetable which is in abundance during the winter months in India - many dishes with methi crop up during this time, like aloo methi, sarson ka saag and methi thepla. These methi parathas are healthy and the fenugreek leaves impart a slightly astringent and bitter taste. If you want to remove some of this bitterness, soak the methi leaves in a bowlful of slighty salted water for 15-20 minutes. I personally love this fragrant taste - so I don't tend to soak them in salt water. I also like to flavour these parathas with cumin seeds and ajwain seeds. These methi parathas are easy to make as you don't have to making a stuffing for the parathas - just simply add finely chopped methi leaves to the dough and roll like you would a normal chapati or roti!

Methi parathas are some of my favourite varieties of parathas. If you are like me and love parathas then do check out some of my other paratha recipes like:

• Aloo parathas
  
  
• Leftover dal parathas
  
  
• Palak (spinach) parathas
  
  
• Lachedar (laccha) parathas

• You can easily double this recipe - just remember the ratio of 1 part besan (chickpea flour) to 1 part wholewheat flour. 
  
  
• You can adjust the spices according to your preference - you can simply just flavour them with ajwain and methi if you like. But I always prefer to add a bit of chilli powder for that slight kick. 

Poha chivda is a tasty tea time snack made from flattened rice, spices, nuts and raisins. It tastes great along with some chai! Make a big batch of this snack and you'll have a delicious snack waiting for you whenever you feel like you need a pick me up. There are several variations to making poha chivda, such as roasted vs. deep fried. This poha chivda is roasted, which is healthier than the deep fried version. It doesn't require to constantly attend to the chivda as its frying!

In short this poha chivda is 

• A healthy snack to have alongside some chai 
  
  
• Easy to make 
  
  
• Keeps well for ~1 month in an airtight container 

These crispy fritters are made from sabudana (tapioca pearls), potatoes, peanuts and spices like green chilli, curry leaves, ginger and cumin. So delicious and perfect to have with a cup of chai. These vada are often made during the fasting seasons in India as they only contain ingredients which you would be allowed to have at that time. Sabudana khichdi is also another popular fasting recipe which is perfect for breakfast.

You have to plan this recipe some time in advance. This is because the tapioca needs to soak for some time (ideally overnight). If I want to make these I often just soak the tapioca before going to bed, and then the next morning I can cook these for lunch or a tasty breakfast. Apart from boiling & mashing potatoes (which act as the binding agent), the rest of the ingredients take hardly any time to put together. Something I also do is to boil & mash potatoes in big quantities and then freeze portions. This way if I need something which requires mashed potatoes (like masala aloo for dosas or aloo bhaji), I can just take out a portion, defrost and then cook it with the required spices and fresh ingredients. This way I like to make cooking quick and efficient - but still get fresh and tasty food on the table! Traditionally, sabudana vada are deep fried. However, I don't find this necessary. I add a thin layer of oil to a non-stick pan and then fry them evenly on both sides. I find this makes them nice and crispy and you don't then end up using a lot of oil! 

If you like Indian snacks then do check out some of my other recipes like - 

• Mumbai sev puri
  
  
• Poha chivda
  
  
• Chakli
  
  

Ingerdients 
Serves 4

For the dough
2 cups / 500g atta 
Pinch salt 
1 tsp oil 
Water, as required 

For the cauliflower filling
3/4 of a cauliflower head, green leaves and tough stalks removed 
1 tsp salt 
1 tbsp vegetable oil 
Coriander leaves, few chopped
1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder 

Ghee or oil for cooking the parathas

Method
Cook time - 1hr 15 mins

Making the dough

• Firstly, make the dough. Combine the atta, salt & oil to a bowl. Add water a little at a time to form a smooth and soft dough. Knead for around 5-7 minutes until smooth and slightly stretchy. 
  
  
• Grease with a little oil, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
  
  

• Next, make the filling. Using a box grater or food processor with a fine grater attachment, grate the cauliflower into fine shreads/ pieces.  It is important that the cauliflower is in small parts. 
  
  
• Next, take a kadai or fryng pan and add the oil. Once hot, tip in the cauliflower. Saute on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until well cooked. 
  
  
• Mix in the spices & salt and saute for another 2 minutes until the flavours have combined. 
  
  
• Mix in a handful chopped coriander leaves and let the the mixture cool before using in the gobi parathas.

Preparing & cooking gobi parathas (see also pictures 1-8!)

• Knead the dough again briefly again after resting and then divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth round ball. 
  
  
• Take on the dough balls and flatten it slightly. Dust with atta and roll to around 5 - 7 cm in diameter. 
  
  
• Place around 1 tbsp of stuffing  in the middle. Bring the edges of the dough together and ensure that the dough completely surrounds the stuffing. Ensure that the edges of the dough are sealed tight.
  
  
• Flattened the stuffed dough slightly and dust with a little flour. Roll out to a medium sized circle - around 10 cm. Try to roll evenly, as it will ensure it cooks evenly and puffs up.
  

• Heat a tawa or cast iron skillet to a medium - high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the gobi paratha. Cook until brown spots appear on the bottom. 
  
  
• Flip the gobi paratha. On the partially cooked side spread a little ghee or oil and then and wait for brown spots to appear on the other side.
  
  
• Flip again and roast for 10 seconds. Spread a little ghee or oil over the other side and flip again. Roast the other side for another 10 seconds. 
  
  

• Roll and make all gobi parathas this way. Keep them warm in a casserole pan or on a plate covered with a lid. 
  
  
• Serve gobi parathas with pickle, yoghurt & chai!