Chivda–Savory Beaten Rice Flakes with Peanuts

Chivda or Chiwda made with poha / beaten rice flakes is a very popular savory teatime snack in India. It is super easy to make and makes for a very delicious snack!

Afternoon tea time is a huge deal in India. It is as if that’s what we wait the whole day for. There is no other cuisine where I have seen such emphasis (ok, except the English) on tea and the snacks that go with it.

The variety of snacks range from deep fried savory ones that are freshly made to the pantry-snacks that can be made ahead and just taken out and eaten with tea to sweet ones – the choices are many. These vary from region to region and state to state. In Malayalam, it is called “naalu mani palaharam” which literally means 4 o’clock snack!

Every Indian household has some staple so called “pantry snacks” stocked up at all time. Whether it is for the family members to eat with tea or for the unexpected guest who comes in or to serve your neighbor when you are chit chatting with them around tea time and invite them to your house, impromptu, for chai.

The chai culture is something that just needs to be experienced. And it is something that sticks with every Indian and they take pleasure in.

I am one who is addicted to chai and I can promise you, if you come home anytime, there will always be a hot cup of chai waiting for you along with some munchies to go with it!

This poha chivda recipe is super easy and once you make it and try it out, you can create your own combinations with it. It is quite like making your own granola. This is a basic recipe with all things I love in a chiwda. Try it for this Diwali and let me know what you love about it and what you would add to it, if you were to make one of your own.

Chivda – Savory Beaten Rice Flakes with Peanuts – The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Thin Poha / Beaten Rice Flakes
• 2 + 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup peanuts with skin, raw and unsalted
• ½ cup dalia / pottu kadalai / split and shelled garbanzo beans
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 3-4 Thai green chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp asafetida
• salt, to taste
• ½ tsp sugar

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a big heavy bottomed pan. Add the mustard seeds to it. Once it splutters, add the curry leaves, asafetida and the green chillies to it. Throw in the peanuts and the dalia and roast over medium heat till the dalia starts to change color and the peanut become crunchy.

Move them to a plate and keep aside.

In the same pan, over medium high heat, heat the 4 tbsp oil and add the turmeric powder to it. Toss in the poha and let it fry for a few minutes till it becomes a little crunchy. Toss well to make sure the turmeric powder gets to all of the poha. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Add the peanuts and dalia mix to this and mix well.

Remove from heat and let cool down completely. Transfer to an airtight container.

Best enjoyed with a hot cup of chai!

Note: This is a gluten free and vegetarian recipe but remember that store bought asafetida does contain some all purpose flour in it. So skip it to make it completely gluten free.