Poha mixture is a crispy, savory, 10 minutes, Indian snack with flattened rice, peanuts and fried gram.
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Atukula Mixture
Poha is flattened rice and is called atukulu in Telugu. Atukula mixture or chivda is one of the easiest mixtures to prepare. Peanuts and fried gram are roasted along with curries leaves, chilies, cumin and mustard seeds, and then mixed with poha.
Ingredients
- Poha / Atukulu - Use thin poha for this recipe.
- Peanuts - These are the key to this mixture. However, you can skip if you are allergic to nuts.
- Putnalu or Roasted Gram - These are a nice addition to the mixture.
- Green Chilies and/or Dry Red Chilies - use both red and green chilies or chilies of your choice. Make use you add enough to meet your spice level.
- Oil, Mustard Seeds, Cumin and Curry Leaves.
- Add ons - A mixture of cashews, coconut slices, raisins and almonds are a few add ons you to add, depending on your preference.
How to make?
It is a simple, quick & easy, under 10 minutes mixture. It is easy to make at home and there are many versions varying from region to region. However, my personal preference is the basic version with peanuts and fried gram.
- Heat oil in a pan and temper it with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and dry chilies.
- Roast peanuts in the tempering, then roast green chilies and curry leaves.
- Lightly roast garlic, followed by fried gram, season with salt and turmeric.
- Finally add poha, toss the mixture on low flame until everything mixes evenly and poha is crisp.
Storage
Cool the mixture and store in an air tight container at room temperature. Chivda stays good for at least 3 weeks in the pantry and sometimes even longer.
Serving
Chidva is great for tea time, after school snack, snack to munch on watching television or during road trips. It also makes a good elevenses snack.
Elevenses is a mid morning refreshment break. Refreshments are either a drink or a snack that satiate hunger pangs until lunch time. Other elevenses snacks to consider are Fresh cranberry pecan brownies and mini cucumber sandwiches.
Atukula chidva is also a quick and easy snack to prepare for Diwali and a scrumptious edible gift!
Expert's Tips
- Use thin poha.
- When sauteeing curry leaves and especially green chilies, make sure all the moisture dries up. Else, the moisture from the chilies can soften poha in few days.
- Do not over roast peanuts. An alternative is to dry roast peanuts and then add to chidva.
- Substitute for poha is murmura or puffed rice.
Detailed, Printable Recipe
Poha Mixture Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ⅛ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Dry Red Chili
- 2 tablespoon Peanuts
- 5-8 Curry Leaves
- 1 small Green Chili chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed Garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoon Roasted Gram ~ Putnalu
- ⅓ teaspoon Salt
- Dash of Turmeric Powder
- 2 cups Thin Poha
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide pan or a wok and add mustard seeds, cumin, red chili and peanuts.
- Roast for a minute or two until peanuts change color and are lightly roasted.
- Add curry leaves, green chilies and let the chilies roast until the moisture from the chilies dries up. This is crucial else poha will not stay crisp for too long.
- Throw in crushed garlic and fry until garlic turns light brown.
- Add fried gram, salt, turmeric and toss for ½ a minute for fried grams to lightly roast.
- Reduce the flame to low, add poha and toss for couple of minutes or longer until poha is crisp.
- Turn off the heat and continue to toss for few more minutes.
- Poha will become crispier from the heat of the pan.
- Cool and store in an airtight container for days.
Notes
- Fry green chilies and curry leaves until all the moisture dries up. Else Poha won’t stay crisp for days.
- Peanut lovers can add another tablespoon of peanuts.
- I always find it easier to add roasted peanuts just before adding poha than roasting peanuts in the tempering as mentioned in the recipe.
- Coconut slices, raisins and cashews are some of the add ons for the mixture. However, I personally prefer peanuts and fried gram.
Nutrition
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Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Lot of memories of eating poha mixture when growing up. I had never made it myself and I tried using your recipe. Works perfectly and boys loved it. Thanks!
Chef Mireille says
I have only made poha by soaking and cooking. I loved this dry method so much because then it can be stored as a delicious snack for any time. What a great idea! I will definitely be making this repeatedly.
Pavani says
Out whole family loves this crunchy and delicious poha mixture. Thanks for your easy recipe, I will be making it this holiday season.
Renu says
One of my favorite munching snack. Love your version and beautiful clicks.
Gayathri Kumar says
That is an awesome snack to have at eleven. With peanuts and spices, this mixture looks absolutely delicious.
harini says
Wow! Each picture tells a story and a beautiful one at that. Love the simple snacks which have been made since we were kids, right?
Suma Gandlur says
A quick and guilt free snack that can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
Jayashree says
This is all time favourite snack for us. Can binge it for elevenses or with tea in the evening.
Swati says
Easy to make and perfect for anytime mucching. I do add mixed nuts and raisins to it, what I like is the addition ofgarlic to it,
Pavani says
I can see myself munching on this crunchy and addictive atukula mixture at 11:00 🙂 So easy to make and such a crowd pleaser.
Rajani says
I love the food gift idea!! Perfect for someone who is watching what they are eating.
Varada says
There are so many variations of this mixture! I like your simple version. Perfect snack at anytime.
Srivalli Jetti says
Awesome one usha, and the pictures are too good!..I enjoyed your theme and love the fact that everybody came up with such fantastic mid morning dishes!..
Sushma says
Yummy yummy snack to have at anytime of the day. Love it
Vaishali Sabnani says
I make this mix too but what I like here is the addition of garlic ! Awesome take on the mix , loved it !
Kalyani says
That’s a quick to make and scrumptious snack for anytime , Usha ! Loved the pic of the bottled mixture !