Poha Recipe With Sweet Potato & Peanut
To learn more about this recipe, read the related story, "Puff Daddy".
Recipe adapted from chef and cookbook author Suvir Saran, Devi, New York City
Sweet Potato, Peanut and Onion Poha
We love Suvir Saran's puffed-rice porridge because it's both rich and healthful.
servings
4
servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 12 curry leaves, roughly torn
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 dried red chile
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup roasted and salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened large-flake dried coconut
- 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cups thick poha rice flakes, rinsed under cold water and drained
- 2 tablespoons water
- Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime cut into wedges
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided
Optional Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus extra for serving (optional)
Directions
- In a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat, add the oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chile and asafetida and cook, stirring often, until the cumin seeds are golden brown, about 2 minutes (be careful--the mustard seeds will pop).
- Stir in the onion and ½ teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 3 to 4 minutes (if the onions begin to brown, reduce the heat). Stir in the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the peanuts, coconut and serrano pepper, cooking until the sweet potatoes are tender and stirring only once or twice to allow the coconut and peanuts to toast, about 7 minutes.
- Add the poha and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Gently stir the poha into the sweet potato-onion mixture to incorporate it without breaking the delicate rice flakes. Drizzle the water around the sides of the skillet, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook the poha until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and add the lime juice and half of the cilantro, using a fork to fluff the mixture and combine. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and with the lime wedges on the side. Calories per Serving: 303; Sodium: 750mg; Total Carbohydrate: 42g; Fiber: 4g; Fat: 13g