This Indian Rice Dish Is Perfect for Oatmeal Lovers

In my Indian home state of Maharashtra, a favorite traditional savory breakfast is pohé: parched, flattened rice (which is also called pohé or poha) paired with onions, a medley of spices, and vegetables such as potatoes, green peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes. While a breakfast mainstay, pohé is also often served at teatime, enjoyed with a hot cup of chaha (chai). It was my preferred Sunday breakfast as a child and now as an adult, an easy and satisfying meal I routinely cook at home on busy weekday mornings, or even for a simple light dinner.

I first learned how to cook pohé from my mom. Her version was bright yellow from a generous amount of turmeric and heavily spiced with cumin and mustard seeds,a combination of spices she used in many of the savory Indian dishes she made. But honestly, her version was never my favorite. The version I like best I learned from my father’s family, who come from the city of Pune.

It wasn’t until I was living in California that I learned how to cook their version during a visit from my father’s cousin Shirish Marathe and his wife Sushama Kaku; my recipe below is based on theirs. It’s faint yellow from a reserved amount of turmeric (less than my mom’s), with a subtle sweet-and-savory kick. In my opinion, it’s the absolute best way to prepare pohé.

How to Make Pohé

Pohé (the ingredient) is de-husked rice that’s been soaked in hot water, dried, and then pounded into flat flakes; at this point they are a preserved food with a long shelf life. Since it’s basically rice that’s been par-cooked and treated, it cooks much faster than raw rice does; it really only needs to be briefly rehydrated and heated through before eating.

The best way to do this is by soaking the grains in a small amount of cold water for just 15 minutes. Cold water works best, as soaking it in hot water runs the risk of overcooking the par-cooked grains. It’s also important to stir occasionally during this time to ensure the grains hydrate evenly.

To build the seasoning-base for this recipe, I use the same mustard seed, turmeric, and asafetida seasoning that my cousin’s wife Sushama used in her version. In the Indian state of Maharashtra, where my family is from, asafoetida-mustard-turmeric is often considered the “holy trinity” of seasonings.

Asafoetida is a gum resin that drips off the roots of an herb called ferula asafoetida, a Central Asian plant in the celery family. It is gathered and then ground into a powder. Nuggets of it used to be left in sacks of grain because bugs stayed away from its strong aroma. Cooks in India learned that its sulfurous, onion-garlic smell and flavor was a welcome addition in many dishes. My father didn't like asafoetida’s pungent aroma, so my mother never cooked with it when I was growing up. But as an adult I’ve grown to love its flavor and always use it when I make a mustard-seed seasoning, like I do here in this pohé recipe.

The spices are bloomed in hot oil—and I mean ripping hot, those mustard seeds should pop like popcorn on contact with the pan—before fresh green chiles, curry leaves, and onions are added. It’s important that the onions are cooked only briefly so they still retain a bit of their crunch, which creates a nice contrast to the tender rice in the dish. At this point, the vegetables—your choice of potatoes, green peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes—are added and steamed in the covered pot until just tender.

The soaked rice is then stirred in and everything is briefly cooked until just warmed through. Since the rice is already softened from soaking, you’re really just warming it through and coating it evenly in the spice mixture. Just before serving, I like to add a small amount of sugar and lime juice to balance the pungent and savory spice blend.The final dish should be salty, tart, faintly sweet, and pungent all at once, and you might need to adjust with more salt, lime juice, or sugar to find the right balance.

Beyond my listed serving suggestions of a sprinkle of cilantro, grated coconut, and a side of plain yogurt, I also recommend serving pohé with a variety of condiments such as cilantro chutney, tomato–curry leaf chutney, or quick mango pickle.

Every time I prepare pohé this way, I feel deeply connected to my aunt and my family, and am grateful to them for learning how to prepare this incredibly flavorful dish.

In a medium bowl, add pohé and cover with cold water. Gently swish with your hand, then drain through a fine-mesh strainer. Shake well to remove any lingering water, then return pohé to the empty bowl. Let sit, gently stirring pohé occasionally with a metal fork to separate grains and prevent clumping and being careful not to break grains, until grains are soft enough that, when a grain is pressed gently between thumb and forefinger, it breaks, about 15 minutes. If pohé is too dry, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over top and mix in gently, then rest pohé about 5 minutes longer before checking texture again. Once softened, gently stir in in 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

While pohé rests, in a 6-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until just smoking, about 1 minute. Keep a lid/screen handy. Reduce heat to low and test the oil with one mustard seed. If it pops right away, the oil is ready; if not, return heat to medium-high for 1 additional minute and retest. When ready, quickly add the remaining mustard seeds to the saucepan and cover with the lid/screen. The mustard seeds will pop, making a sound like popping corn until the popping stops, about 20 seconds. Immediately uncover pan, reduce heat to low, and quickly stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, asafetida, and green chiles to oil. Increase heat to medium and immediately add onion and curry leaves, if using, and cook until onion is softened, about 1 minute.

Stir in the vegetable of your choice and increase heat to medium–high. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (or potatoes: 10 to 12 minutes; for cauliflower: 7 to 8 minutes; for green peas and tomatoes: 2 to 3 minutes).

Gently stir in softened pohé, then cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until grains are heated through and everything is tinged in yellow, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste with salt, lime juice, and/or sugar, if needed. . Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkling pohé with cilantro and coconut, if using. Serve with plain yogurt on the side, if desired.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, 6–quart saucepan with lid or splatter screen

Notes

Pohé can be purchased at South Asian grocers. Make sure to buy thick pohé (poha) so that when it is rehydrated, it does not disintegrate. Do not use hot water to rinse and rehydrate the pohé, as that will also make it fall apart.

Asafetida can be found at most Indian grocers. It’s also available to purchase online. I recommend the powder sold in small jars, rather than large plastic containers, because they absorb the aroma. You will smell an onion-garlic aroma from the asafoetida when you open the container. Keep it tightly shut between uses, otherwise the smell will pervade your entire kitchen. While it adds a distinctly assertive garlic-and-onion flavor to the pohé, you can omit it if unavailable, though the result will be less aromatic.

Do not use a nonstick pan or a plastic or wooden stirrer when making pohé. The nonstick pan is has a dark interior that makes it difficult to see the spices when cooking, increasing the risk of scorching them, while plastic or wooden spoons are more likely to break the pohé or make it clump up.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pohé can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. To reheat, microwave pohé with 1 added tablespoon of water in a bowl, covered, until hot.