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.

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