Poha Chivda Recipe

roasted poha chivda (indian namkeen) served in a wooden bowl with sev on the side

5 from 2 votes

Crunchy and delicious, Poha Chivda is a traditional savory Indian snack mix (Namkeen) made with flattened rice (poha), nuts, fried gram, dried coconut, curry leaves, and spices.

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chivda recipe, how to make chivda, poha chivda, roasted poha chivda

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegan

Method Oven, Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings cups

Calories 282kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Ingredients

3 cups thin poha (about 200 grams)
3 tablespoons oil
¼ cup peanuts
¼ cup cashewnuts
2 tablespoons fried gram (dalia)
¼ cup dry coconut slices
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chilies (or dry red chilies)
1-2 stalks curry leaves
a pinch asafoetida (hing)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon salt to taste
2 teaspoons powdered sugar or to taste

Instructions

Measure all the ingredients and keep them ready.

Roasting the Poha

In Pan/Kadai: Heat a heavy bottom kadai or pan on low flame. Add the thin poha (thin rice flakes) and dry roast gently with a spatula for 5-6 mins or until they become crisp (Make sure you don't over-roast them). Remove the roasted poha to a plate and set it aside.
Other ways you can roast the thin poha are as follows
In Oven: Spread the thin poha on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or until they become crispy, stir once halfway through.
In Microwave: Put the poha in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high powder for 2-3 minutes on high power or until crisp. Toss halfway through once.
Sun Dry: Spread the poha on a large plate or thali and keep it in direct sunlight for 1 hour or until it becomes crispy.

Preparing the Chivda

In the heavy bottom kadai, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil on medium flame. Add peanuts and roast until light golden while stirring continuously.
Then add the cashews. Roast until the cashews start turning lightly golden in color.
Then add the fried gram (dalia) and dry coconut slices. Roast them together for a minute or until the coconut slices change color and become a little brown.
Next, add the raisins and roast for 30 seconds or until they swell up a bit.
Push the roasted nuts to the side and add mustard and cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds.
Lower the heat to low and add the chopped green chili, curry leaves, and asafoetida.
Saute for 1-2 minutes or till curry leaves, and green chilies become crispy. Make sure there is no moisture in curry leaves and chilies otherwise, they can make the poha soggy.
Then add turmeric powder, salt, and powdered sugar (ensure the heat is low). Mix well. Turn off the flame.
Immediately add the roasted poha and gently mix the poha with a spatula or your hands (making sure the flakes do not break).
Remove the kadai from the stovetop. Let the poha chivda cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or serve this poha chivda with a cup of masala chai.

Notes

Tips to make the Best Poha Chivda

Always use a thin variety of poha (beaten rice).
Make sure to roast all the ingredients on a medium-low flame in a heavy or thick bottom kadai or pan. If you roast on high flame, ingredients can get burned easily.
You can also roast the peanuts, cashews, roasted gram and dry coconut slices in the oven or air fry them separately to make a low-oil snack.
Gently mix the poha (or toss the poha), so the flakes don't break.
You can adjust the quantity of nuts, coconut slices, and fried gram as per your liking.
Make sure to cool down the chivda to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container.
Add the turmeric, salt, and sugar at the end just before mixing in the poha so that they don't get burnt with increased exposure to heat.

Variations

Garlic: If you like garlic flavor, you can add slightly crushed whole garlic cloves along with curry leaves during the tempering.
Nuts: You can also add almonds, pecans, walnuts, or nuts of your choice.
Seeds: To make it healthy, you may add sesame seeds, melon seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds.
Spicy: You can also use dry red chilies or red chili powder for the heat instead of green chilies.
Other Flakes: In place of poha or along with it, you can use oats, makhana, puffed rice, quinoa flakes, chana jor garam, red rice flakes, or corn flakes. Just make sure to roast them if required before adding them.

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