Millet Poha (Flattened Millet)
A millet twist on the beloved Maharashtrian breakfast classic. Made with cooked little millet instead of flattened rice, this dish is tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and tossed with peanuts, potato, and a squeeze of lemon for a tangy, satisfying morning meal.
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings
2
Difficulty
easy
Ingredients
- Little millet (cooked and cooled) — 1.5 cups
- Onion, finely chopped — 1 medium
- Potato, peeled and diced small — 1 small
- Peanuts, raw — 2 tablespoons
- Mustard seeds — 1/2 teaspoon
- Curry leaves — 8-10 leaves
- Turmeric powder — 1/4 teaspoon
- Green chili, chopped — 1
- Lemon juice — 1 tablespoon
- Salt — 3/4 teaspoon
- Oil — 2 tablespoons
- Fresh coriander, chopped — 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- 1
If using raw little millet, cook it with a 1:2 millet-to-water ratio until fluffy, then cool and fluff with a fork. The grains should be separate, not clumpy.
- 2
Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add peanuts and fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same oil, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add curry leaves and green chili, saute for 30 seconds.
- 4
Add the diced potato and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender and lightly golden. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water and cover if needed to speed up cooking.
- 5
Add the chopped onion and turmeric powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens.
- 6
Add the cooked little millet, salt, and fried peanuts. Toss everything gently on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until well combined and heated through.
- 7
Turn off the heat. Squeeze lemon juice over the top, garnish with fresh coriander, and toss once more.
- 8
Serve hot with a side of yogurt or a cup of chai.
Tips
- •Cook the little millet the previous night and refrigerate. Cold, day-old millet has drier, separated grains that work perfectly for this dish.
- •If you can find little millet flakes (samai aval), soak them for 5 minutes in water, drain, and use them directly -- they behave just like regular poha.
- •For extra crunch, add a handful of sev or boondi on top before serving.