PHOVA CHATNI

 PHOVA CHATNI

I remember my mother used to often make a tasty snack for us when we were kids called, " Phova Chatni."  This name comes from the main ingredient which is Beaten Rice. We call this "Phovu" in my mother tongue, Konkani. "Chatni "is appended as this snack is both sweet and spicy. However, please don't mistake this to be a chutney served as accompaniment for dosa, idli etc. 

Beaten or Flattened Rice is readily available all over the country. It is called Avalakki in Kannada, Poha in Marathi, Aval in Tamil and Malayalam and Chira in Bengali. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for other dishes made with Beaten or Flattened Rice, such as:-

• Masale Avalakki
• Bajjile Phovu or Roasted Beaten Rice
• Poha Idlis

"Phova Chatni" is an easy to make snack for evening tea. To make this, we should use the thin variety of beaten rice which we call " Paper Avalakki" or "Nylon Avalakki" in Kannada and "Patla Poha" in Hindi.  You can tweak the amount of sugar and sambar powder used to make this dish to suit your taste.

 This dish always brings back happy memories of my childhood with my siblings. I hope you will try this out and like it too. 

Ingredients:-

• Beaten Rice/ Poha/Phovu   (Thin Variety) , 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Sambar Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Sugar, 3 tsp or to taste
• Salt, to taste

Method:-

Place the beaten rice and the fresh coconut gratings in a large bowl.

Using your fingers, mix the beaten rice with the coconut gratings till the beaten rice becomes soft

You can sprinkle a little water if the coconut gratings are a bit dry 

To this, mix in the sugar, salt and sambar powder

Mix well till the poha gets well blended with the coconut gratings and all the other ingredients. 

Serve as a snack with tea/coffee