Poha - The Quintessential Indian Breakfast

Starting your day with poha is a popular way of beginning your day. It is a light breakfast food that one can have with morning tea. Moreover, it is inexpensive for most Indians, enabling people to access and consume it in many parts of India easily. The dish was developed in the Bengali flavor and was adopted as a breakfast staple by West Bengal and Assam states.

The Poha Recipe 

The poha is one of the famous Indian dishes that has taken the fancy of food buffs worldwide. The ingredients used in making a poha recipe usually include

• Flattened rice
• potatoes, 
• onions, 
• garlic, 
• salt and
• Coconut.
• Cumin seeds
• Mustard rice 

Process To Prepare

There are many versions of the recipe depending on the region in which it is made, but typically process includes the following steps; 

1. ingredients are mashed and blended with spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander powder,
2. Next, it is cooked on high heat until they become tender enough to eat quickly. 
3. This dish is served as a starter or side dish at any formal or informal gatherings. 

What makes this Bengali-inspired dish so unique and healthy? 

• Poha meal is rich in essential vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and fiber. It is also a good origin of monounsaturated fatty acids (MFA), omega-3 fatty acids, and linoleic acid. 
• These nutrients make it a good energy source and help reduce cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. Consuming this nutritious dish helps maintain a healthy heart and lower blood pressure.
• Many of the health benefits of flattened rice are derived from its ability to absorb liquid quickly. Because it has less surface area than most other types of rice, it will soak up any drink that is sprayed onto it immediately, leaving you with significantly less mess to clean up. In addition, rice flourishes quickly, making it ideal for quick, healthy meals. 
• Perhaps the best part of the benefits of flattened rice comes from the way it improves your digestion. Because it is highly absorbent, it leaves you feeling full much faster than most other grains. As a result, it leads to fewer calories because you are consuming fewer calories overall. 
• Fiber is essential for everyone, but it is necessary for those with digestion problems. Without a good thread to help them process food, their digestive systems often have difficulty absorbing nutrients, which leads to feeling tired or lacking energy throughout the day. Because of this, we all must have the proper amount of fiber in our diets. Flattened rice flakes are one of the easiest ways we can get more of this valuable nutrition.

Conclusion

If you want to incorporate some changes in your post recipe, here are some of the popular options available in the vegetarian cooking scene. One option is to add chopped peanuts to the mix and onions, tomatoes, salt, and pepper to give it a spicy touch. Another option is to use chopped tomatoes and coriander powder, and freshly grated coconut to make a thick, sweet and sour flavor. You can also try combining a dash of tamarind and mint or coconut milk to temper the dish's taste and gives it a unique sweetness not found in other vegetarian recipes.