Sunday, August 20, 2006

Jhatpat Chiwda



OK now what do I say about Chiwda. For once I am lost for words. I mean there is so much to say about this snack that I just cannot say enough. Chiwda for a marathi person is not just a snack, its something very close to his heart, it is I would say a significant icon of maharashtrian culture. I would go one step ahead and say that every single maharashtrian person loves chiwda in some form or the other. And believe me there are a lot of types of Chiwda. Chiwda in its simple form is eaten as a daily evening snack with tea whereas the fancy chiwdas are made durings weddings and festivals like Diwali. And the best chiwda is the one made at home. As a child and even today my favorite pastime is to read a good book and gobble bowls and bowls of freshly made chiwda along with it. I remember my mother made tons of it and it was all gone in a couple of days. So you see I have to share with all you something that I love so much.

Very Simple Ingredients:

250 gms thin flaked rice (Poha)

1/2 cup peanuts

2 tblspns broken or whole cashewnuts (optional)

2 tblspns roasted split gram

2 tspns mustard seeds

2 tspn coriander seeds

3-4 green chillies or 2tspn red chilli powder(each chilly cut into 3-4 pieces)

1/2 tspn asafoetida (hing)

1 tblspn powdered sugar

1 tspn turmeric powder

10 -12 curry leaves

2 tblspns dry coconut chips

1/2 cup oil for the tempering

2 tblspns oil for roasting the poha

salt as per taste

Procedure:

In a large pan heat 2 tblspns of oil and add the poha. Roast the poha on a gentle heat turning it frequently till it becomes very crisp. Remove the roasted poha onto a plate and set aside. Now clean the same pan with a dry cloth or a kitchen tissue and heat 1/2 cup of oil for the tempering. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat and add the peanuts and let them fry for a minute,then add the roasted gram ,cashew nuts and coconut chips and fry again for a few seconds. Always keep the heat low.Next add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, corainder seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and green chilly pieces. Fry for a few seconds and turn off the heat.Now add the roasted poha to this tempering, add the salt ,sugar and red chilly powder(if you are using this instead of green chillies) and mix thoroughly but with a light hand. Once the chiwda is well mixed check the taste and it is ready to eat. Let it cool ,then store in a airtight container. Will keep very well for 2 weeks at least if not more.

13 comments:

Manjusha Nimbalkar said...

Hey Anupama,
Chivda looks so mouthwatering.
I rem my mum making this for diwali.I simply love it.But never ever tried it. Its definitely on my try list.
Cheers
-M

Vaishali said...

A nice & easy recipe, Anupama. We don't get thin Poha here, but we do get Churmure (puffed rice). I think, your recipe should work fine with it. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Anu, my mom prepares this and I love the taste. Thanks for sharing, I had never tried it myself, now I will do :).

Anupama said...

Hi manjusha, glad to meet you on my blog. Do try out the chiwda . its the easiest snack to prepare and store for SOS Hunger pangs


Yes Vaishali, You can use the same recipe for Churmure. Infact churmure roast faster than poha and they are good diet food

Shilpa, did my recipe make you nostalgic for your mom's chiwda?

KA said...

Chiwda is a great lowfat snack isn't it? I absolutely love it and always enjoyed making it at home.

RP said...

Have heard a lot about chiwda, but never tasted it. :(
Looks yum!

Vaishali said...

Anupama,
I hope you remember that it is Thursday tomorrow. We are waiting for a new tip.

Neelu said...

Hey Nice REcipe ... Itoo make chiwda often just for myself...hubby doesnt ike it ...N Guess what I add to it .. Methkoot ...tastes great try it next time

aarushi said...

hey anupama...being newly married..um learnin to cook dese days n um tryin new recipes..dis chidwa recipe looks nice n easy ...vil definetly give it a try:)

Archana said...

Great presentation....i really loved ur pictures and ofcourse the recipe is good too :)

Rachna said...

Hi Anupama,

I came across your blog when I was looking for a recipe for chiwda :)My husband loves it and I come from Mumbai so my maid there made it very well. Anyhow, just one question,can we make it with mota poha and also is it possible to reduce the quantity of oil without the taste :).

Thanks for the recipe. I would love to try it out. Also when i sometimes roast murmura or puffed rice, why does it reduce in size and become hard.

Regards,
Rachna

Shubha Ravikoti said...

I have the same query as rachana... about reducing the oil content...

Unknown said...

It's really easy to make at home.
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