Name: Roasted, Thin Poha Chivda Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 cups Thin poha; 2 tablespoon Oil; ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds; 1 Green chili (chopped finely); 5-6 Curry leaves; 2-3 tablespoons Peanuts; 2 tablespoons Roasted chana dal (Fried gram or daria, dalia); 1 tablespoon Dried coconut slices; ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder; Salt to taste; 1 teaspoon Sugar; a very small pinch or ⅛ teaspoon Citric acid (nimboo ful)

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This roasted poha chivda is so easy to make! Every Diwali season this thin poha chivda recipe is a must to make! This healthy chivda snack can be whipped up in just 20 minutes.

❤️ About This Poha Chivda Recipe

This poha chivda is the healthiest snack made during the Diwali festival amongst all the fried Diwali snacks.

This healthy snack is made by roasting thin poha variety with few spices, curry leaves and nuts (peanuts, sliced coconut, dalia).

As chivda is a dry snack, it has a longer shelf life. Roasted poha chivda is usually made a few days before Diwali, stored in an airtight container (dabba) and enjoyed throughout this festive week.

This thin poha chivda makes the perfect snack to munch on with your tea or coffee.

During this festive season, I prefer to make homemade goodies as I know that it is made with proper hygiene and I have used good quality oil and such. I have seen all the store-bought snacks made with palm oil which is a big NO.

There is another version where poha is deep-fried, chiwda namkeen.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Thin Poha: There are two types of poha varieties available in the market, thin and thick. We are using thin verity today to make this chivda recipe. It has a papery thin texture. On other hand, the thick one is used in making batata poha, poha upma, etc.
Nuts: I mostly use peanuts, dalia and coconut slices. You can add cashews, almonds or even raisins.
Curry leaves & Green chili: Only these two ingredients are fresh. So when you add these two into the hot oil, you have to make sure that they are fried until all the moisture is gone and become crispy. This ensures that chivda will have a longer shelf life. The moisture in them makes the poha chivda soft and soggy over time.
Citric acid (Nimbu ful): This adds a nice tangy flavor. Instead, you can use amchur powder.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Poha Chivda? (Pics)

Roasting Poha (Choose one):

On Stovetop: Use the wide pan and heat it on low flame. Add poha in a thin layer and dry roast until it becomes crispy. Do not stir constantly or too much otherwise thin poha will break. Instead, just shake the pan or stir once or twice. It takes around 3-4 minutes.
In Microwave: Take poha in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes on high power. Do toss once in between the cooking.
In Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the poha in a baking tray in a thin, single layer. Roast for 15 minutes and stir once halfway through.
Sun Dry: You can spread the poha in thali or baking tray and keep in direct sunlight for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until it becomes crisp.

Making Thin Poha Chivda:

1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

2) Then add green chilies and curry leaves. Saute until all the moisture from chilies and curry leaves are gone and they become crispy. If there is any moisture left, the whole chivda will not stay crispy and over the time chivda will start to get soggy.

3) Then add peanuts, dalia and coconut slices (if using). Roast them with stirring constantly until they get light brown in color and becomes crispy.

4) Then add turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and citric acid. Mix well.

5) Now add roasted poha.

6) Immediately toss everything well and turn off the stove. Make sure to toss the poha instead of stirring, so they don’t break.

Collage of 6 steps showing mustard seeds in oil, chili & curry leaves, added nuts, adding spices, adding poha and mixed.

💭 Expert Tips For Poha Chivda Recipe

Saute green chili and curry leaves until become crisp and no moisture left. This is very important to increase the shelf life of chivda and to keep it crisp for a longer time. If the moisture is present in them then chivda becomes soggy and soft over time.
The quantity of peanuts and dalia can be adjustable as per your liking. If you like more peanuts, add more or you can reduce the quantity, simple.
Let’s make this chivda even more healthy – substitute one cup of poha with one cup of instant oats. Dry roast the oats separately and mix with poha in the recipe.
Storage: Let the chivda cool down completely then store in an airtight container. Poha chivda stays good for 10-15 days (even more if lasts that long).
Scalable: You can double or triple this poha chivda recipe as needed.

Roasted thin poha chivda in a wooden bowl.

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