Morning · No onion or garlic
Lemony Flattened Rice with Peas and Peanuts
Flattened rice tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric, tossed with green peas, roasted peanuts, lemon and coconut. No onion or garlic.
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 15 min
- Total 25 min
- Makes 3 servings
Photo: Poha, a snack made of flattened rice by rovingI, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Flattened rice is one of the fastest warm breakfasts there is. Thick flattened rice is rinsed until just softened, then tossed into a pan of sizzling mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric. Most home versions start with a sliced onion; this one leaves it out and adds sweet green peas and grated coconut instead, which gives it a fresher, lighter feel.
The texture should be fluffy, with every flake separate and tender. The trick is in the rinse: too long and the flattened rice turns mushy, too short and it stays chewy. Once you have done it twice you will have the timing in your hands.
The recipe
Ingredients
Flattened rice
To finish
Method
- Put the flattened rice in a large strainer and rinse under cool running water for about 20 seconds, tossing with your fingers so every flake gets wet. Drain well and leave in the strainer for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the damp flattened rice and toss gently. Press a flake between your fingers: it should squash easily without being soggy.
- Heat the ghee in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the peanuts and fry, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are golden and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- In the same fat, add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the cumin, curry leaves, chile and ginger and stir for 20 seconds.
- Add the turmeric and peas, stir, then cover and cook for 3 minutes (5 if using fresh peas) until the peas are tender.
- Add the flattened rice to the pan and fold gently with a spatula until it turns an even yellow. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 minutes so it steams through.
- Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and most of the peanuts, coconut and cilantro, and fold once more. Serve topped with the remaining garnishes and lemon wedges.
Kitchen notes
- Use thick flattened rice, not thin; thin flattened rice is meant for snacks and dissolves when rinsed.
- Diced potato or small cubes of carrot can be cooked in the tempering before the peas; add a splash of water and cover until tender.
- If the flattened rice seems dry in the pan, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water over it and cover for a minute.
Storing and reheating
Flattened rice is best eaten right away. Leftovers keep for 1 day in the fridge; sprinkle with water and warm covered in a pan, or microwave briefly.
To serve alongside
Serve with a glass of buttermilk or the Rose Cardamom Yogurt Smoothie.
A gentle note: this recipe is shared for cooking enjoyment only. It is not medical or dietary advice. If you have allergies or specific dietary needs, check every ingredient label and adapt the recipe to suit you.
