Snacks · Nashta
Pava Batata
Spiced flattened rice with potatoes
A quick poha-style dish: pava [flattened rice] is rinsed briefly and folded into a pan of tempered potato, green chilli, mustard and curry leaves with turmeric, then finished with lemon juice and coriander. Light, soft and fluffy, mildly spiced; eaten as nashto [breakfast] or as an evening snack with tea.
Ingredients
Make
Measure in
Cups are shown in grams or ml; spoons stay as spoons. Panja Khada’s own weights are used where they give them (1 cup of flour is 150 g, rice or dal 200 g, curd 225 g, milk or water 240 ml), and standard kitchen weights otherwise.
Main ingredients
For garnish
Method
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Heat the oil in a kadai on a medium flame. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and let the seeds crackle.
Add the diced potato and green chillies and sauté until the potato is about half done.
Next, rinse the flattened rice in a colander under running water, drain it well and gently mix in the salt and turmeric. Set aside.
When the potato is fully cooked, add the prepared flattened rice. Mix gently and cook on a low flame for , stirring now and then so the flavours spread evenly.
Stir in the lemon juice, garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot.
My notes
Your family’s way with this recipe, or a reminder for next time. Kept on this phone or computer, and shown in cook mode.
Tips and variations
Only rinse the flattened rice quickly — do not soak it, because extra water turns the dish mushy instead of light and fluffy. Variations: roasted peanuts, the most popular addition, for crunch; green peas added with the potatoes; freshly grated coconut sprinkled on top; more green chillies or a pinch of red chilli powder for heat; carrots, capsicum or green beans for a more filling dish; less oil for a lighter version; leave out the potatoes for a simpler dish.
Serve with
Serve hot as a breakfast dish or an evening snack with tea, with a side of chutney or pickle.
Nutrition
EstimatedPer serving
250 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrate
- 48 g
- Fat
- 5 g
The recipe serves 3–4.
Whole recipe
880 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrate
- 167 g
- Fat
- 17 g
Everything in the ingredients list.
These are estimates, worked out from the amounts in the recipe and typical values for each ingredient. Portion sizes and the exact amount of oil, ghee or sugar can change them a lot. How we estimate
Good to know
Storage
Best fresh; can be refrigerated for a few hours and lightly reheated, but it softens, so avoid long storage.
About this dishDid you know?, Cultural note
Did you know?
Poha is pre-cooked and then flattened, so it cooks fast and takes up flavour while staying soft and fluffy.
Cultural note
Commonly eaten as a traditional nashto in Bhatia households, and simple enough to suit any-time snacking.
Where this recipe comes from
Recipe from Panja Khada by Bharat and Deepa Chachara.
See the original recipe and photos