Chevdo - Crispy Rice Flakes, Indian Style

Chevdo is a crispy, addictive savory snack made of poha aka beaten/flattened rice flakes and other yummy bits. The Chevdo made for Diwali has poha fried in oil, and even when it is roasted, the amount oil is considerable. Now yes, thats how it's made and maybe thats how grandma made it. But we don't have the same lifestyle as grandma, so it doesn't make sense to eat everything the same way. Sure, there are some things that are better pristine, but a lot can reimagined in our modern context and updated lifestyles. Don't you agree?

The main difference in the regular chevdo vs. what I have done here lies in prudent use of oil by roasting the ingredients separately.

🪔 instead of shallow frying fox nuts, desiccated coconut, and peanuts, etc I dry roast them.

🪔 instead of frying/roasting poha in lot of oil to crisp them up, I microwave the poha first, make them crispy and use reasonable oil to bring together the Chevdo.

The soul of the Chevdo is intact - it's just more approachable to today's lifestyle and diet needs. It leaves room for other Diwali delicacies that are receptive to healthier versions - best of both the worlds, eh? 😊

CHEVDO

makes 4 cups chevdo

YOU WILL NEED

For Dry Roast

• 1 tbsp peanuts

• 1 tbsp dalia (split gram)

• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut slices

• 1/2 cup fox nuts

• 1 tbsp ghee

Poha

• 3 cups thin medium poha (flattened rice flakes)

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1/2 sprig or 6-8 fresh curry leaves

• 1/2 finely chopped green chilies

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3/4 tsp powdered/confectioners sugar

DRY ROASTED FOX NUTS, PEANUTS, DALIA AND DESICCATED COCONUT SLICES

GREEN CHILIES + FRESH CURRY LEAVES FRIED IN OIL

METHOD

• Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, add peanuts and roast them until crunchy. Alternatively, you can skip this step if you have readymade roasted peanuts. Once peanuts are done, add coconut slices and dalia. Roast until coconut slices turned brown and dalia is crunchy.

• While the roasting happens, take a small microwave-proof plate and mix fox nuts and ghee. Microwave them until crunchy in 30 seconds interval. Took me two rounds of 30 seconds microwaving. Make sure to mix them in between each 30 second interval.

• In a large microwave-proof plate, add the poha and heat them in three 30 seconds interval, mixing them after each interval. This will crisp up the poha. Depending on the power of your microwave, you may need more time.

• Heat a large pan on medium-high heat, add chopped green chilies and curry leaves, and fry them well. The chillies should look crunchy. Add salt to the oil, mix, and quickly add the microwave roasted/crisped up poha, lower heat to medium and mix everything well.

• Also add the roasted fox nuts, dalia, coconut slices and peanuts, mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and turn off the heat and mix again to ensure salt and sugar are spread evenly. Adjust for salt and sugar as needed.Your Diwali special low-oil crunchy Chevdo is ready!

NOTES

• In case you do not own a microwave, use the low broil setting on the oven and transfer all the “For Dry Roast” ingredients to a baking tray. Mix the ghee and fox nuts separately. Roast them until they are crunchy.

• Follow the same technique to crisp up the poha and follow the rest of the recipe as is.