Huli/Gojju Avalakki
Also called Tamarind Poha / Chiwda . This poha dish is usually made by seasoning with chillies, turmeric, curry leaves and garnished with coriander and served with lemon juice. Here is a South Indian poha dish that is spicy, sour, sweet and salty. Although it is similar to Puliyogare/tamarind rice, it tastes different and the mouth feel is quite unlike it. It is not necessary to wash the avalakki, like the way puffed rice is used. But you could take the 'powdered' avalakki in a colander and sprinkle water, if you so desire. Whenever I run out of ideas for breakfast and want to make something in a jiffy, Huli avalakki comes to my mind first. Its good as evening snack on a rainy day too.
Category : South Indian Breakfast/Snack
INGREDIENTS:
Avalakki/poha (preferably thick variety): 3/4 paavu/measure or ~100 gms
Water : ~100 mL or ~1 tea mug (or more if preferred)
Saarina pudi/ Rasam powder or Red chilli powder : 3/4 tsp (to taste)
Tamarind paste, thick : 1 tbsp (to taste)
Jaggery powder/sugar : to taste
Salt: 3/4 tsp /to taste
Peanuts: handful
Copra, grated/powder : 1-2 tbsp
For Seasoning :
Oil : 3-4 tbsp
Red chillies : 1-2. broken
Mustard seeds : a pinch
Coriander seeds (optional) : a dash
Chana dal : 1 tbsp
Garlic : 3-4 pods, peeled and slightly crushed (optional, but gives a twist to the flavor)
Til, black : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : handful
Hing, powder : a dash
METHOD:
Clean avalakki and whip it in to coarse grains* in a blender** (like coarse sooji), this takes just few seconds. Empty it in to a bowl, add tamarind paste, chilli powder, salt, jaggery/sugar and add water, mix and keep it aside to soak. Heat oil and fry the peanuts, remove in to the avalakki bowl. Prepare seasoning by heating oil and add chillies, mustard, coriander seeds, chana dal, til, garlic (optional), hing, curry leaves. When done, add the avalakki mix and mix well. Keep stirring till avalakki is cooked, may take about 5 min. Adjust taste by adding chilli powder/salt, etc. At the end, add copra and mix. and serve.
*Whole avalakki can also be used; **Use wet blender jar for uniform powder.
Preparation time: 20-30 min
Servings : 2-3
INFORMATION:
Vegan : YES
KETO : NO
Gluten-free : YES
Glycemic Index (GI) is the rate of release of glucose in to blood stream, GI of glucose equal to 100
Avalakki has lower GI than White rice (which has GI of 73)
CALORIES :
100 g huli avalakki = approx 200 cal
Nutritive Value : For 100 g flat rice : Protein, 7.44 g; carbohydrates, 76.75 g; Fat, 1.14 g; Dietary fiber, 3.46 g
Poha is a rich source of iron, vitamin C and A. 100g poha contains 67.6mcg Vitamin A, 1.9mg Vitamin C, 6.1mg iron, and 79.7mg phosphorus
Health Benefits: As poha is not usually polished, the nutritious and fiber-rich bran and embryo are partially retained. Hence it is nutritionally better than regular, polished/semi-polished rice. This could be the reason why it is recommended after fasting. It gets digested slowly and hence has lower glycemic index.
It is reported to have some amount of iron from the iron rollers, used to flatten paddy.
Poha is known to have probiotic effects. The process of soaking for long hours leads to fermentation and the bacteria are retained which keep our gut healthy.
ORIGIN :
Rice, Oryza sativa (Asian rice) belongs to the grass family, Poaceae. Asian rice, is one of oldest crop species. It has tens of thousands of varieties and two major subspecies, japonica and indica. Some Archeologists argue that rice farming began in south-central China along the Yangzte River and spread to Korea and Japan from there south and northeast. While other Archaeologists argue that rice cultivation started in the valley of the Ganges River and Indus valley
WATER FOOTPRINT (IS LITRES OF WATER NEEDED TO PRODUCE THE FOOD) :
Flat rice : Not available
TIPS : To save time,
It is good to store some dry-roasted peanuts.
Concentrated tamarind juice can be prepared and stored in the fridge for few weeks
DID YOU KNOW :
Avalakki/Poha/Chiwda is made by soaking paddy for 16-20 hrs, partially cooking/ roasting/sun drying and it is then pounded and flattened to give the form of ‘flat rice’. It does not go through a lot of processing and is generally not polished.
As avalakki is made from parboiled rice, it can be consumed raw. It is easy to digest
Since poha has almost 1 g fiber, it keeps hunger pangs away and makes you feel full for a long time. That is why it is preferred by people on a mission to lose weight quickly.
The thick, dull colored poha is less processed than the white, thin variety.
REFERENCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattened_rice
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/6-reasons-why-you-should-eat-poha-instead-of-white-rice/articleshow/76244241.cms#:~:text=Poha%20is%20made%20by%20partly,and%20is%20generally%20not%20polished.
https://www.tarladalal.com/calories-for-Kanda-Poha-33444
https://pristineorganics.com