Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Bataka Poha/Powa Recipe - A very Gujarati breakfast!

Dear Gujarati Food Made Easy lovers!

This week's recipe is Bataka/Bateta Poha/Powa also known as Potatoes with Flattened Rice.

Here is a picture of the end result:
(serves 2)

As the New Year starts with dreams of great things to come, every day starts (for me at least) with a great breakfast to savour. The recipe I will be giving you today is one that you will either love or hate when you try it; however, in Gujarat and across a large part of India, Bataka/Bateta Poha/Powa (potatoes with flattened rice) is a dish that is loved by many.
This statement is true of a good friend of mine who lives in Mumbai and it is at his request that I decided to share the recipe for this dish with you.


2 tbsps sunflower oil
0.5 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 small new potatoes with the skins (cut into 1.5cm cubes) or 4 medium sized potatoes without skins (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
1 large onion (cut into roughly chopped 1.5cm cubes)
Half a mug of poha/powa (dry flattened rice - available from your local, Indian, grocery store)
2 tsps salt
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
0.25 tsp red chilli powder
0.25 tsp cumin-coriander powder (also available from your local, Indian, grocery store)
1 tsp green chillies (fresh and ground)
1.5 tsp ginger (fresh and grated)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp desiccated coconut
0.25 tsp sugar
1 tbsp raisins (washed)
fresh lemon juice

Optional: chopped, fresh coriander to garnish


1. Soak the poha/powa/dry flattened rice in 1 tbsp lukewarm water for 15 minutes in a bowl, after washing them well twice through, in the palms of your hands, in a dish.

This is what they look like dry before they are washed and soaked:

And this is what they look like after they are washed and soaked:

2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on a high heat and add in the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds.
3. Once they start to pop and are slightly golden brown in colour, add in the potatoes and the onions together and stir well.
4. Turn the heat down to a medium high heat and then add in the salt, the turmeric, the 2 types of chillies, the cumin-coriander powder and the ginger and stir well.
5. Cover the saucepan with its' lid and then turn the heat down to a low heat. Let the potatoes and onions cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. (Check by piercing a knife through a potato cube and if it goes through very easily, the potato is cooked.)
6. Open the lid, stir well once again and add in the poha/powa/soaked flattened rice.
7. Mix well and add in the sesame seeds, the desiccated coconut, the sugar and the sultanas and mix well. Let it all cook at a low heat with the lid covering the saucepan for a further 3 minutes.
8. Serve hot and garnish with the chopped coriander. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top for extra taste. Eat while hot. This can also be served with sev but it is not necessary.

NB: Sev is a savoury snack that is basically thin strands of spicy chickpea flour, fried.

So there you have it, Bataka/Bateta Poha/Powa! Give it a go and let me know how it went!

'Til next week, friends ... enjoy!
Love and Namaste!

Bon appétit! xx

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