This Poha Chevdo is a classic khattu-meethu snack we make around Diwali, with crisp fried poha, peanuts, coconut, raisins, curry leaves and chilli. It’s sweet, tangy and deeply savoury, with the seasoning clinging to every piece of poha.
Perfect with a cup of authentic masala chai.
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This is the style of chevdo my Mum has always made around Diwali, and she tells me it comes from the way my grandma made it too!
For us, good poha chevdo has that classic khattu-meethu flavour. There’s sweetness, but not nearly as much as in our Kenyan chevdo. It isn’t especially spicy either - just properly flavourful, tangy and savoury.
I have quite a few chevdo recipes on the blog, but this is the one where poha forms the main base.
My panchratan boondi chevdo is made with more masala boondi and is packed with different crunchy additions. I also have mixed cereal chevdo and makai no chevdo, which use completely different bases.
Here, thick fried poha makes up the bulk of the mixture, with the nuts, coconut, raisins and seasoning there to complement.
We usually serve it as part of a festive spread with sweet boondi.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredients list with measurements in the recipe card below, but these notes are worth reading first.
Thick poha
I prefer thick poha here because it gives the chevdo a more robust, textured crunch. It needs hot oil and a very quick fry. The flakes puff and expand almost immediately, so have everything ready before you start.
Most of the additions can be fried over lower or moderate heat, but poha needs properly hot oil.
So I fry the poha last. The flakes should puff and expand very quickly, then come straight back out. Using a metal sieve makes this much easier because you can lift the entire batch out of the oil at once rather than trying to chase individual flakes with a spoon.
Peanuts, raisins and coconut
They give you little changes in texture and sweetness throughout the mix. A lot of our chevdo recipes include green chillies and curry leaves too.
Powdered sugar
I specifically powder my sugar instead of using granulated. It coats the warm poha much more evenly instead of dropping straight to the bottom of the bowl.
Limbu na phool
Citric acid gives that characteristic tang without introducing moisture.
I crush it slightly before mixing it into the seasoning so it distributes more evenly through the chevdo.
Let's Make Poha Chivda In Steps
- Mix the seasoning
- Start by frying curry leaves
- Next fry green chillies: Keep the oil at a lower heat for these. Fry until properly crisp so you don't leave moisture in the finished chevdo.
- Fry peanuts: keep the heat medium-low.
- Fry raisins
- Fry coconut
- Fry the poha very quickly: Increase the heat. Add only a small amount to the metal sieve at a time and lower it into the hot oil. The poha will puff and expand almost immediately. Lift the whole sieve out as soon as the poha has expanded and become crisp.
- Season while hot: Combine everything and sprinkle over the seasoning while the fried ingredients are still warm. Toss thoroughly so every piece gets coated. If the mixture seems too dry for the seasoning to cling, add a small spoonful of the hot frying oil.
Don't Adjust The Seasoning Straight Away
This is something we swear by.
Freshly mixed chevdo can taste surprisingly flat while also seeming too tangy. If you start adding more sugar, salt or spices immediately, it’s very easy to overdo it.
Give it about 30 minutes.
As the chevdo cools, the flavours become much clearer and more balanced. Only then should you taste it and decide whether anything genuinely needs adjusting.
Storage
Let the chevdo cool completely before putting it into an airtight container.
Stored well, it can stay crisp for up to 2 weeks. How long it actually stays at its best depends on the container and how frequently it is opened — every time air and humidity get in, the poha gradually loses some of its crunch.
So shut the lid again quickly after serving.
Other Diwali Snacks
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Poha Chivda
Equipment
- 1 metal sieve
Ingredients
- 250 gram poha thick poha
- oil to deep fry
- 100 gram peanuts
- 4 green chillies sliced
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- 4 tablespoon coconut slices thin and dried
- 2 tablespoon red chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 4 tablespoon powdered sugar
- pinch citric acid or amchoor powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- First, clean the poha properly by removing any debris or stones.
- In a bowl mix both red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and citric powder and keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai on medium heat and fry green chillies and curry leaves using a metal sieve.
- Then fry peanuts, raisins and dry coconut slices (separately).
- Now, turn the heat high and add the poha. Add a small amount of poha at a time as they significantly enlarge upon frying.
- They crisp up fast so remove the sieve quickly from the hot oil. Repeat until you have used all of the poha.
- Remove the fried poha in a big plate or mixing bowl.
- Mix everything in a big plate and add the spice mix little by little into the fried poha mix while the mixture is still warm.
- Once you achieved the right taste and colour of the chevdo, stop adding the spice mixture.
- Gently keep mixing the chevdo for a while so all the flavours reach through fried poha.
- Let the chevdo cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Poha: Thick poha gives a particularly robust crunch.
- Oil temperature: Fry the poha in hot oil and remove it very quickly once puffed and crisp.
- Use a metal sieve: This lets you lower and remove a whole small batch at once.
- Fry poha last: The oil needs to be hotter than it does for the other ingredients.
- Season while warm: The sugar and spices cling much better to hot fried poha.
- If the seasoning won't stick: Toss through a very small amount of the hot frying oil.
- Wait before adjusting: Leave the finished chevdo for about 30 minutes before tasting again. The flavour changes noticeably as it cools.
- Storage: Cool completely and keep airtight for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote – This recipe was first published in March 2018. The post has now been updated with more helpful content – the recipe remains the same.
Give Me Some Spice says
Your Poha chevda looks delicious with so many nuts added to it. I think our mums used the most natural products and served it with lots of love and that's why whatever they made was good.
code2cook says
loved reading about your mom. Even my mom never cooked fancy stuff,very simple. But that time we loved that too.Moreoevr kids expectation was also not like today's :P.
Coming to the recipe preapared this chivda so atsefully. I put all those ingredients which you added for photograph. Will make one soon.
Lathiya says
Love this snack, especially when it's mom's recipe. Even if they cook with simple ingredients, they turned to be the yummiest dish.
Padmajha says
Very beautifully written post Jagruthi! I always feel the dishes made by mom is simple with minimal ingredients yet they taste out of the world and is the best comfort food! This chivdo looks like a great snack for kids.
Pavani says
Beautiful post Jagruthi -- very emotional and touching. Moms have a special knack of turning even simple everyday dishes into something exceptional and delicious. Your poha chevdo looks so inviting -- my husband will be a happy man if I make this for him 🙂
jayashree says
This is addictive snack, love binging with tea. Mothers are special and this is a nice tribute to your mom Jagruti.
Vidya Narayan says
Firstly got very emotional reading about your mom. You need such strong pillars only then you grow stronger and wiser as you grow older and learn a lot from the mistakes. Not to forget, makes you extremely mature suddenly. More power to strong independent girls like us. Your moms recipe rocks and you have beautifully styled and photographed it. My Mom always believed in eating fried snacks as well as having a healthy lifestyle. I on the other hand tend to get lazy with the exercise schedule.
Citrus Spice and Travels says
I love the sweet and tangy taste of this chevdo. I hope you have made enough to share. 🙂 I love recipes that bring back childhood memories.
Sharmila kingsly says
Poha Chivda is so addictive. that too with chai make me hungry now.. Love your pic composition..