Poha

Poha, a staple in many Indian pantries, is rice that’s parboiled, flattened, and dried. White, flat, and similar in looks to cornflakes, poha, which comes in thick and thin varieties, is tasteless. But grains of thick poha, when hydrated, become fluffy and absorbent, qualities that lend well to, well, pohe or poha, the eponymous name of a hot breakfast dish popular in Western and Central India.

Thin poha, on the other hand, are dry-roasted or deep-fried for chivda, a beloved dry snack with countless varieties. Chivda is cooked in homes for Diwali, sold on handcarts by small vendors, or packaged in attention-grabbing vacuum-sealed bags by processed food companies throughout the country.

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