Bengal Chirer Pulao Flattened Rice Peas Coconut

Ingredients

• 2 cups thick flattened rice (mota chire — thick-cut; rinse quickly under water and drain, rest 5 minutes to soften slightly)
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds, 10 curry leaves, 1 dried red chilli
• 1 medium potato — peeled and cubed small, fried until golden
• 1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar (the Bengali poha is noticeably sweeter)
• 1/2 tsp black salt, regular salt
• lemon juice, coriander leaves

Method

1. Soften the chire: Rinse thick flattened rice very quickly under cold running water — 5 to 10 seconds only. Drain. Rest 5 to 8 minutes — it softens to the right texture without becoming mushy.
2. Fry the potato: Heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry the small potato cubes until golden on all sides. Remove and keep.
3. Heat remaining oil: Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same pan. Add mustard seeds — pop. Add curry leaves and dried red chilli.
4. Add green peas: Add green peas. Cook 2 minutes until heated through.
5. Add turmeric: Add turmeric. Stir 15 seconds — the oil turns golden.
6. Add the softened chire: Add the drained, softened flattened rice. Toss gently to coat with the mustard-curry leaf oil and turmeric.
7. Add sugar: Add sugar. Toss — this is the distinctly Bengali addition. The Bengali chirer pulao is noticeably sweeter than Maharashtrian or Gujarati poha.
8. Add fried potato: Add the golden-fried potato cubes. Toss.
9. Add fresh coconut and black salt: Add grated fresh coconut and black salt. Regular salt to taste. Toss once more.
10. Finish: Squeeze lemon juice over. Scatter coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
11. Note: Chirer Pulao (chire = flattened rice, pulao = a spiced rice preparation in Bengali usage) is the traditional Mahalaya morning food of Bengal — Mahalaya falls 10 days before Durga Puja and is marked by the pre-dawn radio broadcast of Mahishasura Mardini (a 90-minute devotional programme) which has been broadcast continuously since 1932. Bengalis wake before dawn to listen to this broadcast and the simple, quickly made chirer pulao is the traditional accompaniment to the Mahalaya morning ritual.