Chivda

I am a sucker for sweets and naturally I was tempted when I saw  the theme "traditional dishes" and the list of sweet choices Valli had provided. However as I mentioned earlier, I didn't want to pack all the calories alone and stuck to savory choices. When I saw that chivda was the only savory option left, I thought of going with a sweet dish for the final post of this week's marathon since I have already posted a basic version of chivda. I changed my plans at the last minute for my daughter.
My 11 year old is opposite to me and likes savory stuff. She doesn't mind the spice levels when she comes across all those chatpati stuff commercially sold though I cannot make her eat even a mild sambhar at home. She goes eating hot stuff huffing and puffing, gulping cold water. When I saw that she liked ghatia very much, I prepared a milder chivda  for her, adding a lot of other yummy stuff and she happily went on munching. 

Ingredients:
2 cups poha / flattened rice flakes (See note below.)
1.5 to 2 cups - thin and thick sev, spicy boondi and roasted chickpeas
1/4 cup peanuts
2 - 3 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp fennel seeds / saunf
Salt & chili powder to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Few curry leaves
Oil

Method:
* Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add peanuts to it. Fry till they turn golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them aside.
* Then add poha in small batches (about 1/4 cup) to the same hot oil. In a couple of seconds , the poha comes to the surface, sizzling and also changing it's color from the pale to a brighter white shade. Immediately, remove with a slotted spoon and drain the poha on absorbent towels.
* Heat 1 or 2 tsp of oil in a small saute pan and add raisins, anise seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder in that order. When raisins start to plump up, turn off the stove. Add the fried poha, peanuts, dalia, tadka, sev, boondi, chili powder & salt to a bowl and mix well. Serve with hot coffee or tea.

Note:
* I used thick poha and so fried it in the same oil that was used to prepare sev. Usually thin poha is used to make chivda. When using thin poha, there is no need to fry it. You can dry roast it in a pan on stovetop or in a microwave/conventional oven or even sundry until crisp. Or you can add a Tbsp of oil more in tadka and fry the poha along with the other stuff. 
* A lot of other yummy stuff can be added to the above chivda like dry coconut pieces, potato sticks, puffed rice etc

Check what other marathoners are cooking, here.

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