Potato and Pea Poha (& Meatloaf)

I made meat loaf for dinner, something the girls would eat. I didn't have any corn flakes or oatmeal, so I used a cup of poha, the main ingredient of the other thing I made this evening, as a cereal filler.





Poha is basically rolled rice, the rice being submitted to more or less the same treatment as oatmeal or flaked barley. It's a fast-cooking starch, and I put a cup of it with a pound of ground beef, a couple eggs, some ketchup, about half an onion diced finely, a bit of garlic. Mushed it all up and surrounded it with potatoes and carrots, added a cup of chicken broth to provide moisture/steam and covered with foil.



An hour at 350ºF didn't quite do the trick, but with another fifteen minutes at 425ºF the thermometer hit 160ºF and dinner was served.



Em feared I had loaded the meatloaf with onions, so I had to cop to the poha in it, because all those skinny white things were not onions. Not even most of them.

Potato & Pea Poha
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
20 curry leaves, roughly torn
1/2 onion* finely diced
2 medium potatoes*, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 14 oz. can Ro-Tel Tomatoes*
4 cups poha, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup water
Juice of a lime
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves, stirring continuously for two minutes, until cumin seeds are golden brown. Add onion and salt, and continue to stir until the onion is translucent and soft, about four minutes. Add potatoes and continue to stir another 5 minutes or so; add turmeric and cook another 5 to 6 minutes until the potatoes are browned and soft. Add poha, peas, Ro-Tel and stir until well incorporated. Add 1/2 cup water, cover tightly and reduce heat slightly, allowing the whole bit to steam for 5 to 7 minutes. Toss with lime juice and 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (reserving remaining cilantro for garnish).





I had to switch from my slotted nylon spoon to my grill weapon about halfway through so I could peel up stuff as it stuck to the wok. I may have had the wok heat a bit high, but nothing scorched. It just got stickier and stickier.



To my surprise, I got Mo to eat five bites of this Poha dish. And Em to take one big bite on a dare. Both claimed to dislike it, and I reiterated my statement that the next time I get married and make babies, we're going to introduce new foods more aggressively when the kiddos are younger.





I did use some of that tomato chutney on my meatloaf, yet another dish it does good.



*Suvir Saran calls for red potatoes and red onions, but I had white onions and yellow potatoes. He also calls for one finely diced jalapeño and a finely diced tomato. I had no fresh jalapeños, so I used a can of Ro-Tel in lieu of both these ingredients. The compromise is the two ingredients are added at different times in Saran's recipe, but this turned out pretty freakin' good anyway.