My Amma's Kaara Pori

I dedicate this to my dearest, sweetest amma. I was wondering why my heart is constantly filled with her memories these past two weeks and I realize this is her month of birth – So I will try and dedicate/replicate as many of her recipes as I can for the next couple of weeks.

This is a quicky, crispy and immensely satisfying snack that my mom put together in a trice – It was always handy when we came home, to use her own expression “hungry as hunters”  Amma’s portions were very generous and yet we would go for seconds and thirds J My sweet, darling sister-in-law has continued the Kaara Pori tradition, with some slight modifications and it was the big gallon bag of Kaara Pori she brought when she visited me 2 years ago that rekindled the fondest memories of my most favorite childhood snack and I have made it regularly since then – My mom had gone to the US for my older sister’s child and she returned with her new find – Rice Crispy and the humongo Sun-Maid brand of black raisins J She add this cereal and these raisins to her original recipe and we adapted quite easily to this even more delicious update. One thing I should say for Dr. Oz, as his devotee, I have really switched to olive oil for 90% of my cooking – avoid using butter unless it is to temper mustards for rasam and sambar – Even then, I use the smallest amount just for the aroma! This dish was made especially for two events, Kurunji Kadambam’s Puffed Rice Event and for Gayathri’s Cook Spot’s walk down memory lane! And to the two events happening on my blog namely, Fast Food NOT Fat Food, and to Kid’s Delight Event started by Srivalli, happily guest-hosted by me

Here we go

Ingredients

3 cups of white puffed rice

1 cup of rice crispy

½ cup each of Planters’s roasted cashews and peanuts

About 20 curry leaves

½ cup of roasted grams (pottukadalai)

¼ cup of black Sun Maid raisins
1 crushed red pepper

Salt

½ tsp of turmeric

2 tbsp of homemade Dosai Molaga podi (chili powder)

1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil

Preparation 10 minutes

In a Kadai or wok, first add the washed curry leaves until they curl up dry

Keep the flame very low at ALL times during this process
Add the roasted grams, and the rices and turn a few times

Then add the raisins and nuts
Add a spoon of oil and to it the crushed dry red chili

Dribble the oil around the wok

Add the molaga podi and turn swiftly and let it spread on the rice and other ingredients

Add the turmeric powder and salt and again dribble the rest of the oil and turn few more times

The color of the Pori or puffed rice will turn a nice yellow/brown indicating that it has absorbed the podi and the turmeric

Remove from flame

Allow it to cool and transfer into airtight container and enjoy with an evening beverage or realistically any time of day or night - 

Sending this to Kurunji Kathambam's Healthy Recipe Hunt Event - Puffed Rice and to Gayathri's Cook Spot 's wonderful event :)



Also linking this to my blog event - Fast Food NOT Fat Food and to the Kids Delight Event that I am guest hosting