Healthy Mixture (Chivda)

You know, when you have those 4:00 p.m. cravings?  When you feel like you need something to crunch or munch on?  Well, I have those regularly.  In fact, I have them through the day.  I go to the pantry, open the door to see what goodies are available, and grab the closest murukku or thatai or anything else I can find.  Since we just got back from India, my pantry is well stocked with a lot of stuff that I shouldn’t be eating.

Healthy Mixture

Anyway, I had gone to Sprouts (a grocery store that sells natural and organic products along with traditional stuff) for some bell peppers and saw that they had a variety of puffed grains – brown rice, wheat, millet, and kamut.  I got a packet of each and made this mixture.  Now, when those cravings hit me, I can grab a bowl of this chivda and not feel too guilty.

Here is what you need:

• 2 tsp. coconut oil (any oil will do)
• few curry leaves
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• ½ cup fried gram dal (pottukadalai or dalia – as it is called in my Indian store)
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1 cup each of puffed wheat, puffed millet, puffed brown rice, and puffed kamut (you can make this with one or any combination of puffed cereals)
• ½ cup shoestring potatoes (optional)

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil in a big pan
2. Add curry leaves (carefully) and peanuts.  Roast for a minute
3. Add fried gram dal.  Fry for another minute
4. Add all the spices and salt.  Mix well.
5. Add the puffed cereals and the shoestring potatoes.
6. Keep mixing till the salt and spices coat all the cereals.  Remember that the bottom of the pan is hot, so keep stirring so that the bottom layer does not get burnt.  I got distracted for a bit and you can see some burnt peanuts in the picture. 
7. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
8. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy a healthy snack at 4:00 p.m. or at any other time.