Quick and Easy Bateta Makai Pawa

Bateta Pawa is a dish often served in India as a breakfast dish in Gujarati homes. I usually make them as a quick snack. This one was made with potatoes, flaked rice and sweet corn – hence I called it Quick and Easy Bateta Makai Pawa. Adding sweetcorn to the traditional bateta pawa gives it a nice East African flavour reminding me of my days in Kenya.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 medium potatoes washed and chopped in very small cubes
• 1 medium red onion chopped in small cubes
• half a cup of sweet corn ( I used frozen sweet corn)
• 1 cups of pawa ( flaked rice)
• 2 small green chilies (chopped finely) (reduce to half or one if you are not keen on hot food.
• some cashew nuts and peanuts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• half  teaspoon  turmeric
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• some coriander and  chilly powder for garnishing
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• a few curry leaves ( limdo) Optional

Method:

1.  Heat the oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds to it.  Add the curry leaves if you have some.
2.  Once the popping stops, add the onions and stir them in the oil.
3.  Add the diced potatoes, sweet corn, chopped green chilies, salt, turmeric and sugar.
4.  Add the peanuts and cashews.
5.  Mix well, spinkle a couple of teaspoons of water and allow this to cook on a low heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the potatoes feel fairly soft but not overcooked..
6.  In the meantime, wash the flaked rice in cold water and drain them in a sieve.
7.  Once the potatoes feel soft, add the flaked rice to the mixture.  Add the lemon juice, stir well and allow to cook gently for 5 to7 minutes.  Taste and add more salt or lemon if desired.
8. Remove  into a serving dish. Sprinkle some chilly powder and coriander to the Quick and Easy Bateta Makai Pawa and serve hot with yoghurt.

• You can add make the traditional bateta pawa using potatoes and flaked rice.
• You can also substitute the potatoes for sweet potatoes and make Sweet potato pawa (flaked rice with sweet potatoes)
• You can use a similar recipe to make Spicy Couscous with potatoes and nuts (bateta couscous)

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