This year for my birthday, one of my best friend’s, Heather, came over, and we made poha for brunch. As an added surprise, Heather brought mimosas, and we filmed the entire thing for YouTube, which was a blast. You can watch the video at the bottom of this post.
You know, one thing I’ve noticed about birthdays, is that every year I want to go to bed earlier. What is this phenomenon? Is it my body’s natural clock telling me to go to bed earlier because I’m at the age where I COULD have little kids running around that wake up at the crack of dawn? Is this somehow my body’s natural way of syncing up my cloth with little kid time?
Also, alcohol. Why does alcohol hurt more? All it takes is two drinks, and I’m either sleepy, weepy, or feel a headache coming on. Two is my new limit. Anything past that, and I’m whipping up some hangover tea. Lol.
I’m not complaining really. I’m still at the stage in life where I like getting older. I remember, as a young twenty-something, feeling so inexperienced and naive. Every year I gain equals knowledge and experience, which I savor.
I also have a self-confidence I didn’t have before. I don’t concern myself so much with what other people think of me or what I wear. I mean, I still want to be thought well of, and I want to look nice, but I’m much more forgiving of myself if my eyeliner is smudged, and if I’m wearing the same outfit from yesterday to the grocery store. And while I wish I had perfect hair days, I usually don’t, and I feel like I’ve finally mastered the messy bun! (Why did it take me so long to figure that out??)
My mom-friends have helped me reach this comfort in life, I’m sure. What brings you more down to earth than motherhood? Shout out to all my mom friends. I love your perspectives, and I can’t wait to join your ranks one day.
But what I mean to say is that I like getting older. I like having more perspective under my belt.
This year has been particularly rewarding, as my dad and I have been able to find a different kind of relationship with each other in my adulthood. My childhood was rocky for both of us. I’m sure my parents’ divorce played into my perspective of things, and my dad was dealing with his own parental issues when I was young, too. As an adult, I find myself looking at my parents in a different way. They were only a few years older than myself when I was born, and as I speed closer and closer to 30-years-old myself, I feel….a lightening…a lifting of this load I’ve carried for so long.
I’m so thankful I have a dad. And I’m so glad he’s proud of me. No one can replace him.
Here’s a couple recent pictures of us:
I value my relationships more than anything else in my life. I’m thankful for both my parents, and friends like Heather & Kristen, who cook with me and send me birthday flowers. And I’m thankful for the other women who I’ve been lucky to form relationships with in recent years. All of these people make my life rich and are reasons in and of themselves to be grateful I know them.
Perhaps I’ve rambled enough for one day. Let’s cook!
Poha: A Savory Indian Brunch
So what is poha? Poha is flattened rice, and I actually had never heard of it before Sandeep, the owner of Pure Indian Foods told me about it last month. Because the rice is flattened, it is super thin, and can be hydrated and eaten raw by immersing it in plain water or milk. In India, it’s often eaten like we would eat oatmeal or porridge. It can be seasoned with salt and sugar to taste, or lightly fried in oil with nuts, raisins, cardamoms, and other spices.
My friend Heather and I decided to create a savory poha and vegetable hash for our brunch (instead of going the sweet route).
Another notable ingredient we used was Hing (also known as asafoetida). Hing is a pungent Indian spice, which we explore in the video below. Heather had some interesting information to add! Hing is often used to replace onion and garlic, due to it’s pungent order and taste.
Poha: Ingredients
2 tablespoons ghee (buy here)
3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds (buy here)
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (buy here)
1/4 teaspoon hing ghee (buy here)
1 small red onion, diced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium gold potato, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (buy here)
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (buy here)
3/4 cup of green peas (can be frozen)
1/4 cup of chopped toasted cashews
1-1/2 cups poha (buy here)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Lime wedges for serving
Poha: Instructions
- First, we bloom the seeds to release their flavor. Heat the ghee in a large skillet on medium heat, and then add the mustard seeds and cover with a splatter screen (buy here). When the seeds pop, add the cumin seeds and hing ghee.
- Add the diced onions, and cook until they begin to brown.
- Then, stir in the ginger. Cook for 60 seconds, and add the potato, carrot, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Stir for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of filtered water, cover, and cook for five minutes until the vegetables are slightly soft.
- Next, stir in the tomato, turmeric, and green peas. Cook for 2 minutes or just enough to thaw the peas.
- Now, add the cashews, 1/4 cup of filtered water, and the poha. Mix thoroughly. The poha should soften almost instantly, but not disintegrate. If the poha is still hard and slightly dry, add water 1 TBSP at a time.
- Toss with the lime juice, and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
