Poha Burfi | Pohe Chikki | Pova Khadi - Easy Snack Bars

Poha Burfi or Pohe Chikki is an aromatic Indian snack bar that is chewy and crunchy prepared using poha (beaten rice), peanuts, and cashews in less than 30 minutes. The texture of this bar is actually between barfi and chikki (brittle).

True story!!!

I had poha and sticky jaggery in my kitchen that I wanted to use before Navratri, and when I was talking to my mom about this, she told me that my grandmom used to prepare khadi or mandi using poha and jaggery. She suggested that I should give it a try. But she did not know the exact recipe, and she asked me to contact my aunt, who replicates grandmoms recipe the best way possible.

My aunt then explained the ingredients and the method of preparation by explaining what happens at each stage. However, she did not have the exact measurements that she could share. As in most households, recipes were prepared using andaaza or eye measurements. The best clue she gave was it was similar to making of laddu with jaggery. I did not have the opportunity to eat when my granny used to prepare pova mandi, and now, due to the pandemic and busy work schedule, I could not meet my aunt to experience it being made first-hand. Not seeing it and not knowing how it tastes presented its challenge, thus began the interesting kitchen experiment.

I tried it, and my supporter and cheerleader - my better half - was more excited than me. First, I tried with one string consistency, and it produced a soft barfi. The caramelized jaggery combined with nuts and crispy poha was simply melting in the mouth.

But based on the description given by my aunt, I was aiming for a texture between barfi and a brittle. To achieve this, once the jaggery syrup reached one-string consistency, I added all the other ingredients and cooked it along with jaggery syrup for an additional 3 to 5 minutes on low flame like I do my COCONUT BARFI. Once the mixture was spread out to ¼ inch thickness, I let it cool to room temperature. The pova mandi had the perfect crispy texture from the poha and light chewiness from the caramelized jaggery. Everyone in my family loved this version.

So now what you name it is left to you 🙂

Here are few names that you can call this recipe with

Poha Chikki, Pova Khadi, Poha Burfi, Atukulu Chikki, Peanut Chikki , Poha Moongfali Chikki, Shenga Chikki, Cashew Chikki, Peanut Brittle, Beaten rice brittle, Rice flakes brittle, Pohe ki barfi, Peanut jaggery bar, Poha Mandi

To make chikki or barfi using poha and jaggery you will need the same ingredients and their amounts. The only thing that changes is the stage at which you stop cooking the jaggery syrup. But remember, barfi has a soft and chewy texture, while chikki is hard and brittle.

Today I have prepared chewy and crunchy barfi or chikki. 

Remember, if you want to make a soft poha barfi that can be enjoyed by elders in your family, then stop cooking the jaggery syrup once it reaches one string consistency.

Ingredients for Poha Burfi, Poha Chikki, Pova Khadi

2 ½ cups Thin Poha or Thin Flattened rice
2 to 3 tablespoon Cashews, chopped
1 cup sticky Jaggery or Chikki Jaggery
¼ cup Water
2 to 3 tablespoon Peanuts, roasted
¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
2 tablespoon Ghee

How to make Poha Burfi, Poha Chikki, Pova Khadi with Jaggery

Roast the Poha (Beaten rice or flattened flakes)

In a pan on medium flame, add poha and roast till it is crispy. Keep stirring the poha to avoid them from burning at the bottom.

Meanwhile, in another small pan, add cashews and roast until golden brown.

I have used homemade roasted peanuts. If you do not have roasted peanuts, roast them like cashews in a pan on medium heat.

Make the jaggery syrup

In a pan on medium flame, add jaggery and water and cook till jaggery is dissolved and one string is reached.

Reduce the flame to low, add roasted poha, cashews, peanuts, cardamom powder, ghee, and mix until combined. Stop cooking and spread it on a greased plate to the desired thickness if you want a soft barfi. Check the video for better understanding

Else continue cooking the mixture in jaggery syrup on medium to medium-low flame for another 3 to 5 minutes or until ghee leaves the sides of the pan.

At this point, transfer the mixture to a greased plate or parchment paper and spread it to desired thickness.

When it is still warm, cut them into pieces of the desired size. You can store it in an air-tight container till you are ready to serve.

Tips:

• The color of the sweet may vary depending on the type of jaggery used.
• You can even make this with oats instead of poha if desired.
• Use any nuts combination of your choice. You can even use melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, til (sesame seeds), flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
• Believe me, because of the combination of ingredients, the recipe will taste good irrespective of what stage you stop cooking the jaggery mixture.
• I have added 2 ½ cups of poha to 1 cup jaggery. The jaggery should cover the poha well and do not add beyond that. The amount of poha you may need may vary depending on the type of jaggery used.
• For some reason, if your chikki or burfi turns hard, keep it in an air-tight container, and it will get a softer consistency in a day.
• Cut them into even smaller pieces than the one shown in the picture so that you can chew them like a toffee. Poha barfi will be one of the best partners during your travel 🙂

Video Recipe for Poha Burfi | Pohe Chikki | Pova Khadi | Snack Bar

Recipe card

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