What is Tamarind Poha?
Tamarind Poha, is a sweet and tangy simple breakfast dish made in the coastal regions of South India, specially in the temple town of Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Sri Krishna, the ruling deity of the temple town is believed to be fond of everything Poha/flattened rice.
An easy, kid friendly evening snack, a family favorite dish that can be made with many vegetables specially potatoes.
It is gluten free and a great choice when it comes to meal planning for weight loss .

What is Udupi cuisine?
Udupi cuisine comprises of dishes made primarily from grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available vegetables and spices leading to a wide wide variety of recipes that many cherish and hold dear to their hearts to this day.
Globally, Udupi is best known for restaurants that churn out “South Indian food” and are super efficient and easy on the pocket!
Where is Udupi?
The temple town of Udupi situated in the West coast of Southern India, is famously known for two things,
- one for it’s beautiful Sri Krishna Temple which acts as a pivot in people’s lives.
- and the other for it’s adherence to Satvik vegetarian food where food is celebrated as a religion.

The Back Story
‘My first encounter with the temple town of Udupi :
Amar Chitra Katha’, India’s largest selling comic book series, published in more than 20 different languages, that retell stories from the great Indian epics, mythology, history, folklore, and fables in a comic book format is in every Indian kid’s library collection. I too grew up devouring these comic books.
Train journeys to my native place, Mangalore, during summer holidays to spend time with my grand mom’s were filled with ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ overloads. It was in one of these comics, that I first read about Kanakadasa, a man who was not allowed to enter the Sri Krishna temple in Udupi because he was considered to be of a lower birth ( caste system and it’s atrocities are still prevalent in India, though to a lesser degree now than in the earlier days!)

This story piqued my curiosity and I so wanted to visit the temple, where the deity of Sri Krishna is believed to have turned around to give ‘darshan’/blessings to his devotee who was not allowed to enter the temple, and I, for one loved such stories.

The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita/The song of the Lord is the holy scripture of the Hindu’s and is set in a narrative framework between the Sri Krishna giving practical advice to a common man (the Pandava Prince, Arjuna) to live life amidst all it’s tribulations.

The setting of the Bhagavad Gita in a battlefield has been interpreted as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of the human life.

My fascination for Sri Krishna and his wise teachings started much early in life and I have always held him in deep regard. This story of the deity of Sri Krishna turning around to bless his devotee, was yet another one to hold my fascination for this eight avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism, and his ‘leela’s’/miracles.

Needless to say, I visited the Udupi temple many times, since then and remember looking through the “Kanakana Kindi”/Kanaka’s window (the west side window from which Kanaka the devotee viewed Sri Krishna) and wondered what might have gone through the devotees mind to have been blessed by the loving Lord himself.
Childhood innocence painted all vivid forms of Sri Krishna and that is the way I would remember the temple town always.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories858
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 84g 130%
- Saturated Fat 63g 315%
- Sodium 39mg 2%
- Potassium 685mg 20%
- Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
- Dietary Fiber 17g 68%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 14g 29%
- Vitamin C 1%
- Calcium 5%
- Iron 22%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
My list of Poha recipes
My published posts using Beaten Rice/Poha/Aval/Bajeel are listed below for your interest.
- What is Poha?
- Kanda Poha/Beaten rice with Onions & Potatoes
- Kothumali Aval Upma/Cilantro Poha
- Huli Avalakki/Tamarind Poha
- Aval Pidi Kolkattai/Beaten Rice Dumpling
- Sri Krishna Festival /Gokulashtami Recipes with Poha
The Bottom Line
Tamarind Poha, makes for a quick, yummy and light breakfast or an evening snack ! Now that it is the Gokulashtami /Sri Krishna festival season, would you plan to try making this quick and easy poha recipe at home?
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Wow so beautifully explained. Loved reading. Super clicks. Thks for sharing the recipe. Have a wonderful day. Stay blessed 🙂
Thank you, for your kind words, Vanita Amin, so appreciate it. The temple pictures are from the net, the recipe pictures are mine. Glad you enjoyed it, do try out the recipe sometime & give us your feedback 🙂