MTR Khatta Meetha Poha Is Convenient & Appetizing

Heat and eat meals, ready-to-use gravies, frozen snacks- we underestimate the convenience these add to everyday life.

In India, the brand MTR is synonymous with masala, ready mixes, and spice blends. Lately, they’ve emerged in the RTE aisle with ready-to-cook pastes, heat-and-eat meals. After having a fairly impressive experience with their products, we tested another in our MTR 3 Minute Breakfast Poha review. The flavors, textures of this instant poha are described in this post. 

All you need to know is explained in the table below. 

When relishing a bowl of poha, what are certain factors you take into account?

The freshness, the flavors, the textures of various ingredients, and how seamlessly they marry each other. 

We gauged this product across the same parameters. A clean ingredient list would be a big plus. Other factors, not taste-based, but ones that impact the buying decision were also considered. 

1. Taste

Flavor

‘Khatta-meetha’ does the flavor of this meal justify the label? The fresh nuttiness of peanuts, the pleasing pungency of mustard and asafoetida, flavor of curry leaves – were these in check? Was the sweetness of raisins an impressive addition?

Fat/oils taste inedible if they are reused or gone bad. 

Overall, was this appetizing? Did we go back for seconds?

Freshness

You could use the most premium ingredients but if they aren’t fresh, the dish is bound to fail. The components develop a stale, undesirable taste when ingredients used are not fresh. What’s worse, is this translates into a lingering aftertaste. 

2. Texture

We were looking for variety in this bowl of poha.

From soft, fluffy flattened rice to crunchy peanuts, the crackling bite of curry leaves with the pop of mustard seeds. What about the raisins? Did the onion flakes retain a soft bite?

Had all elements rehydrated well?

3. Overall Convenience

In addition to boiling water, what else does this call for from the pantry? Does the seasoning need adjustments? Or was it just right as is?

Is a 60-gram serving sufficient as a snack or a wholesome breakfast?

4. Other Parameters

Factors like the price, packaging, appearance, shelf life were recorded here. 

Related Read : Tastiest And Healthiest Ready-To-Eat Poha here.

Price + Packaging

This was packed in the standard MTR packaging, it was a red-orange pack with vibrant graphics of a bowl of poha with suggested toppings. One pack holds 60 grams (which is one serving) and is priced at Rs 27/- It has a shelf life of nine months. 

Main Ingredients

Rice flakes (64%), Sugar (9.3%), Interestified vegetable fat, Raisins (4.5%), Peanuts, Iodized Salt, Dehydrated Onion Flakes, Green Chilli, Curry Leaves, Dry Mango Powder (0.8%), Maltodextrin (corn), Turmeric Powder, Cumin, Mustard, Acidity Regulators (INS 330, INS 334), and natural flavoring substance are the ingredients that go in the making. 

How did we make this?

As instructed on the pack, we emptied the contents in a bowl, mixed in 60 ml of boiling water, and set it aside for 3-4 minutes. Once the water had all been soaked up, we tested it.

PS- ensure you add boiling water and not lukewarm as it will result in a displeasing texture. 

Aroma + Appearance

Before adding in water, the mix comprised yellow poha flakes, some peanuts, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and raisins. 

Three minutes after mixing water into the poha mix, it hadn’t fully come together. We let it sit for another minute and by this time, the texture enhanced.

Taste + Texture

Fortunately, no ingredient tasted stale. We witnessed a desirable balance between sweet and salty flavors. However, there was no ‘khatta’ per se. The sweetness was lent primarily by raisins and sugar, as onions did not really add a flavor. Spice was balanced, and flavor-lending ingredients like peanuts, chillies, seeds, and leaves held their innate flavor notes. That being said, the peanuts could have been fresher. 

The overall bite was fairly decent, but talking about the elements separately, there is room for improvement. The poha flakes had rehydrated well and did not seem raw or dry. They had become soft, but retained a bite, and were fluffy. Next, the peanuts. The crunch was not too bold. Raisins were chewy, quite firm but not dry. The onion flakes had not rehydrated well and hence, did not lend the characteristic soft crunch. 

Quick Read : Meal Of The Moment (M.O.M) Instant Poha: #FirstImpressions.

Here are some interesting FAQs on MTR Ready To Eat Poha.

Mishry had a positive experience with MTR Khatta Meetha Poha. Not only is this easy to prepare, but the flavors and textures were impressive. That being said, the peanuts could have been crunchier and fresher. We recommend this for quick meals, office snacks, or during traveling. 

Have you tried this before? How was your experience?