Cornflakes Chevdo

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What is Chevdo?

Chevdo, also known as chivda, namkeen, mixture, etc, is an Indian savoury, crunchy, snack/trail mix consisting of a mixture of some ingredients like peanuts, puffed rice, lentils, flattened rice, nuts (popularly cashews), sev (gram flour noodles), cornflakes, potato sticks, peanuts, dry fruits (especially raisins), etc. They’re baked or fried and then tossed in lots of spices for an explosion of flavour. They’re crunchy, salty, sweet, light and super tasty to munch on.

Chevdo has thousands of variations and there is no right or wrong way to make it as you can literally put in whatever you like altogether (that go well together of course). My chevdo recipe uses mainly cornflakes, poha (flattened rice), potato sticks, cashews, peanuts, raisins, tempered curry leaves and lots of spices. My recipe involves very minimal oil, with most ingredients baked/roasted for a healthier and lighter version. Additionally, making your own chevdo at home is certainly the best as you can control what ingredients you’d like to add, as well as makes it healthier as it doesn't have palm oil, additives or chemicals like the packaged/store bought ones. Although this is a healthier version, I promise you that it doesn't compromise on flavor.

How to make this recipe kid friendly?

It’s very easy to make this recipe kid friendly. You can reduce/eliminate red chilli powder, black pepper and fennel seeds so that kids can enjoy it without any complaints. You can also mix in any nuts your child likes! For example, if your child likes salted almonds, you can mix it in as well!

Can I add other seeds and nuts to this Chevdo recipe?

Although seeds and nuts (other than peanuts, almonds and cashews) are uncommon to add in chevdo, you can always roast any seeds and nuts of your choice to create a unique chevdo of your own style.

Can I use other types of cereal apart from cornflakes?

Yes, you can use any plain cereals similar to cornflakes when making this recipe. You can even use any other multigrain cereals of your choice (such as cheerios). However, keep in mind that using cornflakes will give you the best taste and crunch.

Why haven’t you added sev to this Chevdo?

Chevdo can be made in so many different ways with so many different ingredients ranging from sev (fried gram flour noodles), flattened/puffed rice, nuts, lentils, etc. This recipe will not taste equally good if you add in sev as it doesn’t fit with the other components. Hence, I decided to skip it out.

Can I use ready made potato sticks instead of making it from scratch?

Yes, you certainly can! If you’re able to find ready made potato sticks where you live, feel free to use those instead. Making potato sticks is the most time consuming part of this recipe and if you are able to get ready-made ones, feel free to use them. However, if you can’t find them, you can follow my recipe and make them at home too!

Why do we cook each component separately?

Every component in this recipe has a different cooking time and method in order to give it the perfect taste and texture. Some are roasted, some are baked and some are fried. Hence, we cook them separately.

How long can I store the Chevdo for?

You can store the chevdo in an air-right container for up to a month or even longer. If you feel your chevdo is not crisp anymore during that period, you can pop it back into the oven for a few minutes until they crisp up again.

Any substitute for the ingredients mentioned?

There are hundreds and thousands of ways to make chevdo. And so, this recipe is customisable in so many ways. Using the same spices, you can easily substitute the components I’ve used with any other components of your choice, such as puffed rice, sev (gram flour noodles), fried lentils, etc.

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

When assembling all the components together, ensure you don’t cook the spices for too long as they will burn very quickly.
To ensure your cornflakes and other components are well coated in the spices, ensure you add and mix everything quickly as soon as the spices have been cooked.
Ensure every component is crisp and cooked to perfection (as per your liking) before you combine everything together.
Make sure you taste the chevdo before adding more spices. Once the chevdo has cooled down, any spices you add will not stick to the components.