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Poha Recipe
Poha (Pohe) is a traditional Indian Breakfast made with flattened rice, onions, peanuts and flavored with basic spices and herbs. It's vegan, gluten-free, nutritious, and absolutely delicious! Sharing how to make kanda pohe and kanda batata poha.
Ingredients
- 2 cups thick poha flattened rice
- 2-3 tablespoon oil using canola oil
- 2 tablespoon peanuts optional, can use raw or roasted
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds rai
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
- pinch asafoetida hing
- 10-15 curry leaves
- 2-3 green chilies slit vertically
- ¼ cup Cilantro stems finely chopped, optional
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 small potato peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup green peas frozen or fresh
- ½ teaspoon turmeric haldi
- 1 teaspoon salt divided, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 -2 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
- ¼ cup Cilantro finely chopped, for garnishing
For serving
- ¼ cup Cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut frozen works well optional
- ¼ cup sev or bhujia optional
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Instructions
Prep work
- Add flattened rice (poha) to a bowl, strainer, or colander. Add 3-4 cups of water and rinse it quickly. Do not rinse or soak poha for more than 30 seconds. Drain the water completely using a strainer.
- Let the poha rest for 5-10 minutes to drain any excess water. Once the water is completely drained, mix it gently using your hands or a fork. Poha should be nice and fluffy at this point. It should also break easily when pressed between your thumb and index finger.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt, sugar and mix gently. Cover and keep aside.
To make kanda batata poha
- In a pan heat oil, and add 1 tablespoon oil and peanuts to it. Roast on medium heat until they are crunchy. Remove them into another bowl to maintain their crunch. Keep aside. You can skip the roasting step if you are using roasted peanuts.
- In the same pan, add the remaining oil. Once hot add the mustard seeds to it.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter (pop), add the cumin seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Give it a quick stir.
- Stir in the green chilies and chopped cilantro stems (optional but recommend since they add a nice flavor) followed by the onions. Mix well and saute for 1 min.
- Next, add the potatoes, green peas, salt, and turmeric. Mix until all is well combined.
- Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked (approximately 5 mins). Stir intermittently.Test by checking if the potato breaks easily with your spatula which means it's ready.
- Give the masala a quick mix and add in the softened poha and roasted peanuts. Mix gently until everything is well combined.
- Cover and steam for 3-5 mins or until the poha is heated through. Stir in between to prevent burning.
- Open the lid, add cilantro, lemon juice, and mix well. Give it a quick taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Easy, delicious, and nutritious Kanda Batata Poha is ready!! Served warm garnished with sev, grated coconut more cilantro, and a lemon wedge on the side. Enjoy with chai (tea) or coffee.
Notes
Poha variety - use thick (recommended) or medium poha for this recipe. I don't recommend the thin variety, as they turn mushy very easily.
Rinsing Poha - This is a crucial step that can make or break the recipe. Rinse the poha in a bowl of water for just 30 seconds, then drain well to get that nice, fluffy grain. Alternatively, rinse poha directly in a strainer too. Do not oversoak or overrinse the poha, or else it will turn mushy.
More oil - With poha, more oil works best as it prevents it from getting dry.
To fix dry poha - Check after adding poha and mixing everything; if you feel the poha is looking or tasting dry, drizzle a teaspoon of oil or sprinkle some water. Do not overdo these as they may result in greasy or mushy poha.
To fasten the cooking process - use boiled potatoes, green peas, and roasted peanuts.
Cilantro (coriander) stems - add them to the tempering to elevate the flavor.
Add salt to both the poha and veggies to ensure it distributes evenly.
Perfect taste - Poha should always be the right balance of salt, tang, and sweet, so don't skip the sugar and lemon juice!!
To make kanda pohe - skip the potatoes and green peas. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 665mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
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