Poha is a light-weight and common Maharashtrian breakfast made with flattened rice, onions, herbs, spices, and generally peanuts or potatoes. It has many regional variations like Kanda Poha, Dadpe Pohe, and Indori Poha. This Kanda Poha recipe is made with onions, potatoes, peanuts, and primary spices. It’s straightforward to prepare dinner, filling, and naturally vegan and gluten-free.

About Poha Recipe

The phrase poha (plural pohe) refers to 2 issues – the ingredient (flattened rice) and the dish made with it. Each are extensively eaten throughout India.

In Maharashtra, the favored variations are Kanda Poha (with onions) and Batata Poha (with potatoes).

You’ll additionally discover varied poha recipe variants made in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Odisha, the place it’s eaten as breakfast or snack.

Right here I share my household Kanda Poha recipe made with each onions and potatoes. You’ll be able to simply adapt it – skip the potatoes or roasted peanuts, add recent coconut, and even greens like peas and carrots.

In Marathi language, kanda means onion and poha means flattened rice. My recipe makes use of onions, potatoes, peanuts, and generally coconut. The sautéed potatoes give further style, whereas onions add sweetness.

This dish is mild, and simple to digest. I often take pleasure in it with a scorching cup of tea. Every household has its personal model, and you’ll customise it too.

When you like regional variations, strive:

• Batata Poha – Easy homestyle model with simply potatoes.
• Indori Poha – From Madhya Pradesh with fennel seeds, sev, boondi and an occasional pomegranate.
• Chura Matar – Flavorful winter snack from Uttar Pradesh.
• Aval Upma – South Indian breakfast with spices and curry leaves.

The right way to make Kanda Poha Recipe

Making kanda poha is fast and easy. Simply put together the components first after which carry every part collectively in a pan.

Preparation

1. Decide 1.5 cups thick or medium-thick poha first. Rinse them in clear operating water in a strainer or colander twice or thrice.

Rinsing in recent clear water softens them as they soak up water.

Ensure that to not overdo the rinsing. It will make them mushy and pasty.

2. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon sugar (or as required) and salt in keeping with style on the rinsed flattened rice flakes.

3. Gently combine along with your arms or with a spoon.

4. Dry roast 2 tablespoons peanuts in a heavy pan on medium-low warmth till they grow to be crunchy. Stir typically for even cooking of the peanuts.

The peanuts ought to be roasted properly and should not have any rawness in them. Roast until they grow to be crunchy and have a couple of blisters on their skins.

As soon as they’ve roasted properly sufficient, take away them from the pan and put aside in a plate.

Tip: When you like, you too can choose to pan-fry the peanuts in 1 tablespoon of oil.

Notice: You probably have nut allergy or don’t like peanuts, merely select to omit including them. As a variation, you too can add cashews should you favor.

Sauté Potatoes

5. Peel 1 medium to giant dimension potato and chop into small cubes. In the identical heavy kadai or pan, warmth 2 to 2.5 tablespoons oil. Sauté the potatoes in medium scorching oil.

Ensure that to chop them in small cubes or else they’ll take extra time to prepare dinner.

6. Sauté them till mild golden and crisp. Stir them typically whereas sautéing. Be certain that the potatoes are cooked comfortable and tender. They shouldn’t be undercooked.

7. As soon as the potatoes grow to be mild golden and crisp, take away them with a slotted spoon draining the additional oil. Hold apart with the roasted peanuts.

Sauté Spices & Onions

8. In the identical kadai, there can be some oil left. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds to the new oil. If there is no such thing as a oil, add 1 tablespoon oil and warmth it gently.

9. When the mustard seeds splutter, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

10. When the cumin seeds splutter, add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions. Sauté the onions till they soften and grow to be translucent.

11. Now, add 8 to 9 curry leaves (medium to giant dimension), 1 teaspoon chopped inexperienced chilies and the roasted peanuts. Combine properly on low warmth.

Make Kanda Poha

12. Add the rinsed flattened rice.

13. Combine gently with the remainder of the components.

14. Add the potatoes and blend very properly. Cowl the pan tightly with a lid and steam the poha for about 2 minutes on low warmth. Take away the lid and test the style. If required, add extra salt and sugar.

Tip: While you add the potatoes, if the flattened rice flakes look dry to you, sprinkle about 1 to 2 tablespoons of water throughout. Stir to combine gently and canopy the pan with lid and steam for two to three minutes on a low warmth.

15. Garnish with 2 to three tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and a pair of to three tablespoons grated recent coconut (non-obligatory).

16. Combine gently.

Serving Strategies

Serve Kanda Poha scorching or heat with lemon wedges. The lemon juice needs to be squeezed on the dish earlier than consuming it.

Alternatively, you too can observe this technique. When the poha recipe is cooked, drizzle about 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice on it. Combine properly and garnish with grated coconut, coriander leaves whereas serving.

It’s also possible to prime your poha with sev (high-quality fried gram flour vermicelli) or farsan/combination should you like. Pair the dish with Masala Chai or Ginger Tea should you like.

Storage Strategies

Retailer poha in an hermetic container at room temperature, in a cool and dry place. Because it absorbs moisture simply, hold it away from humid spots like close to the range or sink.

Use glass jars, metal tins or good-quality BPA free plastic containers to take care of its crispness. In humid areas, divide the rice flakes into smaller batches and hold the additional sealed in ziplock or vacuum luggage.

To stop bugs, you’ll be able to place a couple of dried neem leaves or bay leaves within the container.

Cooked poha ought to at all times be refrigerated in an hermetic field and consumed inside 1 day. Reheat by sprinkling a bit water and steaming or microwaving till heat.

Dassana’s Notes

1. Sort of Poha: I exploit each the white and pink varieties to make this dish. So each the varieties can be utilized to make this recipe. However at all times use thick or medium-thick selection to make this breakfast dish. Skinny selection will grow to be a mush and pasty after rinsing and cooking.
2. Poha Texture: After rinsing, press a overwhelmed rice flake. It’ll simply crush or mash whether it is comfortable sufficient. You’ll be able to prepare dinner with this. If not, then it have to be nonetheless dry. On this case, sprinkle little water on the flattened rice flakes and blend gently.
3. Rinsing Flattened Rice: I often use a colander or strainer to rinse the flattened rice flakes below operating water and never soak them. Rinsing helps to melt the flakes simply. However take care to not rinse an excessive amount of or soak them in water as this will make them mushy or lumpy.
4. Greens: To make it more healthy, add boiled peas, finely chopped capsicum and grated carrots or your most well-liked veggies. Steam, boil, sauté, pan-fry the greens accordingly earlier than you add to the dish.
5. Garnish: I garnish my recipe with coriander leaves and grated recent coconut. Whereas I might not recommend you to skip the coriander, you may give the coconut a miss. For some cruncy and crispy texture you possibly can additionally choose to garnish or prime with sev or farsan.
6. Style Preferences: When you don’t just like the slight candy style within the dish, don’t add sugar. It’s also possible to squeeze some lemon juice on the dish earlier than consuming it or choose to not. For a spicy recipe, add extra inexperienced chillies. When you like a little bit of gingery style, add about ½ teaspoon of finely chopped or minced ginger.

Poha, The Ingredient

Poha is made by parboiling and flattening rice grains into skinny, dry flakes. It softens rapidly when soaked in water or milk.

It’s identified by totally different names: pauwa (Hindi), paunva (Gujarati), chira (Bengali), phov (Konkani), aval (Tamil, Malayalam), atukulu (Telugu), avalakki (Kannada).

Varieties embody skinny, medium and thick poha, plus pink or brown variant comprised of entire rice. For this recipe, use thick or medium varieties.

Flattened rice is flexible – in addition to breakfast dishes, you too can make snacks like Poha Chivda  by roasting or frying it.

Pohe, The Dish

Poha is a light-weight and nutritious breakfast made by cooking flattened rice with spices, curry leaves and seasonings. Onions, potatoes or each are sometimes added.

To make it extra healthful, you’ll be able to add peas, carrots, cashews, peanuts and garnish with coriander and coconut.

For me, poha has been a consolation meals since childhood. My mom typically made it for breakfast or brunch, and it stays certainly one of my go-to easy meals.

Your Questions, My Solutions

Poha Recipe from the archives was first printed on August 2013.