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Home » Recipe Course » Breakfast

Poha Recipe

Published January 25, 2021 Updated January 28, 2021 By Meeta Arora 7 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Kanda Batata Poha
Kanda Batata Poha

Poha is an easy and delicious Indian breakfast recipe popular in western and central Indian. Made with flattened rice, onion, potatoes, and seasoned with mild spices, curry leaves, peanuts and cilantro, this recipe also makes up for a quick mid-day snack.

Poha garnished with peanuts and pomegranate in a white bowl with 2 cups of chai

My mother in law is from Indore, and there poha with jalebi is a tradition for breakfast. It is one of the most popular street food there. The first thing that comes to her mind for breakfast is poha.

I also found the poha there was different than the Kanda Poha I was used to in Mumbai or that my mom made.

Indori Poha is khatta meetha..which means sour and sweet. Fennel seeds are added to the poha which gives a wonderful taste and aroma. Poha when served is toppedt with ratlami sev (now we do it with bhujai) and pomegranate seeds. The most unusual one added as a garnish is chopped onions. But once you have it, you might start enjoying the crunch!

On the other hand, in Maharashtra, peanuts are added to poha, which is a must in authentic Maharashtrain Kanda Batata Poha (kanda means onions, and batata means potato).

I love poha in any way. And it is a weekly ritual in my house. Poha with Masala Chai is like weekend morning well done!

So the poha I am sharing today has the goodness of both Indore and Maharashtra poha. Hope you enjoy it!

You might enjoy other popular breakfast recipes - Sabudana Khichdi, Khaman Dhokla, and Semiya Upma.

What is Poha?

Poha is basically rice flakes that have been parboiled, rolled, and flattened. In English, poha is called flattened rice or beaten rice.

They vary in thickness and have uneven edges. They carry a bland taste and can absorb a large amount of water. The medium and thin variety of poha, can become a bit mushy compared to the thick variety.

Poha is quite easy to cook and can also be a light, delicious, and nutritious mid-afternoon snack. It can be used to make both sweet and savory recipes.

poha, flattened or beaten rice flakes in a bowl

How to make Poha?

Before making poha, you need to wash it well under running water and let it rest in a strainer. Ensure that all the poha flakes are wet.

Then gather the required ingredients - onions, potatoes, peanuts and spices. Dice the onions and potatoes along with fresh green chilies.

  • Place a heavy bottom pan on the stovetop, add some oil and let it heat on medium-high flame.
  • Then add peanuts to the oil, if you like, and sauté them well. You can skip this step in case you don't like peanuts or are allergic to them.
  • Once the peanuts are well roasted, take them out of the pan and set them aside on a dry plate.
Preparation steps to make poha
  • Then add the cumin and mustard seeds to the oil and let them sizzle a bit.
  • Add the curry leaves and sliced green chilies, diced onions to the oil and sauté them well.
  • Then add the diced potatoes, mix them well with onions and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes.
  • Then open the lid, and let the potatoes cook on medium-high heat. Break a potato with a spatula to check if it is cooked well. You want the potatoes to be cooked well before adding the poha.
How to make poha in a pan step by step
  • Then add turmeric, salt, sugar, and the strained poha to the pan. Keep mixing them all gently till the poha becomes yellow in color.
  • Once you add poha to the pan, turn the heat to low so that it doesn't stick to the pan, and also it stays hot until you mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
  • You can cover the pan for a few minutes for the flavor to get absorbed in the poha. If the poha seems dry, you can sprinkle some water on it and cover with a lid.
  • Finally, turn off the heat and open the lid. Sprinkle some fresh lime juice along with the roasted peanuts (if using) that you set aside.
  • Taste the poha and adjust the salt according to your preference. Garnish this delicious breakfast poha with fresh cilantro leaves or any other garnishes like sev or pomegranate seeds.
Poha with garnishes of sev, cilantro and pomegranate seeds

Tips to make Perfect Fluffy Poha

Follow these tips to make the perfect, moist and fluffy poha:

  • I usually use medium or thick (preferred) variety of poha for this recipe. Thin poha will become quite mushy and you won't get the right texture.
  • Rinse the poha till it becomes soft and let it rest in the colander while you prep and sauté the onions and potatoes.
  • While adding the potatoes to the poha, make sure to dice them up real small so that they cook quickly.
  • You can add peanuts for an extra bit of crunch and a touch of sugar will give a wonderful taste. I highly recommend to not skip the sugar, as it balances the flavors very well.
  • In case your poha seems a dry bit, just sprinkle some water and mix it once.
  • Garnishes are always a must for poha. The popular ones are lime juice, sev, and cilantro. You can also add sev or bhujia and pomegranate seeds.
  • Poha is always best enjoyed immediately, but if you are storing it for later use, then keep it in an airtight container.
poha with garnishes and masala chai

Variations

Maharashtrain Poha: The Maharashtrian poha is also known as Kanda Batata poha, it garnished with grated coconut, and peanuts.

Indori Poha: While the Indori poha is garnished with sev, sliced onions and fennel seeds.

Jain Poha: You can make poha without onions for a jain variation.

Lemon Poha: While I always love to add lime or lemon juice at the end as a garnish for poha, you can add a little extra lemon juice and make Lemon Poha. You might also like Lemon Rice recipe.

Vegetable Poha: You can also add other veggies like diced bell peppers, green peas, corn or grated carrots to make vegetable poha.

Hope you enjoy this easy and delicious breakfast! Don't forget to share how you enjoyed it.

Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
Poha garnished with lemon, sev, cilantro and pomegranate seeds

Poha

Meeta Arora
Poha is an easy and delicious Indian breakfast recipe popular in western and central Indian. Made with flattened rice, onion, potatoes, and seasoned with mild spices, curry leaves, peanuts and cilantro, this recipe also makes up for a quick mid-day snack.
5 from 4 votes
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Servings: 3
Calories: 380
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Vegan
Method: Stovetop
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Equipment

  • Heavy Bottom Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 cup Poha (flattened rice) medium or thick
  • 2 tablespoon Oil divided
  • 2 tablespoon Peanuts raw, optional
  • ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Rai) optional
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera) optional
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves (Kadi Patta)
  • 2 Green Chili Pepper diced, adjust to taste
  • ¾ cup Onions diced
  • ¾ cup Potato diced into ½-1 centimeter pieces
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Cilantro leaves (Corainder) chopped

Garnishes when serving (optional)

  • Sev as needed, or bhujia
  • Pomegranate seeds as needed
  • Coconut freshly grated

Instructions
 

  • Add poha to a strainer, and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Make sure all the poha is wet. Let it rest while you sauté the other ingredients.
  • Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan and let it heat.
  • (optional )Add the peanuts and saute for 1-2 minutes while stirring continuously. When they are roasted, take out in a plate and set aside.
  • Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds to the oil, and let them sizzle.
  • Add the curry leaves and green chili pepper. Then add the diced onions and stir well. Saute for a minute.
  • Add the diced potatoes. Mix well with the onions. Now cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked completely. Open lid and stir. Break a potato piece with the spatula to make sure it is cooked well. (It is important to cut the potatoes to small pieces so they cook quickly in 3-4 minutes)
  • Add turmeric, salt, sugar and poha to the pan. Mix gently, until all the poha gets the yellow turmeric color. Change to low heat and cover the pan for 2 minutes. This helps to heat the poha.
  • Turn off heat and open the lid. Sprinkle lime juice, add back the roasted peanuts (if using).
  • You can taste test, and adjust salt as needed. Garnish with cilantro leaves and any optional garnishes.

Notes

Variety of poha: I usually use medium or thick (preferred) variety of poha for this recipe. Thin poha will become quite mushy and you won't get the right texture.
Potatoes: Make sure to dice potatoes real small so that they cook quickly.
Sugar: I highly recommend to not skip the sugar, as it balances the flavors very well.
Poha is dry? In case your poha seems a dry bit, just sprinkle some water and mix it once.
Vegetable Poha: You can also add other veggies like diced bell peppers, green peas, corn or grated carrots to make vegetable poha.
Storing: Poha is always best enjoyed immediately, but if you are storing it for later use, then keep it in an airtight container.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 901mgPotassium: 348mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 139IUVitamin C: 88mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 3mg
Keyword how to make poha, indori poha, kanda poha, poha recipe
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. B says

    June 05, 2022 at 11:54 am

    Poha came out nicely. A bit of sugar and some ground, frozen coconut thawed added as garnish made it tasty!

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      June 06, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      Hi - So good to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  2. Adriana J Quintero says

    May 10, 2022 at 8:21 am

    I made Poha for my family on mother's day and they loved it. I have prepared this recipe several times before and it always comes out soooooo delicious, I love it.
    Thank you for your recipes, they are always delicious, easy to follow and they always come out good.

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      May 13, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      Hi Adriana - So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing back 🙂

      Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      May 17, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Andriana - So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing back 🙂

      Reply
  3. Viraj says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    can this recipe be made in the instant pot?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      Hi Viraj - I would not recommend to pressure cook poha. You can make it on saute mode, but that would be the same as making it in a pan on stovetop. Hope you enjoy the poha!

      Reply

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Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

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