Poha recipe – Poha or pohe is a quick breakfast & snack made with beaten rice or flattened rice, spices, peanuts and onions. It is not only popular in Maharashtraian and Gujarati cuisines but also in many other regions of India. Poha is prepared in a similar way in most regions. This post will teach you how to make poha in minutes.
It can be eaten not only as a breakfast but also for a snack or quick dinner. It can also be taken to school or work in lunch box.
Poha is usually eaten without any side. But they are garnished or topped with different ingredients like sev, raw onions or even with fresh grated coconut.
We make the Maharashtrian Kanda batata poha very often for our breakfast as it is very quick to make. Here kanda translates to onion and batata to Potato. Adding potatoes makes it a kids’ friendly dish. I always use them as my kids’ like it that way.
To make poha, you can also skip the potatoes or just replace them with some green peas. You can either use boiled/ steamed potatoes or use them raw directly and cook in the pan itself.
I have followed the later method here. But if you have trouble cooking your potatoes quickly, then it is good to use them boiled.
Another popular version is the Indori poha. The use of fennel seeds make it very distinct in flavor from the Maharashtrian version. It is garnished with sev & raw onions.
Tips
Choose the right kind of poha: Always choose medium to thick poha and avoid the thin ones. The thin kind are not suitable to make breakfast poha as they turn mushy when rinsed.
If you are a newbie, you can check simply by rinsing a spoonful of poha in little water and drain it. They should not turn mushy.
Rinsing poha: Do not over rinse or over soak the poha otherwise they may turn mushy. I generally rinse them twice and drain the water completely. Cover and set aside until the tempering is ready.
After chopping the onions, check if the poha is soft by pressing a few flakes in between the thumb and the fore finger. They should break easily. If not then sprinkle some water. Mix and cover it till needed.
Veggies: To make it healthier and balanced you may add in different kinds of veggies like carrots, peas & capsicum. You can also skip the onions and use fine chopped cabbage. Use what ever you like in your poha.
Toppings : Poha is generally topped with fresh grated coconut, crunchy peanuts, sev or farsan. It tastes pretty much delicious even with peanuts alone.
More Breakfast recipes,
Chilla recipe
Methi Thepla
Upma recipe
Rava idli
Semiya upma
Akki roti
Poha recipe
Poha recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups poha (beaten rice flakes )(thick to medium flakes)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 to 3 green chilies slit or chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 medium potato (optional) cubed to ½ inch (or ½ cup mix veggies)
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp peanuts or cashews
- ¾ tsp mustard seeds
- ¾ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ tsp turmeric (add more if needed for color)
- Salt as needed
- ½ to 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- Lemon juice as needed
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
How to make the recipe
Preparation
- To make poha, choose medium to thick flakes. Avoid thin flakes. Add them to a bowl or a strainer or colander.
- Pour 4 to 5 cups of water and rinse them quickly. Drain the water completely. I rinse them twice.
- Cover and set aside to soften. Meanwhile prepare the veggies.
- Press a few flakes of poha in between your thumb and forefinger, they should be soft & break easily. If they don't then sprinkle little water mix and cover.
- When they turn soft enough, add some sugar and salt. Run your fingers through the poha to break the lumps & spread salt.
How to make poha
- Heat a pan with oil and fry the peanuts on a medium heat until golden and crunchy.
- Remove the peanuts to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add mustard and cumin.
- When they begin to pop, add hing, onions, curry leaves and green chilies.
- Saute until the onions turn lightly pink.
- Optional – Add cubed potatoes or mix veggies and saute for a min. Cover and cook on a low heat until soft and cooked completely. If needed can sprinkle some water and cook. Once done, saute for another minute.
- Add turmeric and poha. Mix well and cover the pan.
- Cook on a very low heat until it turns hot. Turn off the heat and taste it. Add more salt if needed & squeeze lemon juice.
- Garnish poha with coriander leaves & roasted peanuts. You may top with sev or farsan or fresh coconut.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
- Always choose thick to medium variety poha. Thin poha is not suitable to make this recipe as they turn mushy when rinsed.
- If you are running short of time, just skip potatoes. You can also use boiled potatoes.
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Preparation
1. Clean poha and add them to a large colander, strainer or bowl or pot. Please note that to make non sticky poha, you will need to use thick or medium flakes. If you use thin flakes then the poha will turn mushy.
2. Rinse them well a few times. Drain the water completely and set aside. I usually rinse them twice but if you feel they turn too mushy after the first rinse then stop rinsing further.
3. Meanwhile chop onions, green chilies and potatoes. Poha would have absorbed water and softened in about 5 to 7 mins. Run your finger across the flattened rice to break lumps if any.
If they do not turn soft, then sprinkle some water and set aside. Make sure they do not turn mushy. Add salt and sugar (optional). Mix and set aside.
How to make poha recipe
4. Heat oil and fry the peanuts until golden and crunchy. Set them aside. This way the peanuts remain crunchy.
4. Heat the same pan with oil and allow the mustard and cumin to crackle.
6. Add chopped onions, green chilies and curry leaves.
7. Saute until the onions turn pink.
Optionally add potatoes or mix veggies and saute for a min.
8. Cover and cook on a low heat until the potatoes are soft cooked. If you have used boiled potatoes, you can skip this step.
10. Once the potatoes are cooked thoroughly, you can saute them on a high flame for 1 to 2 mins. Add turmeric.
11. Add poha and mix well.
12. Cover and cook on a low heat until it becomes hot. Stir in between to prevent burning. Sprinkle coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.
13. Switch off. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add lemon juice and keep it covered until served.
Serve kanda batata poha with coriander leaves and roasted peanuts garnished.
Jas says
Thank you so much for this recipe Swasthi. It was so easy to follow.
I have never made or tried poha before but it was a favourite of my husband’s when he was growing up. I gave your recipe a try today and it was a huge hit. My husband was so happy. We packed some for my parents too and they loved it. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. Thank you again.
swasthi says
Hi Jas
Wow! That’s nice to hear. Thank you so much!
Akash Patil says
Thank you. I made first time and it is awasome.
swasthi says
Glad to know!
Lalljee says
As I could not get my hands on Peanuts, I boiled brown channa. I fried the potatoes with Haldi, dhania, salt and a dash of red chillie powder before taking it off the fire. Added both at the end before serving, so it does not get mashed. It was lapped up by all
swasthi says
Glad to know!
Love the addition of Brown chana!
Thank you
Grace Sarvotham says
Excellent Poha. So easy light and tasty. Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Grace
Glad you liked it!
Sadhana says
I tried with brown poha in various ways. Every time I try to make them something goes wrong. Too hard or very mushy. Can you please help me with the same?
swasthi says
Hello Sadhana,
Actually you can use them the same way as regular white poha. With the thicker and harder brown poha I usually rinse them and steam in my cooker for 2 mins. They turn out soft, perfect without turning mushy. You don’t need to heat the steamed ones after adding to the pan. Just give a good stir.
Winnie says
I always make poha in this way, sometimes by adding potatoes or mixed veggies and topping with sev or grated coconut. Either way,it tastes so good.
swasthi says
Glad to know Winnie
S says
Hi Swasthi, your recipe’s are simple and delicious – thank you!
How will I know if the pooja I have is the right thickness or if it’s too thin?
swasthi says
Hi S,
You are welcome and Thank you!. Take 1 spoon of poha and add it to a small cup. Rinse them twice and drain the water fully. If they turn mushy and too soggy then they are too thin. They are not good for making poha. You can just use it to make chivda. There is also another kind that is too thick. If they don’t soften after rinsing twice then rinse them a few more times. If needed you can also check chivda recipe here. Hope this helps.
Nisha says
Best poha I have ever taste!
I am from Guyana, South America so I am fairly new to authentic Indian food.
I have only made poha twice and didn’t really like the first one because it was mushy.
I had your recipe for lunch and my god it was delish!
I will be trying the multi grain ladoo next.
I am having some problems sourcing the different type of flour.
swasthi says
Hi Nisha
Glad to know you! Happy to know your poha turned out good. Thank you so much for sending the pictures. You can check this collection of ladoo recipes. You may find something without flour. Thanks again.
🙂
Atul Krishan says
Hi! My name is Atul and I have just taken to cooking. Poha is the first dish I am going to try today as it seems easy and is healthy.
As I go along please keep feeding me with many more of such easy, healthy, snacky, recipes which I can make. I would also like to add that at 54, I am diabetic and hypertensive, under medication. But I keep myself fit with daily one hour regime of exercise and brisk walking.
Will appreciate if you keep these in mind and help me teach some amazing and healthy recipes which I can Self-learn and make. Thanks
swasthi says
Hello Sir,
Yes Poha recipe is a good one to start with. You can check these links for whole grain and healthy recipes:
Wholegrain/ Millet recipes
Oatmeal recipes
Ragi recipes
Hope these help
Roma says
Too good
swasthi says
Thanks Roma
PRAKASH says
TOO GOOD
Sadiya Farheen says
Love every recipe! This dish was wiped out in few minutes. Thanks for making my life more flavorful n delicious. Would really love to have all your recipes on an app.
swasthi says
Hi Sadiya,
Thank you so much! Glad you like them. Managing an app needs additional resource so I am unable to.
🙂
Usha says
Can you please provide me Khama dhokla recipe
swasthi says
Hi Usha
Yes I can. Will take some time to share. Thank you!
Ankit Singhal says
Thank you mam,
Recipe is simple, still its great. Your recipes are very close to that of hotels. Whenever i look for some recipe, i first check them at your site, then afterward I go somewhere else. Thanks ☺
swasthi says
Hi Ankit,
You are welcome. Glad to know! Thank you so much!
Shuba says
Yummy. Thank you for the recipe.I added carrot, peas and bell peppers to the poha. Turned out really good.
swasthi says
Hi Shuba,
You are welcome! Thanks for the comment! Glad it turned out good.
Donella Coutinho says
Great recipe. I love having poha
Zanna says
This it such an excellent easy recipe. It took me only about 30 minutes in total, Perfect if you need to make something quickly and haven’t prepared anything in advance! I love the texture – very comforting and easy to eat for everyone. Thank you 🙂 < 3
Padma says
Swathi
How to prepare dondakayabajjilacurry
swasthi says
Hi Padma
I don’t know how to make it.
shamanth says
I did as mentioned above it was good
Thank you
swasthi says
welcome Shamanth
Lubna says
Help plz…! When I washed my poha it turned very mushy and completely lost it’s shape plz can u tell me what went wrong. Desperate to try ur recipe n want mine to look as beautiful as yours.
swasthi says
Hi Lubna
Probably what you have used is thin poha or disco poha variety which is used to make chivda and not this poha.
To make this poha recipe, I have mentioned in the recipe card to use thick to medium variety.
Just to save your poha for now, Drain the water completely. Add some milk to it along with chopped nuts, some jaggery or sugar and use it up. It makes a wonderful snack or breakfast.
Next time buy poha thats of thick or atleast medium variety and use it here. Hope this helps
Shakir says
After washing poha you should spread on plate
Zarina shaikh says
Hey swasti mam your all recipe make me a super cook n now I confident and ready for my marriage life. Thanks n love u mam
swasthi says
Hi Zarina
You are welcome. Happy to know the recipes r useful.
Thanks a lot for the love.
🙂