• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • ABOUT

Swasthi's Recipes

Home >> Recipes >> Breakfast Recipes

Poha recipe | How to make poha

By swasthi , on December 19, 2020, 71 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Poha recipe – 2 ways to make, with simple step-by-step instructions, video & photos. Poha (pohe) is a quick Indian breakfast made with flattened rice, onions, spices, herbs & peanuts. This delicious & nutritious dish is eaten in many regions of India so there are numerous ways to make it. This post will teach you how to make poha in just 20 minutes. I have shared 2 easy ways to make it.

poha recipe

Table of contents

  • What is poha?
  • About the recipe
  • How to make poha (step-by-step photos)
  • Pro Tips
  • How to make dadpe pohe
  • Faqs
  • Recipe card

If you are new to Indian regional cuisines & wondering

Advertisement

What is poha?

Poha is flattened rice that is steam cooked with onions, spices and herbs. The word “poha” refers to the flattened rice itself and as well the dish made with it.

These flattened rice flakes are also known as parched rice or beaten rice. They are considered to be nutritious & wholesome as they are got by minimally processing paddy.

So flattened rice is used widely across India to make various dishes like chivda, upma, dosa, idli and many more. Among the most commonly eaten is this dish POHA.

It is eaten for breakfast, snack & even for a quick dinner. It can also be taken to school or work in lunch box.

This simple dish does not need any accompaniment. But it is usually garnished and topped with various ingredients like sev, raw onions or fresh coconut.

About the recipe

The first one is the Maharashtrian Kanda batata poha recipe which we make often for our breakfast. Here Kanda translates to onions and Batata to potato in Marathi. So this one is made with onions and potatoes. You can use both or skip any one of them. Or replace potatoes with some green peas.

I prefer to use potatoes as my kids love them in their poha. You can either use boiled/ steamed potatoes or use them raw directly and cook in the pan.

I have followed the later method here. But if you have trouble cooking your potatoes quickly, then it is good to use them boiled.

The second recipe is for dadpe pohe which is more common in the Konkan region. This recipe needs fresh coconut and is quick to make like the first one. I have been making this in the recent times for a change.

Another popular version is the Indori poha which I am yet to share. The use of fennel seeds make it very distinct in flavor from the Maharashtrian version. It is garnished the same way with sev & raw onions.

More Breakfast recipes,
Chilla recipe
Methi Thepla
Upma recipe
Rava idli
Semiya upma
Akki roti

How to make poha (step-by-step photos)

1. Clean 1½ cups 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 poha will turn mushy after rinsing them.

adding poha to a bowl

2. You have to be quick at this step as doing it slowly will make them too mushy and soggy. Rinse them well with clean filtered water. Drain the water completely. Repeat the rinse & drain the water completely. I usually rinse them twice but if you feel they turn too mushy after the first rinse then stop rinsing further. Keep the bowl aside.

rinsing poha well with water

3. Meanwhile chop 1 medium sized onion and 1 to 2 green chilies. Also rinse the curry leaves and coriander leaves. Fine chop the coriander leaves. If you want to use potatoes then chop them to half inch cubes and keep them immersed in water until needed.

4. Check if poha has softened by pressing down a few flakes in between your thumb and fore finger. Run your finger across the flattened rice to break lumps if any. Poha would have absorbed water and softened in about 5 to 7 mins.

If they are not soft yet, then sprinkle some water and set aside until the tempering is ready. Make sure they do not turn mushy. Add salt and sugar (optional). Mix and set aside.

adding salt sugar

Tempering for poha recipe

5. Heat a pan with ½ tablespoon oil and fry the peanuts until golden and crunchy. Set them aside for garnishing. This way the peanuts remain crunchy. You can also dry roast the peanuts if you prefer.

dry roasting peanuts to make poha

6. Heat the same pan with 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon oil. When the oil becomes hot, add ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds and ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds. Let them splutter.

tempering spices in oil to make poha recipe
Advertisement

7. Add chopped onions, green chilies and curry leaves.

frying onions chilies to make poha

8. Saute until the onions turn pink. If using potatoes, drain the water completely and add the cubes to the pan. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

adding potatoes

9. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat until the potatoes are soft cooked. If needed you may add more oil.

cooking potatoes till soft to make aloo poha
Advertisement

10. Once the potatoes are cooked thoroughly, you can saute them on a high flame for 1 to 2 mins. Add turmeric.

adding turmeric

11. Add softened poha and mix well.

adding soaked poha to pan

12. Cover and steam on a low heat until poha becomes hot. Stir in between to prevent burning. If you feel your poha is too dry, then you may sprinkle some water in between. When done it should be soft and not mushy. Sprinkle coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.

sprinkling coriander peanuts

13. Take it off the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add lemon juice and keep it covered until served.

adding lemon juice to aloo poha

Garnish kanda batata poha with fine chopped coriander leaves and roasted peanuts. You can also sprinkle some grated coconut or crunchy sev.

poha
Advertisement

Pro Tips

Choosing poha: Using the right kind of poha is very important for this recipe. Always choose medium to thick poha flakes and avoid the thin ones. The thin kind are not suitable to make this recipe as they turn mushy when rinsed.

Test your poha if you are a newbie: You can check simply by rinsing a spoonful of poha in little water and drain completely. If they do not turn mushy then they are very much suitable to use in this recipe.

If they turn mushy then you may use them to make dadpe pohe (recipe 2) instead.

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 different kinds of fine chopped veggies like carrots, peas & capsicum. You can also skip the onions and use fine chopped cabbage. Blanch the cabbage in hot water for 2 to 3 mins and then add use them the same way like onions. Use whatever vegetables 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.

Make ahead

You can make this poha recipe ahead by simply preparing the tempering first. Cool, cover and keep the whole pan/pot in the fridge. When you are ready to eat your poha, simply rinse your flattened rice and soften them. Add them to the tempering and mix. Steam them on a low heat. Your poha will be ready in no time.

How to make dadpe pohe

Dadpe pohe is made with much the same ingredients as kanda poha except for an additional ingredient, coconut. This is best to serve for a snack. In this recipe poha is not rinsed or steamed. It is eaten in the raw form but is softened. It tastes delicious with good flavors of fried curry leaves and green chilies.

dadpe pohe garnished with roasted peanuts served in a red serving plate

This is made by mixing chopped onions, fresh grated coconut, coriander leaves, lemon juice, poha, salt and sugar. To soften the poha, little coconut water or plain water is splashed.

Then a tempering of curry leaves, green chilies, mustard seeds and peanuts is poured to the mixture. It is covered so the dadpe pohe absorbs much of the tempering flavour.

This is even easier than the first recipe. Again there are different versions of this. Sometimes I add little grated cucumber, carrots and sometimes tomatoes too. This is best made with fresh coconut and medium poha.

Avoid using thin flakes and too thick flakes. Thinner flakes stick up and clump up. Too thick flakes won’t soften quickly. This recipe is kids’ friendly if you skip or reduce the green chilies. Here are the ingredients to make it.

Ingredients (serves 3)

2 cups poha (medium flakes)
¾ to 1 cup fresh grated coconut
1 medium onion (½ cup finely chopped)
1 to 2 green chilies (chopped, adjust to taste)
1/3 cup coriander leaves (fine chopped)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar (or fine sugar)
½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1 medium lemon (adjust to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut water or plain water
¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon oil (more if needed)
2 sprigs curry leaves (torn or chopped)
1 pinch hing / asafoetida
1 to 2 pinches turmeric
¼ cup peanuts

Instructions for dadpe pohe

1. To begin with I sieve the poha so any fine powdery stuff can be easily separated. Then add them to a large plate. You will be making the dadpe poha in this.

poha ready to make in a plate

2. Add onions, grated coconut, salt, powdered or fine sugar, lemon juice and coriander leaves.

add onions coconut salt and sugar
Advertisement

3. Mix all of them. You will see the poha is still dry. At this stage splash little coconut water or plain water if needed. Traditionally it is made with coconut water but plain water can be used. Give a good mix. Cover this and set aside until soft. If you think it is too dry sprinkle little more water. But take care not to add a lot else it will turn mushy.

add lemon juice

4. Taste test. Add more salt, sugar and lemon juice if needed. This is how mine looked after it softened. Cover this until soft for 5 to 10 mins. Onions and fresh coconut release some moisture so sprinkle more water only if needed after 10 minutes.

mix all the ingredients

How to make

5. Pour 1½ tablespoon oil to a pan and heat it. When the oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds, chopped green chilies and torn curry leaves. When the curry leaves turn crisp, turn off. Add 1/8 teaspoon hing and a pinch of turmeric (optional).

tempering in a pan

6. Pour this to the premixed poha. Cover it immediately so the flavors are absorbed.

dadpe pohe in a plate

7. Meanwhile, roast the peanuts in the same pan until golden and crunchy. I do not prefer to do it with the tempering as the peanuts soften a bit when covered. Add these just before serving.

roasted peanuts in a pan

Let the dadpe pohe soften to your liking. We like ours a bit chewy and not too soft. If it is not soft then you may sprinkle little water or coconut water. Then transfer to serving bowls. Top with roasted peanuts.

dadpe pohe ready to serve

Faqs

Why is my poha mushy?

Using thin flattened rice flakes, over rinsing or over soaking them will make your poha mushy.

Why is my poha hard?

Thicker flakes won’t soften quickly evenly after rinsing them a few times. Rehydrate them with a splash of water and let them rest until needed.

Is poha healthy?

Yes poha is healthy as it is made by minimally processing paddy. To make flattened rice flakes, paddy is soaked, parboiled and then pressed to flatten & separate the husk. Since they are processed with the bran, most of the nutrients are said to be intact.

Is flattened rice gluten free?

Yes flattened rice flakes are naturally gluten free. To make the dish gluten-free, skip asafoetida in the recipe or use one that is gluten-free.

Troubleshooting tips

These tips are helpful especially to those living outside India. There are different kinds of poha in the market. Not all are same and many times they are not the same even though they are from the same brand. Often we end up buying whatever is available. These troubleshooting tips will come handy in such times.

Some kinds of poha are too hard, too thick and dense. They remain hard even after rinsing several times under running water. They either need a short soak for 5 to 10 minutes or they need to be steamed properly for few minutes in a steamer or cooker.

I steam the hard brown poha for 3 minutes & hard white ones for 1 minute in my cooker. They come out fluffy & perfect without becoming mushy.

Sometimes poha turns completely mushy though they look like the medium thick flakes. Test a spoonful of flattened rice by rinsing first. If they are mushy, then are no good to be rinsed. Sprinkle water little by little and mix until all of the poha becomes damp. Set aside to soak & soften.

Related Recipes

upma recipe

Upma recipe (...

Chilla recipe | Besan chilla recipe | Besan cheela

Chilla recipe...

methi thepla recipe

Thepla recipe...

rava dosa

Rava dosa rec...

aloo paratha

Aloo paratha ...

rava uttapam breakfast recipes

Instant rava ...

Recipe card

Advertisement
poha

Poha recipe

Poha is a simple Indian breakfast & snack made with flattened rice, peanuts & spices. This recipe will help you to make perfect poha within minutes. I have shared 2 ways to make – kanda poha and dadpe pohe.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

  • 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)
  • 1½ tablespoons oil
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons peanuts or cashews
  • ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (add more if needed for color)
  • ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • Lemon juice as needed
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
Advertisement

Instructions

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. If you feel poha is too dry, you may sprinkle some water and continue to steam.
  • Turn off the heat when poha has softened & become hot. Remove from heat. Taste test and 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. Serve it hot.

Making dadpe pohe

  • Add 2 cups of poha to a wide plate along with ½ cup fine chopped onions, 1 cup fresh grated coconut, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fine sugar and ¼ cup fine chopped coriander leaves.
  • Squeeze the juice out of 1 medium lemon and mix all of them with your hand. You may optionally add 1 to 2 tbsps of coconut water or plain water to soften them little more.
  • Cover and set aside for 5 minutes until they soften. Onions and coconut will release some moisture and make the dadpe pohe soft.
  • After 5 minutes, pour 1 tablespoon oil to a small tadka pan and heat it.
  • Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 2 sprigs of torn curry leaves, 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Fry all of them until the curry leaves turn crisp.
  • Then add a pinch of hing and 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric. Pour this to the flattened rice mixture so it absorbs all of the flavors.
  • Meanwhile add peanuts to the same pan and roast them until golden and crunchy. Once done set these aside to cool.
  • Mix the poha well and taste test. If needed add more salt and lemon juice. If the poha is not soft to your liking you may add more coconut water or plain water and mix.
  • Garnish dadpe pohe with fried peanuts.
Advertisement

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.
 

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Poha recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 229 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Sodium 39mg2%
Potassium 600mg17%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 145IU3%
Vitamin C 46.4mg56%
Calcium 74mg7%
Iron 8.3mg46%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

WhatsApp
Share5K
Pin5K
Reddit8
Tweet
Email
9K Shares
FOR MORE RECIPES

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.


This post was first published in August 2016. Updated & republished in December 2020.

Poha recipe | How to make poha
WhatsApp
Share5K
Pin5K
Reddit8
Tweet
Email
9K Shares

Related Posts

Advertisement

FEATURED RECIPES

Breakfast Recipes

Upma recipe (r…

upma recipe

Cake Recipes

Banana cake re…

banana cake recipe

Breakfast Recipes

Aloo paratha r…

aloo paratha

vegetarian

Paneer recipes…

paneer recipes

Dal Recipes

Dal makhani (S…

dal makhani recipe

Rice Recipes

Veg biryani re…

veg biryani

Advertisement

POPULAR RECIPES

Idli recipe (S…

soft idli

Samosa recipe …

samosa

Pav bhaji reci…

pav bhaji

Eggless chocol…

eggless chocolate cake

Palak paneer r…

palak paneer

Rajma recipe |…

rajma

Advertisement

Paneer butter …

paneer butter masala

Kadai paneer r…

kadai paneer

Paneer tikka r…

paneer tikka

Advertisement

About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Reader Interactions

Share Your Comments & Feedback: Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Advertisement
  2. Abhinav says

    January 14, 2021

    5 stars
    Very good recipe!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 16, 2021

      Thank you

      Reply
  3. Beatrice Lewis says

    January 10, 2021

    5 stars
    My family enjoys all the recipes from your website – this is one of the easiest and quickest breakfast recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 16, 2021

      Hi Beatrice,
      You are welcome! So glad to know your family loves them. Thank you so much
      🙂

      Reply
  4. Edith says

    December 27, 2020

    I’m excited to try this! One question: the instructions say to add hing along with the onions, curry leaves, and chillies. But the ingredients list doesn’t say how much (and the step-by-step instructions at the top also leave out hing). Would a pinch of hing do it, or is it better to leave it out?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 28, 2020

      Hi Edith,
      It is optional. If you like the flavor you can add a pinch. I usually leave it out. Hope you enjoy it.
      🙂

      Reply
      • Edith says

        December 31, 2020

        Thank you! Much appreciated.

        Reply
  5. LadyKPT says

    November 15, 2020

    5 stars
    Made this last night my first foray into Poha, really tasty and easy. Thanks!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 16, 2020

      Welcome!
      Glad to know! Thank you

      Reply
  6. Shivani says

    October 24, 2020

    5 stars
    Yr blog and recipes helped me thru the lockdown. For a person who had to learn how to cook rice too yr site was a blessing.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 30, 2020

      Hi Shivani
      So glad to know the recipes helped. Thanks for leaving a comment.
      🙂

      Reply
  7. Mythili says

    October 19, 2020

    Salt part is missing. Great a neat presentation.

    Reply
  8. Advertisement
  9. ESPY says

    July 29, 2020

    Excellent recipe, thankyou. I tried it today and we all enjoyed it till it got over.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 1, 2020

      Glad to know

      Reply
  10. Palak says

    July 14, 2020

    Hey swati di
    Thank you telling such an amazing recipe
    As I am a freshy in cooking . Your recipe helped me alot
    Thank you once again

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 16, 2020

      Hi Palak
      You are welcome!
      Glad to know!
      🙂

      Reply
  11. Murali says

    July 4, 2020

    Thank you Swati for such a detailed recepie for Poha.. I tried it for the first time and it was awsome in first attempt it self. Your steps were so clear, I blindly followed it. Will try more of your recepie now..
    Thanks again

    Reply
  12. Iqbal says

    June 7, 2020

    Swathies. All. The. Best
    You. Have. Receipts. Very. Well. And. Studies
    My. Only. Suggestions. You
    Have. Receipts. Please
    Trasilate. Malayalam. Language

    Reply
  13. Jay kashyap says

    June 3, 2020

    NYC article

    Reply
  14. Advertisement
  15. Jas says

    May 28, 2020

    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.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 29, 2020

      Hi Jas
      Wow! That’s nice to hear. Thank you so much!

      Reply
  16. Akash Patil says

    May 23, 2020

    Thank you. I made first time and it is awasome.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 29, 2020

      Glad to know!

      Reply
  17. Lalljee says

    May 19, 2020

    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

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 20, 2020

      Glad to know!
      Love the addition of Brown chana!
      Thank you

      Reply
  18. Grace Sarvotham says

    May 15, 2020

    5 stars
    Excellent Poha. So easy light and tasty. Thanks

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 16, 2020

      Welcome Grace
      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  19. Sadhana says

    May 14, 2020

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 16, 2020

      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.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

DIWALI RECIPES

JALEBI RECIPE
RASGULLA RECIPE
RASMALAI RECIPE
GULAB JAMUN
BESAN LADOO
KAJU KATLI
RAVA LADDU
Advertisement

CATEGORIES

DINNER RECIPES
SANDWICH RECIPES
BREAKFAST RECIPES
RICE RECIPES
CHUTNEY RECIPES
SNACKS RECIPES
SWEETS RECIPES

Follow me on social media

Facebook

Like

Instagram

Follow

Pinterest

Follow

Twitter

Follow
Advertisement

HEALTH CORNER

RAGI RECIPES
OATS RECIPES
MILLET RECIPES

Advertisement
Advertisement

© 2012 - 2020 - Swasthi's Recipes. The content is copyrighted to SWASTHI'S and may not be reproduced in any form.