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. It is a kids’ friendly dish & I always use the potatoes as my kids’ like them here.
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.
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 (or parched rice or 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) medium, cubed to small size (½ cup)
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp peanuts or cashews
- ¾ tsp mustard or rai
- ¾ tsp cumin or jeera
- ¼ tsp turmeric or haldi (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 quickly. Drain the water completely.
- 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.
- Then add some sugar and salt.
- Run your fingers through the poha to break the lumps & spread salt. Cover and set aside.
How to make poha
- Heat a pan and add peanuts.
- Dry roast them until golden & aromatic. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Pour oil to the same pan and heat it. 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 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.
- Next add coriander leaves and switch off.
- Taste it and add more salt if needed & sprinkle lemon juice.
- Garnish poha with roasted peanuts and coriander leaves.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
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. Add peanuts to a pan and fry 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 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.
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!
Payal says
Hi Swasthi,
I followed your instructions and poha was good but it didn’t have much taste , it was BLAND. I know I added less onions and no peanuts but it wasn’t tasty. Please suggest what to do. Thanks Payal
swasthi says
Hi Payal,
You are welcome! Thanks for trying. Not enough oil, onion, green chilies, peanuts, salt or lemon juice can make the poha less tasty.
Try with some peanuts, grated ginger, more green chilies, fresh coconut and then lemon juice. It turns out good. You can also add some sev or farsan. Try with different ingredients & check what suits your taste.
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!
Hema says
Swasthi,
My poha is too hard inspite of soaking them for 10 mins. This time I got a large bag of thick poha. Please tell me how do i soften them.
swasthi says
Hi Hema,
Sorry your comment went unnoticed. If they don’t turn soft even after soaking then you can steam them for 2 to 3 mins. I do it sometimes as the thin kind is not available easily here. I rinse and drain the water completely. Then Cover and steam for 2 to 3 mins and rest in the steamer till the tadka is done. Do not cook after you add the steamed poha to the pan. Turn off the stove as soon as you add them to the pan. Mix and cover for a while. They turn very soft.Hope this helps.
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
Binu David says
Didn’t work for me ? cause of washing the poha became mushy and it turned out like halwa instead.
swasthi says
Hi Binu
I have mentioned in the ingredients list to use thick or medium poha which are specifically meant for the above recipe. The poha that you have used is chivda poha which turns mushy. Give a try next time with thick or medium poha
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.
🙂
anjali says
Hi Swathi your recepie is are so nice&simple
swasthi says
Thanks Anjali
Narendra Wetkoli says
Looking Delicious.
swasthi says
Thanks