Indori Poha (Indore Street Food)

Indori Poha is a popular street food from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, made with flattened rice, spices, herbs and unique toppings. Fresh onions, pomegranate arils, sev, boondi and jeeravan masala give it its signature sweet, tangy and spicy taste. The mix of soft, crunchy and crispy textures makes every bite enjoyable. This easy vegan recipe is perfect for breakfast or as a light snack.

About Indori Poha

Indori Poha is a popular street food from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Unlike the Maharashtrian-style Poha Recipe, where onions are sautéed, Indori Poha is prepared without cooking the onions.

Instead, finely chopped raw onions are added as a topping along with coriander leaves, pomegranate arils, sev and a generous sprinkle of jeeravan masala.

One of the defining characteristics of this dish is its balance of sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. Fennel seeds lend a subtle sweetness, while the toppings add freshness and crunch to every bite.

For an authentic taste, I recommend using jeeravan masala along with Ratlami sev or Indori sev and Masala Boondi (nukti).

These ingredients give the dish its signature flavor and texture. Jeeravan masala is a unique spice blend from Madhya Pradesh and has a taste that is quite different from Chaat Masala or Garam Masala.

Besides Indori Poha, the spicy jeeravan masala can also be sprinkled on snacks like Dahi Vada, Samosa, Batata Vada, Kachori for an extra layer of flavor.

Having visited Indore, I have had the opportunity to enjoy local favorites like Poha-Jalebi, Dal Bafla and Bhutte Ka Kees.

After tasting Indori Poha for the first time, I wanted to make it at home. I referred to a few recipe videos on YouTube. Later, I adjusted the ingredients and proportions to develop my own version.

A few more flattened rice recipes that I often make include Poha Upma, Batata Poha and Chura Matar.

How to make Indori Poha (Stepwise)

Preparation

1. First, get all the ingredients ready. You will need the following:

• 2 cups thick or medium-thick poha
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1 lemon
• ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped onions
• ¼ cup Indori sev
• ¼ cup masala boondi or khara boondi (nukti)
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• jeeravan masala as needed
• ¼ cup pomegranate arils, optional

2. Jeeravan masala is a special and unique spice blend that gives Indori Poha its distinctive flavor.

If unavailable, use a mix of ¼ teaspoon each coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and red chili powder, along with 1 to 2 pinches each of black salt and ginger powder (saunth).

3. Take the thick poha in a colander or strainer.

4. Begin to rinse in clean running water.

5. Gently mix and swirl the poha with your hands while rinsing. Do not rinse too much, as the flakes absorb water quickly and can become mushy or break apart.

6. Drain the water. The flattened rice flakes must become soft but remain intact, whole and separate.

If the they do not become soft, sprinkle a few drops of water on them in the strainer. Let them rest until softened.

7. Take the flattened rice flakes in a mixing bowl.

8. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar and salt as required. You can add less or more sugar, as per your taste preferences.

9. Lightly mix with a spoon or with clean hands.

Make Indori Poha

10. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy kadai or pan. Keep the heat to low or medium-low, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let it crackle.

11. Then add 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf) and let them splutter.

12. Add chopped green chili. At this step, you can add curry leaves if you want. For small kids, you can skip green chilies.

Stir and sauté for a few seconds.

13. Keep the heat to low and add the rinsed poha.

14. Gently mix the flattened rice flakes with the tempering till the color changes to a light yellow.

15. Cover kadai or pan with lid and steam the flattened rice flakes on low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes.

16. After 1 to 2 minutes, remove the lid and stir again. Switch off the heat.

17. Next, take the hot poha on a plate.

18. Top with some chopped onions and chopped coriander leaves.

19. Sprinkle jeeravan masala on top. You can add 1 to 2 pinches of jeeravan masala or more. 

Jeeravan masala is spicy. So, add depending on how spicy you like your food to be.

20. Add pomegranate arils. You can add the quantity of toppings as per your preferences.

21. Top with masala boondi or khara boondi (nukti).

22. Now, top with Indori sev or Ratlami sev. You can also use masala sev, laung sev or Aloo Bhujia.

23. Squeeze some lemon juice on top.

24. Assemble the Indori Poha in a similar way on plates and then serve them straightaway.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

1. Make sure to use the thick poha variety to make this dish.
2. While rinsing the flattened rice, gently mix and swirl the flakes with your hands. Ensure not to rinse too much. As then, it gets mushy and breaks. The drained flakes should remain intact, whole and separate.
3. If the poha is not soft, you can sprinkle a few drops of water on it in a strainer. Let it rest for some minutes until it gets soft.
4. In case you don’t have jeeravan masala and can’t source it either, mix ¼ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 pinch black salt and 1 to 2 pinches ginger powder (saunth) and use it instead.
5. Adjust the quantity of sugar in the dish, as per your liking. You can even add curry leaves with green chilies in it. If making for kids, skip adding green chilies.
6. You can skip adding the pomegranate and use any masala or khara boondi in place of the special nukti. You can also add quantity of toppings as per your preference.

Indori Poha from the archives was first published on March 2018.