poha recipe

by dassana amit | 105 Comments
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poha recipe with step by step photos – poha is a popular maharashtrian breakfast recipe made from red or white flattened rice, herbs and spices.

kanda poha, onion poha

this recipe is for kanda poha. poha is the maharashtrian word for flattened or beaten rice and kanda means onions. hence the term kanda poha or kanda pohe (pohe being plural of poha).

in some variations of poha recipe potato is added instead of onions. some people like to add both onions and potatoes. so there are many variations of making poha. e.g. if you are adding potatoes then you can either fry them or boil them and then add.

i have grown up having poha for breakfast apart from idli, dosa and upma. my mom used to make poha often for breakfast or for brunch. either it used to be made with onions or potato or both with onions and potato.

poha is a light breakfast that is easy and quick to prepare and taste good too. to make it more nutritious you can add potatoes, boiled peas, grated carrots, roasted peanuts and garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) and grated coconut.

tips for making poha recipe

  1. when making poha after rinsing them well,  press a grain and if it gets crushed/mashed easily then it is soft enough to be cooked. otherwise if it is dry and does not get mashed easily then sprinkle little water over it and mix well.
  2. i usually rinse the poha in a strainer or colander under running water and don’t soak them in water. rinsing the poha grains softens them easily.
  3. you can also add boiled peas or grated carrot when making this poha recipe. this makes this dish more healthy and nutritious.
  4. i have also added grated coconut in the poha but this is optional.
  5. i use both red and white poha to make kanda poha. i have updated this post with step by step pics, where the poha is made with white poha but the final pics have the poha made with red poha.

how to make poha

1. rinse the poha (flattened rice) in water till they soften.

kanda poha
2. they should loose their crunchiness and when you break them between your finger, they should easily get crushed or mashed. keep aside.

kanda poha
3. now add sugar, salt and turmeric powder to the poha and gently mix.

kanda poha
4. dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they become crunchy.

kanda poha or onion poha recipe
making poha recipe

5. heat oil in the same pan.

kanda poha
6. crackle the mustard seeds first.

kanda poha
7. then add onions and saute them till they become translucent.

kanda poha
8. add curry leaves and green chilies.

kanda poha
9. saute for half a minute.

kanda poha

10. add the roasted peanuts and stir.

kanda poha or onion poha recipe
11. add the poha and stir.

kanda poha
12. cover and steam the poha for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.

kanda poha
13. when the poha is cooking check after 1 or 1.5 minutes and give a stir again. again close the pan and let it cook.

kanda poha
14. switch off the fire and let the kanda poha remain covered for 1 to 2 minutes.

kanda poha

15. remove the lid and sprinkle some lemon juice, coriander leaves and grated coconut.

kanda poha
give a gentle stir and serve kanda poha hot with tea.

kanda poha or onion poha recipe

few more poha recipes

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poha recipe

4.84 from 37 votes
Author:Dassana Amit
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:15 mins
Total Time:30 mins
Course:breakfasts,snacks
Cuisine:maharashtrian
Calories: 397kcal
Servings (change the number to scale):2 to 3
poha recipe, kanda poha recipe
kanda poha is a popular maharashtrian breakfast recipe made from red or white flattened rice, onions, herbs and spices.
(1 CUP = 250 ML)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 cups thick poha - red or white beaten rice or flattened rice
  • 1 large onion - finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 or 2.5 tablespoon peanuts
  • 10 to 12 curry leaves
  • 1 green chilli - chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or as required
  • 1 or 1.5 tablespoon oil
  • salt as required

for garnishing

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
  • lemon juice as required
  • grated coconut as required

INSTRUCTIONS

preparation for poha recipe

  • rinse the poha in water till they soften.
  • they should loose their crunchiness and when you break them between your finger, they should easily get crushed or mashed.
  • now add sugar, salt and turmeric powder to the poha and gently mix.
  • dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they become crunchy.

making poha recipe

  • heat oil in the same pan.
  • crackle the mustard seeds first.
  • then add onions and saute them till they become translucent.
  • add curry leaves and green chilies. saute for half a minute.
  • add the roasted peanuts and stir.
  • add the poha and stir.
  • cover and steam the poha for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.
  • when cooking check after 1 or 1.5 minutes and give a stir again.
  • switch off the fire and let the kanda poha remain covered for 1-2 minutes.
  • remove the lid and sprinkle some lemon juice, coriander leaves and grated coconut on poha.
  • give a gentle stir and serve kanda poha hot with tea.
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dassana amit

Founder, Chef, Recipe Developer, Food Photographer >> MORE ABOUT US

namaste and welcome to vegrecipesofindia.com which i started in feb 2009 and is a pure vegetarian blog. i have been passionate about cooking from childhood and began to cook from the age of 10. later having enrolled in a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was formally trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.

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105 comments/reviews

  1. Tried the recipe and can definitely say that it is my go through recipe from now onwards. Thanks for sharing this simple yet delicious recipe.5 stars

  2. It was so easy & simple madam, i will also try this recipe & serve to my lovable ones.
    Please do more easy recipes which can be done at home
    good going

  6. This is a delicious and well explained recipe. Ive been making it for years now and turns out perfectly. Thank you for putting it here.5 stars

  8. Dear Dassana Ji, my wife ‘ordered me’, to make one cup of cold, wet, poha, without potatoes. (She hates potatoes…). Then she rolled over, and went back to sleep …… since it is a Sunday, and her only day of rest.
    But, it is minus 7 oC ouside, and dreary snow on the landscape, and my toes were getting frozen, so I decided to make your hot kanda kandey pohe’. I’m glad, I did, for the hot pohey felt good.
    If you will indulge me, I made a few modifications ….
    I used salted, pre-roasted peanuts, which I crushed coarsely, with a rolling pin.
    Also I put in a pinch of Aamti or sambhaar powder, ( I forget which – ) … for ‘good luck’ …..
    I also used coconut oil and a dollop of coconut paste for the ‘salutations’ to some konkani gods,
    also I put a small pinch of urad dal and jeera for part of the tadka. This is out of habit. Also I forgot to add turmeric, so the yellow color was missing, but it is so dark, here until 10 am, that I did not even notice the lack of color.
    My wife liked it, nevertheless, so I am off the hook …. until tomorrow.
    Best Seasons wishes for the Christmas, Hannukkah, KrishnaJayanti, Buddhastami, and Eid. Keep up the good work, and a good sense of humour.5 stars

    • Welcome Vidwan. Seasons greetings to you and your wife also. Glad to read your sweet and humorous comment. Good to know the variations you did to kanda poha. I hope you will be blessed with more cooking skills and will make more people laugh with your humour.

  12. I always make poha. But my​husband complaint about texture and taste, than I tried your recipe ahd he loved it. Thank you so much for tasty recipe5 stars

  14. Hi Dassana,

    Thank you for all wonderful recipes. I learnt many cooking dishes from your blog. Instructions are easy to follow and recipes are just WOWW.
    I have small doubt about thick poha. I made kanda poha using thick poha. It became crunchy instead of soft. I know I did not soak it properly. Can you please help me , how to soak thick poha!

    Thanks.5 stars

    • thanks dipti. i don’t soak thick poha. i take them in a strainer or colander. then i rinse them twice or thrice in running water and gently swirl the poha flakes with hands while they are getting rinsed. this way they absorb the water and become soft but not mushy. keep them in the colander only as the excess water then drains off from it.

  15. My poha recipe becomes mushy and salt less most of the times…I have lost confidence cooking it !!

    • using a colander or strainer, just rinse once or twice. drain the water very well. for salt, you can always add more salt later if the salt is less.

  19. I m so in love with all ur recipes..u have turned me who was a non cooking person and who just hated cooking to a cooking lover.. thanks a lot..ur work is highly appreciated

  20. I came across your blog when I was looking for poha recipe. It turned out beautifully. Suffice to say I fell in love with your blog. I always turn to it for any recipe that I need. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job.

  21. These recepies save me in my in-laws as they r sooooooooooooooooo much stubborn about their taste . So these recepies save my life n make me praised from my soooooooooooo sticky in-laws

  22. These receipes are amazing .Easy to cook n always get praise from my family……These are authentic…..