Poha recipe | Kanda Batata Poha Maharashtrian style

Poha recipe with a step-by-step guide. Poha is one of the favorite breakfast dishes in India. It is a typical breakfast or snack item in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan states. So, this dish has thousand different varieties of recipes.

Depending on the region poha is served without anything on the side or garnished with grated fresh coconut, lemon wedge, sev, farsan, raw onion, or spicy gravy.

What is Poha?

Poha is nothing but rice and has many health benefits compared to rice. The process is rice being parboiled, rolled, flattened, and dried to produce flakes. Poha is also called beaten rice or flattened rice.

There are mainly two varieties, one is thick and the other is thin. In poha recipe, a thick variety is used and thin to make chivda. Both varieties are dry, crisp, thin, white color flakes. There are many dishes (snack, savory and sweet) made with poha, and all of them require little cooking.

Authentic poha is yellow in color. Turmeric powder gives it a bright yellow color. There is a fine balance of heat from green chilies, tang from lemon juice, and mild sweetness from coconut or a pinch of sugar.

Poha recipe

Having been brought up in Mumbai and Pune, the Maharashtrian version is my favorite. For Punekar’s, poha runs in veins more than blood. While student life in Pune, ate like Punekar’s did, to be precise. Another common breakfast item was Sabudana Khichdi. Do check the recipe as I have mentioned tips and tricks for non-sticky sabudana khichdi.

In this post, I will share the Maharashtrian Poha recipe, made of onion and potato. Onion in Marathi is kanda and Potato is batata, so it is also called “kanda batata poha/pohe”. A simple poha recipe that results in soft and fluffy poha, with loads of onions, peanuts and etc makes it utterly complete in its own way.

Either of the two variations tastes good but combining both tastes better. Well, who does not like potatoes in any dish? Potato is a mutual friend which every vegetable has.

This is one of the dishes which does not need excellent cooking skills.

While authentic poha is bright yellow in color, you can add red chili powder to make it spicy. I also add little chat masala at the end to make chatpata poha.

Is Poha Healthy?

The staples in our diets are high in nutrient value. Few Nutritionists acknowledge poha as a superfood and recommend it as one of the healthiest Indian breakfasts.

Thinking of Poha as a carbohydrate is to overlook the way it is made. When mixed with other ingredients, the dish not only tastes delicious, but the glycemic index is low.

The dish has healthy carbohydrates, and good fats, high iron content, squeeze of lemon juice provides Vitamin C, because of the manufacturing process it has probiotic advantages, low in calories, and is rich in fiber.

For all the above reasons, Poha is perfect to start the day with. It will keep you full for longer. It is easy to digest and does not cause bloating. Also, it is recommended during the weight loss journey.

Ingredients to make Kanda Batata Poha

It is a dish that is simple and quick to make with fewer ingredients. The basic ingredients in poha recipe are;

• Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Green chilies
• Curry leaves
• Spices like asafoetida and turmeric powder
• Onions, and lots of it
• Potatoes
• Peanuts
• And the thick variety of poha, of course!

To make this dish, the only prep-work needed is rinsing/soaking.

How to make Poha

1. Take thick poha in a bowl.

2. Wash it 2-3 times. Do not over wash, the poha will absorb more water and become mushy.

3. Drain the water completely.

4. Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes. Do not skip this step.

5. Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add chopped potato. On medium flame, cook till nearly done. Remove on a plate.

6. In the same hot oil, add peanuts. Saute for 5 seconds.

7. Add mustard seeds, and cumin seeds and let them crackle.

8. Add chopped green chilies and curry leaves. Let the leaves turn crisp. Next, add hing.

9. Now, add the chopped onion. On medium flame, saute till soft/translucent.

10. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

11. Add turmeric powder and saute for a few seconds. Add the fried potatoes and mix.

12. Add the softened poha and gently mix.

13. Next, add salt and sugar. Mix well.

14. Add the remaining coriander leaves. Give a good mix.

15. Splash little water on the poha and cover the pan for 5 minutes on low flame.

16. Mix well. Poha is ready to serve.

Pro tips

Make sure to use a thick variety of poha. A well-made poha has fluffy and soft, while each grain of beaten rice remains separate. The texture of poha completely depends on rinsing/soaking. What I follow for the perfect texture is:

• Take the required quantity of poha in a bowl. Wash it 2–4 times, after the last wash, run it through a strainer or colander. Let it rest for 5-10mins. The resting step allows moisture to dry out.

• If washed poha is immediately added to the tempering, because of the moisture, the dish will turn mushy.

• Quantity of oil is only to cook the tempering ingredients. If the quantity is more, poha will be oily.

• For a delicious and authentic tasting poha, add lots of onions! In the authentic recipe, onions are cooked till soft, so that they add slight sweetness and crunch to the dish.

• My mother’s tip: When the dish is ready, sprinkle little water and cover the pan. Let it steam on low flame steam for 2–3mins. The process is the same to reheat it.

• Tastes best when had hot. As it cools, the poha tends to get dry. To reheat, just splash water on poha, cover and cook on low flame for few minutes. Else can microwave by following same process.

• Fresh coriander leaves add refreshing flavor.

More Breakfast Recipes

Dosa with homemade dosa batter

Sabudana Khichdi

Thepla

Try this Poha recipe and give your day a good start. Do not forget to rate and comment. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

You can also follow me on Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!

Recipe Card