Poha Recipe

Poha is one of most popular Indian Breakfast. Flattened rice cooked with spices and onions is one of healthy and tasty breakfast dish in India. It's healthy, gluten free and ready in 20 minutes.

 

What is Poha

Poha is flattened rice which is extremely easy to cook. All you need is rinse it and it become soft and requires very minimal cooking time.This is also known as chura, aval, avalakki or chivda in other parts of India.

This typical Maharashtrian dish is also quite popular in Gujarat as well as many parts of Northern India. And this is because of a reason! Poha super easy to prepare, quite filling, nutritious, tasty and light breakfast that is ready in minutes. This is a gluten-free and vegan breakfast option as well.

This is also known as Pohe. There are two mostly two variations of the poha recipe. One is Kanda poha in which poha is cooked with onions, herbs and spices. The second is Kanda batata poha. But I make it in slightly different way and add a few more ingredients to make it vegetable poha.

Ingredients You Need

Poha or flattened rice/beaten rice 

Fresh: Onions, tomato, green chillies, curry leaves, lemon juice

Sprouts, cucumber

Spices and Seasonings: sugar, salt, mustard seeds, turmeric powder

From the Pantry: raw peanuts and peanut oiler ghee to cook

How to Make It

A well-made plate of poha should ideally be fluffy with each grain separate. Preparing poha is quite simple but if you are a beginner in cooking sometimes it turns mushy and not so good.

Trust me once you learn to cook it in the right way and take care of small things You can make perfect poha each time.

• Start with rinsing flattened rice/ beaten rice in a strainer under running water.
• Drain out excess water from the beaten rice. Keep them aside these will soften up by the time you prepare tempering.
• For making tempering, heat peanut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• When the mustard seeds start to splutter add peanuts and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add chopped onion and Fry them for 2-3 minutes.
• Add chopped green chillies and cook them for a minute.
• Add salt to taste and turmeric powder Mix well.

• Now add rinsed poha /flattened rice. Mix it well, but with gentle hands.
• Add lemon juice followed by powdered sugar. Mix them lightly with poha and cook for few more minutes. If poha feels dry sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of water and cover it for 2 minutes.
• Finally garnish the hot plate of poha with sev, grated coconut and coriander leaves and serve hot with some masala chai.

How To Make Good Poha

1. The right way to wash poha is rinse it in a strainer that will make it soft. Do not wash it in lots of water. It absorbs water easily and turns mushy fast while cooking.
2. To test poha is perfectly cooked when you taste it it will feel dry. In that case sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water and cover it for 2 minutes it will soften.
3. Curry leaves are a must in the tempering.
4. Add a lot of peanuts.
5. If you are adding potatoes, chop them small, fry them first in oil and then make tempering for poha.
6. Same goes for other vegetables if you are making vegetable poha add finely chopped carrots, beans, capsicum, boiled peas etc.
7. Cook vegetables in the tempering before adding soaked beaten rice.
8. You can make it with red rice poha but the look will be different in colour.
9. The authentic pohe recipe a little sprinkle of sugar is also added.
10. A perfect balance of this trio Chillies, lemon juice, and sugar. That’s the key to a perfect poha. 

Health Benefits of Poha For Breakfast

1. With appropriate preparation and additions of fibre and proteins in the form of veggies and lentils poha can be a good breakfast for even diabetics. The other health benefits of poha are:
2. It is a good probiotic and helps in maintaining good gut health. If you add veggies like capsicum, cabbage, peas, carrots etc it is a low in calorie breakfast dish and keeps you full for longer.
3. Eating a proper portion of poha is good for diabetics and even for weightloss.

Veggies to Add in Poha

You can add vegetables like tomatoes, steamed carrots, peas etc. I do that quite often when I make vegetable poha.

You can add small diced potatoes as well. But make sure to cook potatoes before adding rinsed poha to the dish.

Which is Right Poha Variety?

Just like other recipes the taste and look depends on the type of beaten rice you use. There are mainly three types available based on thickness. Thin almost paper-like which is good for chivda etc.

One is thick pohe which is almost like rice, and third is medium thick. Medium-thick variety is ideal for making this kanda poha.

Serving Suggestions

Serve poha garnished with lot of grated coconut and peanuts. It tastes best when paired with masala chai or adrak wali chai.

More Such Recipes to Try

1. Vegetable Poha Recipe
2. Bread Poha Recipe
3. Vegetable Upma Recipe

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