Kanda Batata Poha Recipe
Welcome to our kitchen! Today, we’re sharing an authentic Kanda Batata Poha recipe, a beloved breakfast dish from Maharashtra, India. This flavorful and wholesome dish is a perfect way to start your day. Let’s get cooking!
What is Poha?
People steam poha, a type of flattened rice, with onions, spices, and herbs. The term “poha” refers to both the flattened rice and the dish created from it. These flattened rice flakes are also called parched rice or beaten rice. People consider them healthy since they are made from minimally processed paddy.
In India, people use flattened rice in various dishes like chivda, upma, dosa, idli, and more. One of the most loved dishes made with flattened rice is called “POHA.” Many folks in India enjoy this healthy, traditional food, and there are several ways to cook it.
You can enjoy poha for breakfast, as a snack, or even have it for a quick dinner. It’s also a convenient option to put in your school or work lunchbox.
You don’t need any side dishes for this easy dish, but people often add garnishes like sev, raw onions, or fresh coconut.
My Poha Recipe
We often eat Maharashtrian Kanda Batata Poha for breakfast. In Marathi, “Kanda” means onions and “Batata” means potato. So, you make this dish with onions and potatoes, but you can use both or just one of them. If you like, you can also use green peas instead of potatoes.
I use potatoes because my kid loves them in her poha. You can cook the potatoes directly in the pan or use pre-boiled or steamed potatoes. In this recipe, I used the method of cooking the potatoes in the pan. However, if you have trouble cooking the potatoes quickly, it’s a good idea to use pre-boiled ones.
Another recipe we have is Dadpe Poha, and it’s quite popular in the Konkan region. This recipe has fresh coconut and is fast to prepare, just like the first one. These days, I’ve been making this dish to bring some change to our breakfast. I’ll share the Dadpe Poha recipe with you soon.
I will share another popular version called Indori Poha in the future. It gets its unique flavor from fennel seeds. Similar to the Maharashtrian version, people garnish it with sev and raw onions.
Pro Tips
Choosing right kind of poha
For this recipe, it’s essential to use the right type of poha. You should always pick medium to thick poha flakes and stay away from the thin ones. The thin ones don’t work well for this recipe because they become mushy when you rinse them.
Test the consistency of poha it this way: Simply rinse a spoonful of poha in a little water and drain it completely. If they don’t become mushy, they are just right for using in this recipe. If they turn mushy then you may use them to make dadpe poha instead.
Rinsing poha
Don’t rinse or soak the poha too much, or they might become mushy. I usually rinse them twice and make sure all the water drains out. Then, cover them and set them aside while we get ready to cook.
Once you’ve chopped the onions, check if the poha is soft by pressing a few flakes between your thumb and forefinger. They should break easily. If they don’t, sprinkle a bit of water on them, mix it in, and cover it until you’re ready to use them.
Vegetables you can add to poha recipe
To make it healthier and balanced, you can add various finely chopped veggies like carrots, peas, and capsicum. You can also skip the onions and use finely chopped cabbage. To do this, blanch the cabbage in hot water for 2 to 3 minutes, and then use it in the same way as onions. Use any vegetables you prefer in your poha.
Toppings/Garnishing you can add to kanda batata poha recipe
People usually sprinkle fresh grated coconut, crunchy peanuts, sev, or farsan on top of poha. It still tastes really delicious, especially when you have it with just peanuts.
Make ahead
You can prepare this poha recipe in advance by starting with the tempering. After that, cool it down, cover it, and keep the entire pan or pot in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat your poha, just rinse your flattened rice to make them soft. Then, add them to the tempering and mix everything together. Steam them over low heat. Your poha will be ready quickly.
Kanda Batata Poha Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups poha (thick to medium flakes)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 green chilies (slit or chopped)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 medium potato cubed
- 1½ tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp peanuts
- ¾ tsp mustard seeds (rai)
- ¾ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ⅓ tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- lemon juice as needed
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
Instructions
Preparation
- To make poha, choose medium to thick flakes. Avoid thin flakes. Add them to a bowl or a strainer or colander.1½ cups poha (thick to medium flakes)
- Pour 4 to 5 cups of water and rinse them quickly. Drain the water completely.
- Cover and set aside to soften. Meanwhile prepare other ingredients.
- 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.
- When they turn soft enough, add some sugar and salt. Run your fingers through the poha to break the lumps & spread salt.⅓ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
How to Make Poha
- Heat a pan with 1/2 tbsp oil and fry the peanuts on a medium heat until golden and crunchy.3 tbsp peanuts
- Remove the peanuts to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add 1 tbsp oil.
- Add mustard and cumin.¾ tsp mustard seeds (rai), ¾ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- When they begin to splutter, add hing, onions, curry leaves and green chilies.2 green chilies (slit or chopped), 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 pinch hing (asafoetida), 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- Saute until the onions turn lightly pink.
- 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.1 medium potato cubed
- Add turmeric and saute for a minute¼ tsp turmeric
- Add poha and mix well.
- Cover the pan and cook on a very low heat until it turns hot. If you feel poha is too dry, you may sprinkle some water and continue to steam.
- Turn off the heat when poha has softened & become hot. Remove from heat. Taste test and add more salt if needed & squeeze lemon juice.
- Garnish poha with coriander leaves & roasted peanuts. Serve it hot.2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
Notes
- Always choose thick to medium variety poha. Thin poha is not suitable to make this recipe as they turn mushy when rinsed.
- If you are running short of time, just skip potatoes. You can also use boiled potatoes.
- You can add grated coconut for extra flavor.
- Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the number of green chilies.
- Kanda Batata Poha tastes best when served hot, so enjoy it fresh from the pan.
