Kanda Poha is a Maharashtrian delicacy, which is often made using Onions (Kanda) and Flattened Rice/Beaten Rice (Poha).
You can have it as a breakfast or tea-time snack, but most of the time it is served as a breakfast snack across India.
And it goes well with a hot cup of Indian masala tea as well as coffee.
In my family, we also make Kanda Poha for breakfast, and it has now become our go-to dish for Mondays.
After savoring the heavy meals on Sundays, we prefer to have something light the next day.
Therefore, it makes a perfect light breakfast option.
In the following post, I have shared a traditional version of the recipe.
Step By Step Recipe
Alright, let’s quickly take a look at the recipe preparation:
In this recipe, I have used Fried Peanuts as well as Boiled Potatoes. You can add or remove them as per your taste.
Both these ingredients bring nice taste and texture to this dish.
Now, in the next step, you will need to prepare a base mixture with Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves, Green Chillies, Onion, Salt, Turmeric Powder, Fried Peanuts, and Boiled Potatoes.
This mixture helps in creating a delicious base for the recipe.
So tempting, right?
Check out these tips to perfect the art of making Kanda Poha –
Tips To Make Kanda Poha
- Wait till the Mustard Seeds crackle in hot oil. If you put other ingredients immediately after adding the Mustard Seeds, you will not get the desired taste to it.
- Always use Thick Poha to prepare this recipe. If you’re planning to buy it from a local store, make sure you check the label on the packet.
- Don’t forget to put the lid on after stirring it gently. It helps in getting the quintessential Yellow color to this dish.
- Sugar and Lemon Juice are the two secret ingredients of this recipe. So, don’t miss out on them. (If you prefer the salty taste, you can avoid Sugar from this recipe.)
- Don’t use a high flame to prepare the Onion base, as it gives a slightly bitter taste to the dish.
- If you want to have the prepared Kanda Poha after a few hours, sprinkle some water on it and reheat on a medium flame. And yes, don’t forget to check the taste in between.
Here’s the detailed recipe for you:
Kanda Poha Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 gm Flattened Rice (Poha)
- 1 Onion( Pyaz); medium sized finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp Raw Peanuts (Singdana)
- 1/2 Potato (Aloo); medium sized boiled and peeled
- 2 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai Dana)
- 6-8 Curry Leaves (Kadi Patta)
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice (Nimbu Juice)
- 5 gm Coriander Leaves (Dhaniya Patta) finely chopped
- 1 Green Chili (Hari Mirch) roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi Powder)
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tsp Sugar
- Salt as per taste
- Water as needed
- 2 tsp Grated Coconut (Kasa hua Nariyal) for garnishing
- Nylon Sev as needed
Instructions
- Get a bowl and rinse the Poha with some Water. Soak it in Water for 1-2 minutes and remove the excess Water later. Keep it aside once you’re done.
- Heat a Pan or Kadai on medium flame.
- When the Pan turns hot enough, add some Oil to it.
- As the Oil turns hot, add the Raw Peanuts and fry them till you get the golden brown color. Remove them from Pan and keep aside.
- In the same Pan, add the Mustard Seeds and wait till they crackle.
- Once you hear the crackling sound, add the Curry Leaves and Green Chilies. Sauté them for a couple of seconds.
- Now, add the chopped Onions and Salt to it. Sauté the Onions till they turn translucent.
- Add the Turmeric Powder, Boiled Potatoes, and Fried Peanuts to it. Mix everything well.
- Finally, add the soaked Poha, chopped Coriander Leaves, fresh Lemon Juice, and Sugar to it. Mix again. (You can also sprinkle some Water here if the Poha looks too dry.)
- Lower the flame and let it cook under the lid for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the Kanda Poha in a plate and garnish it with the grated Coconut, Coriander Leaves, and some Nylon Sev (optional).
Video
Notes
- As mentioned earlier, always use Jada Poha (Thick Poha) to make this recipe. If you use Thin Poha, you may not get the same consistency and texture to your dish.
- Poha absorbs water quickly. So, don’t let it soak in water for too long.
- If you’re using Potatoes in your dish, make sure check the salt in the end. The potatoes generally soak in all the flavors. Therefore, it’s important to taste Kanda Poha once you’re done.
- Just like the boiled Rice, Poha stores well, and you can enjoy it as an evening snack as well.
Kanda Poha Variations
Yes, you can make this dish in quite a few styles and ways!
Here are some of my favorite variants –
1. Vegetable Poha
Want to give a more interesting touch to this recipe?
Try mix vegetable Poha!
In this, you can add some fresh Carrots (Gajar), Green Peas (Matar), and Tomato. All these vegetables taste quite amazing with this recipe.
Moreover, it’s pretty similar to Vegetable Pulao where you can add your favorite veggies to the cooked Rice.
However, both the delicacies taste different due to the use of Indian spices.
Tip – Use shallow-fried vegetables for this recipe, as it gives a better taste to the dish.
2. Dadpe Pohe
Dadpe Pohe is just another version of Kanda Poha where you don’t have to cook it with Onion and Mustard Seeds base.
You just have to make a Tadka separately, which should be added later to the prepared mixture of Flattened Rice, Chilies, Onions, Tomatoes, Fried Peanuts, etc.
I’ll be sharing this recipe on Sprout Monk soon. So, stay tuned!
3. Tarri Poha
Apart from these two variations, there is also another recipe called Tarri Poha or Tarri Pohe.
It is hugely popular in the region of Nagpur and nearby places.
It is probably the spiciest version of Kanda Poha, and it is served with a bowl of Tarri (Spicy Curry), Chopped Onions, and Sev.
And that’s it for this recipe post. I hope you liked it.
So, how do you make Poha at home? Let me know in the comments section below.
Update Notes: Originally published in March 2019; republished in January 2020 with new recipe notes, variations, and tips. Updated on May 2020.
I will try this at home.
I don’t typically think of these flavors as breakfast food, but I bet they would be delicious as a late breakfast on the weekends! My wife is a huge fan of savory food for breakfast, so I’ll have to put this one on the list. In fact, just reading this recipe is making me hungry right now! 🙂
Yup, delicious and healthy too! Do try them out, David. I’m sure you will love this Kanda Poha recipe.