Kanda Batata Poha (Aloo Pyaz Poha, Spiced Indian Flattened Rice) is a popular breakfast recipe in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Make this classic recipe using my easy instructions (vegan, gluten-free).
Here are some more Indian breakfast recipe ideas – Spot Idli, Rava Appe, Masala Paratha, Besan Chilla, Moong Dal Chilla, and Sabudana Khichdi.
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About This Recipe
Kanda Batata Poha (Aloo Pyaz Poha, Spiced Indian Flattened Rice) is a simple and quick breakfast recipe that is made in almost all North Indian households and it has become quite popular in entire India too.
Also known as chura, aval, avalakki, or chivda in different parts of India, this gluten-free dish is great to serve for breakfast, snacks, tea time, or a quick dinner.
It is great to pack for school or work lunch boxes as well.
Every household has a slightly different method of cooking poha recipes. In this post, I am sharing the aloo pyaz poha recipe that my mom has been making for ages.
I am also sharing a few pointers to keep in mind while making poha. Although it is a super simple recipe, it is also one of the recipes that you can goof up in a wink. So read the post carefully and make the best poha ever!
You can also try my other poha recipes like – Green Poha, Millet Poha, Poha Bhel, Indori Poha, and Red Rice Poha.
Ingredients
Poha – Pohe is the star ingredient of this recipe. It is made by parboiling the rice and then flattening it. After the rice is flattened or beaten, it is dried until crisp.
There are many varieties of pohe available in the market – thin poha, thick poha, red rice poha, gluten-free poha, etc.
To make Kanda Batata Poha, use thick white rice poha. They are easily available in any Indian grocery store.
Onion – Kanda is onion in the Marathi language. Onions add a nice crunch to poha.
Do not chop the onions too finely. Slightly larger chunks will be great.
Potato – Potato is called batata in Marathi. I like to add them in pohe as they make it filling and who doesn’t like potatoes, right?
Peas – You can use frozen or fresh peas in this recipe.
Others – You will also need vegetable oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, peanuts, turmeric powder, salt, lime juice, sugar, and cilantro (fresh coriander powder).
To Serve – I like to serve pohe topped with finely chopped onions, grated fresh coconut, and bhujia sev. You can also top them with pomegranate kernels.
Adjust the green chilies as per your taste.
To make pohe healthier you can add veggies like carrot, capsicum, green beans, cauliflower, etc to it.
How To Make Poha Recipe
Prepare The Poha
Add 1 and ½ cups of poha to a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it under running water until the water runs clear. Keep mixing the poha while rinsing so that all of them get rinsed properly.
Keep the strainer over a large bowl and keep it aside.
Stir Fry The Poha
Heat 4 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, and 2 green chilies (slit into half) and saute them for 5-6 seconds.
Add ¼ cup peanuts and for a minute, stirring continuously.
Now add ½ cup chopped onions and saute for a minute.
Add ½ cup of peeled and diced potatoes (½-inch cubes), ¼ cup green peas, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and ½ teaspoon salt, and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are completely cooked. Stir a few times while cooking.
Open the lid and break a potato piece with the spatula to make sure it is cooked well.
Add 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, and the soaked poha to the pan and mix well.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Add 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) and mix well.
Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the moisture in pohe is less, they become dry. If they look dry, then splash 2-3 tablespoon of water over them and mix them well. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes, they will become fluffy again.
It is much lighter and healthier as compared to rice and eating it at night is perfectly fine.
Poha is recommended for breakfast, as it is high in carbs. It has 76.9 percent of carbohydrates and about 23 percent of fats.
And therefore, it’s a great breakfast dish as it provides energy to the body to carry out its daily functions.
This North Indian breakfast dish is light on the stomach and also digests easily.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this easy peasy breakfast recipe along with a hot cup of Adrak Wali Chai or Coffee.
Poha is traditionally topped with grated fresh coconut, pomegranate seeds, and various types of sev. I like to top it with my homemade Aloo Bhujia.
You can also top it with finely chopped onions.
Storage Suggestions
Poha tastes the best when served hot, right from the pan.
It tends to get dry when stored for longer.
However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just splash some water over them and mix well. Reheat until nicely warmed and serve hot.
You can also use the leftover pohe to make other recipes such as cutlets, paratha, or even pakoras.
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Recipe Card
Kanda Batata Poha Recipe (Aloo Pyaz Poha, Spiced Indian Flattened Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups thick white rice poha
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 10-12 whole curry leaves
- 2 green chilies (Slit into half)
- ¼ cup peanuts
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ½ cup peeled and diced potatoes (½-inch cubes)
- ¼ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Prepare The Poha
- Add poha to a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it under running water until the water runs clear. Keep mixing the poha while rinsing so that all of them get rinsed properly.
- Keep the strainer over a large bowl and keep it aside.
Stir Fry The Poha
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies and saute them for 5-6 seconds.
- Add peanuts and saute for a minute, stirring continuously.
- Now add onions and saute for a minute.
- Add potatoes, green peas, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are completely cooked. Stir a few times while cooking.
- Open lid and break a potato piece with the spatula to make sure it is cooked well.
- Add lime juice, sugar, and the soaked poha to the pan and mix well.
- Cover and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Add cilantro and mix well.
- Serve hot.
swati Bassi
Hi
I Love to eat poha. Its my all time favorite.
Thanks for sharing such yummy pics of poha.
msnehamathur
Thnx for liking Swati
Sarah
Delicious and easy to prepare! Would be curious to see more recipes that use poha.
msnehamathur
There are a few more on the blog. Just type Poha in the search bar.