Green Poha Recipe (Hariyali Poha)

Name: Green Poha Recipe (Hariyali Poha)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) (tightly packed); ¼ cup mint leaves (tightly packed); 10-12 curry leaves; 2 teaspoons chopped ginger; 1 green chili (stalk removed); ½ cup grated fresh coconut (tightly packed); 3 tablespoons water; 2 cups thick poha (flattened rice); 1 tablespoon ghee (replace with oil for vegan); 1 tablespoon oil; ½ teaspoon cumin seeds; ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds; 10-12 cashew nuts (halved); 2 tablespoons peanuts; 1 cup chopped onions; 15-20 curry leaves; 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

By Neha Mathur

5 from 2 votes

Updated: Sep 03, 2026

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Green poha (hariyali poha, kothamali poha) is a delicious Indian breakfast recipe made using poha (flattened rice), herbs, and spices. Make it using my easy recipe.

Poha can be made in various ways. Here are some more of my favorite ways to make it: Poha bhel, Indori poha, and Banarasi chura matar.

Quick Look: Green Poha

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: Approx. 235 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free. Can be easily made vegan (use oil instead of ghee).
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Blender, mesh strainer, and a pan with a lid.

Quick Look: Green Poha
Ingredients
How To Make Green Poha
Other Indian Breakfast Recipes We Recommend
Green Poha Recipe (Hariyali Poha)

I was going to make breakfast when a friend came by with a batch of her homegrown mint and cilantro. The herbs looked so fresh that I was immediately tempted to use them. My poha was already soaked, so I twisted it and made this green poha instead of the classic one. It turned out delicious, too.

Green poha (hariyali poha), known as kothamali poha in South India, is your regular poha flavored with a coriander mint paste.

It is an instant, easy-to-make breakfast that comes together in under 30 minutes.

The herb paste gives it a refreshing taste and a beautiful green hue, which makes it quite different from the regular poha recipe.

Serve coriander-mint poha for breakfast on its own, or with a generous topping of sev and a cup of masala chai or South Indian filter coffee on the side. It can also be packed in a lunch or snack box.

Ingredients

Poha – Poha or flattened rice forms the base of this recipe. Poha comes in various thicknesses. I like to use thick poha for this recipe because it doesn’t get mushy after soaking. You can also use red poha or millet poha instead of white poha.
For the paste, you will need cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), mint leaves, curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, fresh coconut, and water to make the green paste. Adjust the green chilies as per your taste. You can buy pre-grated fresh coconut from the freezer section of any Indian grocery store. It will save you some time.
Cashews and peanuts add a nice crunch to the soft poha!
Ghee/Oil – I like combining ghee and oil in this recipe, but you can use either one.
Others – You will also need cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, onions, curry leaves, salt, granulated white sugar, freshly squeezed lime juice, and pomegranate kernels. Pomegranate seeds are optional, but they add a nice bite and subtle sweetness.

For added nutrition, you can also sneak in a few veggies, such as green peas, carrots, green beans, or bell peppers.

How To Make Green Poha

Make The Green Paste

Step 1: Add the following ingredients to a blender.

1 cup cilantro (tightly packed)
¼ cup mint leaves (tightly packed)
10-12 curry leaves
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
1 green chili (stalk removed)
½ cup grated fresh coconut (tightly packed)
3 tablespoons water

All the masala paste ingredients added to a blender.

Step 2: Blend until a coarse paste forms. Do not add any extra water while blending. Scrape the sides of the blender and push the ingredients towards the blade a few times while blending.

Soak The Poha

Step 3: Add 2 cups of thick poha to a mesh strainer.

Step 4: Rinse well with water. Keep mixing the poha while rinsing to ensure it is fully wet. Keep the rinsed poha aside. The poha will keep absorbing the moisture and become soft by the time the rest of the recipe is ready.

Make The Hariyali Poha

Step 5: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee and 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat.

Step 6: Once the ghee is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Cumin seeds and mustard seeds added to the pan.

Step 7: Add 10-12 cashew nuts (halved) and 2 tablespoons peanuts and cook until browned (2-3 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking to ensure even browning.

Cashew nuts and peanuts added to the pan.

Step 8: Add 1 cup chopped onions and 15-20 curry leaves and cook until the onions turn pink (3-4 minutes). Stir frequently.

Onion and curry leaves added to the pan.

Step 9: Now add the green paste and cook until it is dry (2-3 minutes).

Step 10: Add the soaked poha, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice to the pan.

Soaked poha, salt, sugar and lime juice added to the pan.

Step 11: Mix well.

Step 12: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir 2-3 times during cooking. If the poha looks dry, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water over it.