Thu 14 May 2009
Poha (Powa) Recipe
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[42] Comments
There are many preparations and recipes for Poha, or flattened rice. These dry flakes are used for various Indian snacks such as chivda or in desserts like poha with sweetened milk. In this recipe poha is washed gently and fluffed up to make a soft and savory dish sometimes known as Batata Powa or Kanda Poha. It is a quick breakfast idea or perfect tea time snack.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Poha (thick variety) – 2 cups
Salt – to taste
Lime/Lemon Juice – 1 Tbsp or to taste
Sugar – to taste (optional)
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Whole Dry Red Chili – 1
Asofoetida (Hing) – 1/8 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Peanuts – 2 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 medium (approx 150g) – diced
Green Chili – to taste, finely chopped
Potato – 1 large (approx 200g) – diced
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – finely chopped for garnishing
Method:
1. Gently rinse Poha with water about 2-3 times.
2. Drain out the water and sprinkle Salt and Lemon Juice (and optional sugar). Gently mix with a fork and leave aside.
3. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat.
4. Add Mustard Seeds and let them pop.
5. Add Dry Red Chili, Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder, Curry Leaves and Peanuts.
6. Cook peanuts for 30-40 seconds and add Onions and Green Chilies.
7. Cook onions for 1-2 minutes until translucent and add Potatoes and Salt.
8. Mix well, cover and cook potatoes until tender but not mushy.
9. Fluff up Poha with a fork and add it to the pan.
10. Mix well. Sprinkle with a little water if Poha have dried out too much.
11. Garnish with chopped Cilantro and serve hot.
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May 14th, 2009 at 10:46 am
so it is not necessary to soak poha, i can wash it and go on, right?Reply. and thanks for the wonderful receipe.
keep up your good works.
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hetal Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
You are right. No soaking needed.
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May 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
How funny….I was just thinking two days ago that you guys had not made this very simple but very tasty snack. Today as soon as I open up my email I notice a recipe for it. You guys are mind readers.
Now if only you can read my mind for all the other recipes I want to see…..hmmmm
Pinal
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anuja Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
No problem! We read your mind, and it’s coming up soon:)
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shabina Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
can u make ras gulay
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hetal Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Hi Shabina,
You can use our ras malai recipe to make just the gullas. http://showmethecurry.com/desserts/ras-malai-indian-dessert-recipe.html
May 14th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
i bought thin variety of poha instead of thick accidently,
can you please tell me a method to use that for making this dish?
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Satya Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Deepa,
Thin is too thin to make this dish… you can instead make low fat chewda with it…
google for thin poha chewda and you will find tons of recipes! It doesnt need deep frying and is guilt free!
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hetal Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Hi Deepa,
Satya is right. The thin variety will turn to mush when you wet it. We have a video for poha chivda. Check it out.
http://showmethecurry.com/2008/04/10/poha-chivda-a-snack-a-perfect-snack/
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Newbee Reply:
September 7th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Hello,
I accidently got the thin variety once, but was successful in making poha using it. You do not wash thin poha. When the potatoes are cooked, turn your gas to very low simmer (if the gas is high, then poha will wilt), and then add poha, and just sprinkle with water until it is wet enough. Add salt, and let it cook in the steam with very low simmer. Also, you will need double quantity of thin poha.
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hetal Reply:
September 8th, 2011 at 9:32 pm
Hi Newbee,
Thanks for posting your feedback regarding thin poha. We’re sure it will help others as well.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Hi Anuju & Hetal didi!
I bet u are mind readers. I got a packet of poha 1 month back and it is in the pantry still. I googled but was not ready to make it without a video.
I was thinking from last week that i would beg u to teah me how to make it. And the moment i checked my email now for ur subscriptions..i was so so excited!! Thanks!!!
Another sTuff..
Kindly inform ur website coder that when we submit a comment, it says ” wait a comment” Isnt it should be “wait a moment”? Just a information.
Dont mistake me. Im a coder/designer myself..not software though..ao it caught my site.
If rectified, kindly ignore. And sorry for it!
Last but not the least..love u both and thanks a million.
If only i could come to Dallas and thank u enough!!
love,
Priya
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hetal Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Priya, thank you for your feedback. We have sent it to our development team and we hope to have it fixed soon!
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May 14th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
new comment is submiting, please wait a comment
This is what is coming up when we submit a comment.
Shouldn it be
new comment is submiting, please wait a moment
Just a information. Forgive me for pointing out.
Priya
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hetal Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Thanks for the feedback. We will send it to our development team to fix!
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May 14th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I love bataka pova so do my dad and brother. but we call bataka pova in Gujarat because it has potatoes in it.
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May 14th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
hi,
can u suggest me which potato is best for cooking indian dishes (white or red)…..
I luv ur receipes simple and easy to cook…
byeeee
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hetal Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Russet potatoes or red potatoes work well for Indian cooking. Red potatoes are a little less starchy, so if you are concerned about starch you could use that.
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May 15th, 2009 at 12:09 am
What about that final sprinkling of a tbsp of sugar…that’s what I love most about the Gujju way of preparing Bataka Poha…adds a blast of flavor.
Thanks for posting one of my favorite Gujju dishes!
TGP
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May 18th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Another lovely post!!! Way to go ladies!!!
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August 23rd, 2009 at 8:58 am
2 additions that made this even more brunchy:
1) Some light brown fried Urad Dal.
2) Well done scrambled eggs
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September 15th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
hi,
how to add roasted peanut for this recipe.
Thanks
Tiya
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hetal Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Hi Tiya,
You can just put your roasted peanuts in the oil, but don’t cook them for too long before you add the other ingredients. Just give them a quick toss.
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September 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Hi Hetal,
I being a Jain ..Dont eat potatoes and onions..
Should I stick with same oil measurement in that case ?
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anuja Reply:
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hi Bhavika,
You can substitute the Onions and Potatoes with other vegetables (carrots, beans, corn, peas etc). If you use the same amount of mixed veges as the amount of potatoes and onions in the recipe then you can use the same amount of oil.
The mixed veges mentionsed above is what I normally use for my family and they taste very good and also a little healthier.
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September 23rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Hi Anuja,
Thanks for the immediate reply..
I will try with the veggies as u mentioned..
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October 21st, 2009 at 3:49 am
The best cooking website I have ever known…
Keep up the good work.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 2:25 am
Loved it!!!Its easy and yummy!!
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April 16th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I bought a packet of thick poha, and tried to make this recipe. As soon as I washed it, it turned to a thick sticky mush.I didn’t soak it, but just ran water all over it, and immediately it turned to mush. I tried a few times actually, but the same thing happened. What do you think is the reason?
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anuja Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 5:08 am
Hi Jasmine,
Sounds like your Poha is old (…gets brittle and breaks up just by touch) or it was already crushed (needs to be kept and handled gently since it’s cooked and flattened)!
We suggest (if it’s not old and stale)…you can make kheer out of it. It’ll look a little different but atleast it won’t go waste. Now if there is stale flavor and smell to it – pl. do get rid of it
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jasmine Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 8:34 am
I will try to make kheer with it today. The poha doesn’t smell bad, but it is a little crushed as you stated.Thank you for the awesome idea
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June 7th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Do you know, how to make indori pohoa. I mean poha with steam.
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September 19th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Hello Ladies !
You both r doing a very good job. I would like to give one suggestion that we can also use cummin seed instead of mustard seeds.
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September 30th, 2010 at 8:10 am
Hi
Were the peanuts you used in the recipe raw?
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hetal Reply:
September 30th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Hi Pavithra,
You can use either raw or roasted peanuts. The only difference is that you have to let the raw peanuts cook for a bit longer in the oil than the roasted ones.
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October 31st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,,,
I have tried lots of recepices which u taught like gobi manchurian, kaju katli etc… They were awesome.. I hope u both keep on showing such delicious recepies
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hetal Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Thanks for the feedback Sheetal! Glad you are finding SMTC useful!
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November 11th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
I just found a bag of poha thick without knowing what I was buying and then I found you ladies and I am so excited. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
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May 5th, 2011 at 6:28 am
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
What is the side dish for this recipe?
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hetal Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 8:15 am
Hi Sulthana,
Poha is served either as a breakfast item or as a snack with afternoon tea. There really is no need for a side dish unless you want to serve it with some buttered toast for breakfast.
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July 18th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
hello ladies,
you guys are awesome and i refer to your website whenever i need to look up a recipe.
Thank you for your website
Durga
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August 18th, 2011 at 11:22 pm
WOW this was pretty filling. I made it this morning and it came out great. I avoided potatoes as I’m a little careful of having lots of calories. Heads off to you ladies. GREAT JOB.
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