Everyday Kitchen

Indian · Breakfast

Kanda Poha

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
VegEasy

Diet: Veg · Vegan

Soften thick poha, then warm it with onion, peanuts and a mustard-seed tempering. Add lemon after cooking.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
2
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Indian
Course
Breakfast

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Yellow poha with peanuts, curry leaves, whole green chilies and lemon
Representative kanda poha. The whole-chili and lemon garnish differs from the chopped chili and juice used here. This is not a tested result of our recipe. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 2

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Main ingredients

Seasoning and finishing

Liquids

Equipment

Sieve; bowl; wide frying pan with lid; slotted spoon; spatula.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Soften the poha · About 5 min

  1. Rinse 360 ml medium or thick poha briefly under cold running water.
  2. Drain the poha in the sieve for 5 minutes.

    Check: A flake should crush easily between your fingers without becoming paste.

  3. If the flakes remain hard, sprinkle a little water from 2 tbsp water, only if the softened poha seems dry over them.

Fry the peanuts and seasonings · About 5 min

  1. Heat 1 ½ tbsp neutral oil in the pan over medium heat.
  2. Add 3 tbsp peanuts.
  3. Stir for 3–4 minutes.

    Check: The peanuts should smell toasted and have lightly browned skins.

  4. Lift the peanuts into a bowl with the slotted spoon.
  5. Add ¾ tsp mustard seeds and ¾ tsp cumin seeds to the oil.
  6. Cook for 30–60 seconds.

    Check: The mustard seeds should pop; the cumin should darken slightly.

  7. Add 2 green chilies, chopped, 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) carefully.

    Check: The curry leaves can splutter in hot oil.

  8. Stir for 20 seconds.
  9. Add 1 medium onion, chopped.
  10. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently.

    Check: The onion should soften and become translucent.

Warm and finish · About 3 min

  1. Add ¼ tsp turmeric and ⅓ tsp salt, adjust to taste.
  2. If using sugar, add ½ tsp sugar, optional.
  3. Fold in the softened poha.
  4. Cover the pan.
  5. Cook over the lowest heat for 2–3 minutes.

    Check: The poha should be hot and soft, with separate flakes.

  6. Turn off the heat.
  7. Fold in 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp chopped coriander and the fried peanuts.
  8. Serve promptly.

Tips

  • Medium or thick poha suits this method; thin flakes can turn mushy.

Substitutions

  • Use roasted cashews instead of peanuts.

Storage

  • Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.
  • Reheat rice only once, until steaming hot throughout. For this draft, check reheated food reaches 74°C / 165°F. Add a little water and cover while heating.

Make ahead

  • Rinse poha just before cooking; chop onion one day ahead.

FAQ

Why are flakes mushy?

Thin poha or a long soak can become paste. Use thick flakes and drain after a brief rinse.

Can I skip peanuts?

Yes. They add crunch; the poha method stays the same.

How should I store kanda poha?

Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.

Recipe source and adaptation

Measured home adaptation: Swasthi's Recipes: Poha.

Kanda version; optional potato omitted.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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