Kanda Batata Poha | Quick Poha Recipe | Aval Upma
Quick, easy, and flavorful breakfast recipe with flattened rice. Here is the famous kanda batata poha - flattened rice with onions and potatoes recipe with detailed step-wise pictures.
Servings: 6
Calories: 173kcal
Equipment
- Saucepan or kadai
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1tsp=5ml; 1tbsp=15ml;
- 2.5 cups thick poha/flattened rice
- 3 tsp oil
- 2 tbsp peanuts skip for a nut-free version
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1.25 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 green chilies slit
- 1 tsp ginger finely chopped, optional
- 10 curry leaves
- 300 grams onion finely chopped
- 250 gram potato boiled and chopped into chunks
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1.75 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- ½ lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- Boiling the potatoes - Wash and boil the potatoes in your preferred way. I usually microwave them in the potato setting. I let it cool and then peel the skin and chop them roughly. If you use a pressure cooker, cook the potatoes for three whistles and release the pressure naturally. Let the potatoes cool and peel the skin, and chop. You can boil the potatoes well ahead. As part of my meal prep, I boil some potatoes and refrigerate them.
- Wash and prep the poha - Add the poha in a strainer or colander and rinse it thoroughly atleast twice. Drain the water, drizzle some water (¼ to ⅓ cup approx) and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, you can saute the onion and start with the poha preparation.
- Heat a saucepan or kadai and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the peanuts and roast until it turns brown and crunchy. Remove the peanuts from the pan and set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter, then add the slit green chilies, curry leaves, and ginger. Saute for 30 to 45 seconds and add the finely chopped onion.
- Saute the onion until it turns soft and translucent, and then add the boiled potatoes, salt, and turmeric powder.
- Ensure the potatoes are thoroughly mixed.
- Now add the rinsed poha and gently mix. Cook for two to three minutes over low heat and then turn off the heat.
- Add the roasted peanuts and the cilantro and mix. Serve warm and add the lemon juice just before serving.
Notes
- Adjust the green chilies and salt according to your taste preference.
- You can use red poha as well, but make sure to use the thick variety.
- Skip peanuts for a nut-free version.
- You can skip potatoes and make this poha with just onions, and in that case, it will Kanda poha, not Kanda batata poha.
- You can add grated carrots and frozen peas along with potatoes and onions and make it more like a colorful vegetable poha.
Tips for getting perfect non-mushy poha
- I highly recommend thick poha variety or atleast medium-thick. Do not use thin poha variety.
- Do not soak the poha. Wash thoroughly and sprinkle water, and let it rest. For thick white poha, I usually wash it twice and sprinkle ¼ to ⅓ cup of water and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. You can add up to ½ cup of water for this measure but not more than that.
- The resting time and water to sprinkle might vary depending upon the poha variety. Check my thengai aval upma for the red poha resting time.
- Do not overmix the poha; mix it very gently. Rinsed and softened poha flakes tend to break, and when you overmix, it becomes a mush.
- After adding poha, you don't need to cook for a longer time. Three minutes of cooking time is more than sufficient.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 3mg