Kanda Poha (Flattened Rice with Onion, Peanuts and Lemon)
کاندا پوہا (پیاز، مونگ پھلی اور لیموں والے چپٹے چاول)
Poha is flattened rice: rice grains that are parboiled and pressed into light flakes. Rinsed for a few seconds, they soften instantly, which makes poha one of the fastest breakfasts in India. In Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Indore it's sold from carts every morning, yellow with turmeric, studded with peanuts and onion (*kanda* in Marathi), and topped with a squeeze of lemon and a shower of crunchy . It's light, gluten-free and ready in 15 minutes.
- ⏱ Total: 17 min
- Prep: 5 min
- Cook: 12 min
- Easy
- Serves 3
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the poha in a sieve and rinse under running water for 15–20 seconds, tossing, until the flakes are soft but not mushy. Drain and leave for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the turmeric, sugar and salt and toss gently.
Heat the oil and fry the peanuts for 2 minutes until crunchy. Lift out. Add the mustard and cumin seeds; when they pop, add the curry leaves and chillies.
Add the onion (and potato, if using) and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent; potatoes need a little longer, covered.
Add the poha and the peanuts and toss gently over low heat. Cover and steam for 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, squeeze over the lemon and add the coriander. Serve hot, topped with sev.
Kitchen notes
Use thick (medium) poha. Thin poha dissolves when rinsed and is meant for snacks like chivda.
Don't soak poha in a bowl of water; a quick rinse is enough.
Indore-style poha is steamed and topped with sev, fennel seeds and a sprinkle of jeeravan masala.
Breakfast from a cart
Walk through Pune, Nagpur or Indore in the morning and you’ll see poha sellers with huge flat pans, steaming yellow mounds of it, served in paper plates with sev, onion and a cup of chai. It’s cheap, fast and light, which is why it’s the breakfast of students, office workers and travellers across central and western India.
What poha is
Rice is soaked, steamed, then flattened between rollers into flakes. The process partly cooks the rice, so it only needs rinsing to soften. Thick poha holds its shape for breakfast dishes; thin poha is used for crunchy snacks. It’s also naturally gluten-free.
Getting the texture right
The biggest mistake is over-soaking, which turns poha into a mushy paste. Rinse it in a sieve, shake it, and let it sit for five minutes: it softens in its own moisture. Sprinkling turmeric, salt and a little sugar on it before it goes into the pan helps the seasoning spread evenly.
Serving
Top with sev (or aloo bhujia if that’s what you have), pomegranate seeds or grated coconut, and serve with masala chai. For the southern breakfast equivalent, try upma.
Questions people ask
Where can I buy poha?
In any Indian grocer, often labelled 'beaten rice' or 'flattened rice'. In Pakistan look for 'chiwra' rice flakes.
Why is my poha dry and hard?
It wasn't rinsed enough. Sprinkle a little water over it in the pan, cover and steam for another minute.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 310
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
