Kanda Poha recipe | Onion Poha | Maharashtrian Style | Kanda Pohay

Poha is also known as flattened rice or beaten rice.
(Maharashtrian style)

Ready in 15 minutes

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

• 1 cup - Poha - thick
• 1 medium Onion - chopped
• 1 - small-medium size lemon
• 2-3 tbsp - Homemade Ghee
• 1 tbsp - Peanuts - roasted
• 1 tbsp - Fresh coriander - chopped
• ½ tsp - Turmeric
• ½ tsp - Salt (or salt to taste)
• ½ tsp - Brown mustard seeds
• ½ tsp - Cumin seeds
• ½ tsp - Asafoetida (Hing) (Optional)
• 5-6 - Curry leaves (Optional)
• A pinch of sugar (Optional)
• 1-2 - Green chilies - finely  chopped (Optional)

Pre-preparation:

• Take poha in a strainer and wash it 2-3 times and set it aside to drain all the water.
• Roast peanut in a pan (w/o oil) to get the best flavor out of them.

Preparation:

1. Heat Ghee in a pan
2. For tempering (tadka) - Add brown mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, turmeric, chilies and saute for approx.one min (let the mustard seeds pop)
3. Add chopped onion and salt - saute till onions turn translucent then add a pinch of sugar
4. Lower the flame & add washed poha - mix it well
5. Add roasted peanuts and fresh coriander - mix it well
6. Off goes the flame - Squeeze lemon juice - mix well
7. Your hot & fresh poha is ready - serve it hot on a plate and garnish with the leftover coriander

Tips:

• There are different kinds of poha - for making our recipe we are using thick poha.
• Avoid excess washing/soaking of Poha as it will make it mushy (soggy).
• Use a wooden spatula and try not to break the poha.
• Adding salt to onion makes them cook faster.
• Always cook onion first, if you add other ingredients to onion then it will take longer to cook.
• Remove seeds from chilies to cut the spice.
• You can add other vegetables to your poha too like peas, boiled potatoes(diced), carrot(diced) OR grated coconut to garnish but I have kept it simple and true to our Maharashtrian style

Quick health gyaan:

• Poha is easily digestible and has all the 11 essential vitamins & minerals (A, B, C, D, E, K, Folic acid, calcium, Iron, Zinc, and Chromium) that your body needs, making it a nutrient rich breakfast.  It is a great source of carbs while free of lactose and fat. Good for diabetics.
• Ghee (or clarified butter) is a good fat and should be included in all your meals. It helps in nourishing our cells as it contains Butyrate i.e. SCFA (Short-chain-fatty-acids) and rich in fat soluble like Vitamin A, D, and E.
• Tempering (tadka) adds flavor to the dish but all the phytonutrients present in cumin seeds, hing, turmeric, curry leaves are not only vital for our body but also have medicinal properties and also, helps in digestion.