Quick Kande Pohe Recipe

Kanda Pohe is a classic, quick, fuss-free, nutritious breakfast or snack.

Pohe as it is also referred to is a great snack quick to make.   A popular street food that uses beaten rice and is light, yet healthy and flavorful. Enjoy Poha or Vagarni Avalakki as a breakfast, snack with hot tea, brunch, lunch or light supper. How about packing some for your child’s school tiffin box?

There are many ways of consuming this flattened rice, we have these Kande Pohe and Batata Pohe.  In Batata Poha, the kanda or onion is replaced by potato. A  mix of both onion and potato actually tastes very delicious.

Traditionally,  in Maharashtra we use asafoetida, curry leaves green chillies and peanuts.  Lemon,  coconut and coriander are used as garnishing. Variations now are the addition of tomato, green peas, carrots and sprouts.

The other Beaten Rice recipes that you will love are our Sweet Poha Recipe, Goan Rasatle Fov Recipe and my Instant Poha Idlis. Besides these, we love our Poha Chivda a Gluten-free Snack, bhajke pohe chivda as our snack. I have successfully used beaten rice in place of potatoes and bread while making Healthy Sprouts Cutlets. Add some to your Mallige Idlis/ Jasmine Idlis or Butter Idli Recipe. Boy, I am now hungry!

Guess Beaten Rice or Flattened Rice is one of my must-have pantry ingredients.

Contents:

• This Kande Pohe recipe and me
• Why MSK Beaten Rice recipe
• How to make Kande Pohe
• For Your Questions
• Some Breakfast Recipes we love
• Recipe card
• Pin for later

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Why MSK Beaten Rice recipe

Make Quick Beaten Rice recipe as

• Like it says quick
• Is healthy
• Flavourful
• Filling
• Vegan
• Can be made Gluten-free
• Can be halved or doubled as needed

How to make Kande Pohe

These are the ingredients you will need. For quantities please check the recipe card.

Ingredients:

• Beaten rice
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Salt
• Sugar
• Red chilli powder
• Oil
• Mustard seeds
• Cumin  seeds
• Asafoetida  
• Curry leaves
• Green chillies 
• Turmeric  powder
• Coriander leaves

The optional ingredients are

• Potatoes
• Green peas
• Lemon

Method:

• Wash and rinse the thick beaten rice. You can like me use a sieve and running water. There are times when I have used a bowl to wash. Rinse 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Drain the water completed between rinses. Add salt and sugar and red chilli powder set aside.

• Dice onions,  chop tomatoes, slit green chillies and chop the coriander leaves.
• Heat oil in a deep wok. Lower the flame to sim and add the mustard seeds and splutter them.  Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric, curry leaves and green chillies.

• On medium flame, stir fry and cook the potatoes with a pinch of salt. Use a lid to quicken the cooking. Next, stir-fry the onion till translucent, add the green peas(if using) and stir. Add tomatoes and cook till soft. Add a pinch of salt here.

• Lower the flame and add the beaten rice mixture and mix well.

• Check for seasonings. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water on top and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
• Steam for about 4-5 minutes on low flame. Let this sit for 5 minutes.

Substitutes:

• In place of the thick white flattened rice or beaten rice use the one made from brown rice. This variety of poha is made from boiled rice that has not been stripped off the husk. So it is healthier and the taste is good too.
• In place of thick beaten rice, you can use the thin kind. But your treatment will have to change. Rinse in a sieve just before adding it to the wok. You need not worry about getting all the beaten rice wet.
• You can use potatoes in place of onions. But cook the potatoes well before adding your beaten rice.
• Traditionally peanuts are added to Kande Pohe. For this roast, the peanuts then add to the tempering. In case you do not plan to roast them fry them in the oil well.
• You can add carrots, peanuts, corn and sprouts.
• I generally add tomatoes and avoid lemon. You can add both or one of them.

Variations:

• As a child, I have during a school trip eaten pohe with chana masala in a roadside eatery. It tasted awesome.
• Make Dadpe Pohe to method is similar to Hachid Avalakki.

Equipment:

You will need

• Sieve/ bowl
• Knife and board
• Wok
• Slotted spoon

How to serve:

• Transfer to a plate and garnish with the coconut and some coriander leaves.
• You can add some sev on top I do not.
• Serve hot with tea I love it with Adrak Chai.

How to store:

• Though Kande pohe tastes best warm you can pack it off in your kid’s tiffin box as a snack.
• Store the cooked poha in a closed container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Beyond that, I do not like the flavours.

For Your Questions

Protips:

• Your Kande Pohe should be soft and moist but not mushy.
• As far as possible use a thick variety of beaten rice you can rinse it in advance. Rinse and set aside. If using a bowl rinse and drain the beaten rice completely.
  • In case you are using the thin variety hold the sieve under running water at the last possible moment. Do not wait to wet all the beaten rice.
• Remember to dice the onions evenly. The potatoes cut fine. This helps to cook the vegetables evenly. Your veggies even peas and corn need some salt. Remember to add some and adjust the salt later in the Pohe.
• Chop the veggies first before soaking the flattened rice.
• Cook on medium to low flame this prevents the poha from drying out. I sprinkle a tablespoon or 2 of water before steaming under a lid.

Frequently asked Questions:

• What are the other names of Pohe?

  

  Poha  is called aval in Tamil, avalakki in Kannada, pohe in Marathi, fov in Konkani to name a few. Beaten rice, flattened rice or parched rice are the names used in English.

• For Kande pohe or batata pohe which is better thick poha or thin poha?
  

  

  If you have a choice use the thick variety since they need very little care while soaking. They remain soft and fluffy and retain the right amount of moisture needed for cooking the poha.
  
  The thin variety of beaten rice you use to make chivda or hachiid avalaikki. If using the thin beaten rice to make Kande pohe then add poha to a sieve. Pass the sieve under running water and add immediately to the tempering. Here it is not necessary for all the poha to soak it will be better if some of the poha is dry. This is extremely tricky so as far as possible I avoid it.

• How do I soak my poha?

  

  The best way to soak the poha is in a sieve. Add the poha to the sieve and hold it under the tap. Rotate the sieve till all the poha is soaked. Set aside to drain.  This takes a maximum of 1 minute which is more than enough to soak it. Let the poha rest while you start tempering the ingredients.
  
  But in case you do not have one add the poha to a big bowl and add water for each cup of poha 2-3 bowls swirl around. Drain the water and repeat 2-3 times. The time spent for each rinse is about 30 seconds. The reason for changing the water is to drain out all dirt and impurities.
  

• Can diabetics eat poha?

  

  Yes, poha helps control the blood sugar levels in a diabetic. It also reduces the sudden spikes of sugar levels.

Some Breakfast Recipes

Summary:

Make some tempered Beaten Rice for your kids when hunger pangs hit them. You can use your pantry ingredients and veggies to make them. Quick and no-fuss vegan snack ready in a jiffy.

This Sunday I am joining the Sunday Funday group where we are exploring breakfast:

• • Breakfast Martinis from Food Lust People Love
  • Breakfast Quesadilla from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Cinnamon Sugar Dutch Baby Pancake from Our Good Life
  • Cottage Cheese Pancakes from Palatable Pastime
  • Egg-Free Wheat Pancakes from Mayuri’s Jikoni
  • Millet Set Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds
  • Mini Cinnamon Rolls from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
  • Kesari Semolina Sheera / Kesari Rawa Sheera from Sneha’s Recipe
  • Maple-Sweetened Overnight Oats from Culinary Cam
  • Quick Kande Pohe from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

Recipe card

Nutritional Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Please check with your nutritionist for your dietary needs and restrictions. Ultimately you are responsible for your decisions.

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