Aloo Poha using red rice poha/Kanda Poha

Aloo Poha using red rice poha/Kanda Poha

Aloo Poha is a perfect breakfast dish made from a low-calorie poha (flattened rice). Learn how to make this delicious breakfast recipe in minutes from our step by step procedure. 

 I am a big fan of poha dishes, aking me why??? it demands no processing time and all I need to do is wash them :). My pantry is always loaded with pohas as it saves me in morning routines where you will be operating at a jet speed in the kitchen. 

I tasted aloo poha for the first time after marriage when my MIL prepared it for breakfast. From then on, I have become a big fan of her Aloo pohas. It is a wholesome and delicious dish which cannot be constrained only for breakfast but you can even munch on them as a snack with tea in the evenings. The mild sweetness of onions and the spiciness of green chilies blends well with aloos and poha.

Similar to Aloo poha, Vegetable Aval upma is another common breakfast dish that I make often. Raw mango poha is also a great dish that appears often in my kitchen, especially during the raw mango season. If you are left with no veggies or you are so hungry that you don't want to make any chopping business, then try Curd Poha. It is a refreshing dish to relish during summer season.

When talking about poha dishes, in Karnataka, they make a different version of Poha upma wherein they grind the poha. It tastes similar to arisi upma but with very less preparation time and it is called as Avalakki upittu.

Now, you have got a list of poha breakfast dishes to try for this week :).

 Shall we now look at the ingredients needed for Aloo poha?


Ingredients:

• 2 cups Poha/Flattened rice
• 2 tablespoons Raw Groundnuts/Peanuts
• 2 Potatoes
• 1 Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 Green chilies (finely chopped) (alter according to spice level)
• 1/ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt (alter according to taste)

For seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• A spring of Curry leaves
• 4 tablespoons Oil

Method:

1) Boil potatoes till soft. After they cool down, peel the skin and chop them roughly.

2) Heat oil in a wok/kadai, add groundnuts and fry them till they turn crunchy. Transfer the fried groundnuts to a plate.

3) In the same oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to crackle then add curry leaves. Give one stir and add onions.

4) Fry the onions till you see them turning golden brown.

5) Next, add green chilies and stir once. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well.

6) Add the potatoes and mix well. Maintain low flame and leave it to get fried.

7) In the meantime, wash the poha in a colander and set aside for a few seconds. Since I am using the thin variety poha, it doesn't need a long time. Just one wash is enough. If you are using the thick variety, give some time for the poha to turn soft besides it requires two or more washes.

8) Add the soft poha to the kadai and mix well. Sprinkle the reserved groundnuts and mix well.

Piping hot Aloo Poha is ready to relish on!!! You don't need extra time to prepare any side dish as you can eat the Aoo poha as such. Bon appétit!!!!

Variations:

1) At the final step, you can garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and few grated coconut.

2) Generally, this aloo poha is prepared with white poha but I have used the healthier version, the red poha. You can always make aloo poha with any variety of poha and there will be no change in taste.

Tips:

1) The soaking time of poha depends on the variety and thickness of the poha that you are using. Generally, washing of poha is enough and you don't need to soak them in the water like how you do for pulses. If you feel that they have not turned fully soft, it is just enough to sprinkle the water instead of pouring on them. 

2) Instead of raw peanuts, you can use roasted ones. If you are using the roasted ones then you don't need to roast them in oil but can add directly to poha.

3) If you have forgotten to boil potatoes before you start the cooking poha or you don't have time to boil, you can chop them as cubes and fry along with onions.