Steaming Softness: Cooking Poha The Healthy Way

Poha is a popular Indian breakfast dish made with flattened rice, herbs, and spices. It is a quick, easy, and nutritious meal that can be customised to suit individual tastes. In this article, we will discuss how to cook poha in steam, a healthy and tasty way to prepare this dish.

Rinsing and soaking the poha

When you are ready to rinse, place the poha in a colander or strainer and gently rinse the flakes in clean running water. Repeat this process twice or thrice, ensuring that you do not over-rinse or soak the poha, as this will make it mushy. The poha should absorb enough water to become soft but remain intact, whole, and separate. If the poha is not soft enough after rinsing, sprinkle a small amount of water on it and gently mix until it reaches the desired consistency.

After rinsing, the poha should lose its crunchiness, and when you break the flakes between your fingers, they should easily crush or mash. At this point, you can add a pinch of turmeric powder, sugar, and salt to taste. Gently mix the spices and seasonings with the poha using a spoon or your clean fingers.

Once the poha is rinsed and seasoned, it is ready to be steamed or cooked further, following your preferred recipe instructions.

Preparing the vegetables

The choice of vegetables is up to you. You can use boiled or steamed potatoes, or cook them directly in the pan. You can also skip the potatoes and use green peas instead.

Other vegetables you can use include carrots, tomatoes, green beans, parsnips, Chinese long beans, capsicum, peas, and cabbage.

Chop the vegetables into small cubes. If you are using potatoes, peel them first.

If you are using cabbage, blanch the chopped pieces in hot water for 2-3 minutes before adding them to the dish.

Frying the potatoes

Preparing the Potatoes:

• Start by peeling one medium to large-sized potato. It is important to remove the skin to ensure even cooking and protect the flesh from the water or steam, which can rob the potatoes of their flavour.
• After peeling, chop the potato into small cubes. The small size ensures that the potatoes cook evenly and quickly.
• Rinse the potato cubes in clean water to remove any excess starch. This step helps prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan during frying.
• Heat a heavy pan or skillet on medium heat. You can use a cast-iron skillet or a non-stick pan, depending on your preference.
• Add 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of oil to the pan. You can use vegetable oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, or any other neutral oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the potato cubes to the pan. Make sure to spread them out in a single layer to ensure even cooking.
• Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, as per your taste. You can also add other spices like cumin seeds or mustard seeds for extra flavour.
• Fry the potatoes until they are light golden and crisp. It is important to stir them occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.
• The potatoes are ready when they are soft on the inside and golden brown on the outside. This process usually takes around 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potato cubes.
• Once the potatoes are cooked to your desired level of doneness, remove them from the pan and set them aside.

Tips for Crispy and Flavourful Potatoes:

• When frying the potatoes, make sure the oil is hot before adding them to the pan. You should hear a sizzling sound when the potatoes hit the oil.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the potatoes in batches if necessary to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
• If you want extra crispy potatoes, you can increase the heat to medium-high towards the end of the cooking process.
• Feel free to experiment with different types of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, to find the variety that best suits your taste and texture preferences.

By following these steps, you will have perfectly fried potatoes that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making them a delicious addition to your Kanda Poha dish!

Sautéing the spices and onions

Firstly, heat oil in a pan. The quantity of oil can vary, but typically, 1-2 tablespoons are used. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. You can also add cumin seeds at this stage for an extra punch of flavour. Let the seeds splutter, filling your kitchen with a nutty aroma.

Next, add the onions. For Poha, it is best to finely chop the onions. You can also slice them thinly if you prefer a stronger onion flavour. Sauté the onions until they become translucent and soft. This usually takes around 5-7 minutes on medium heat.

At this point, you can also add other spices and ingredients like curry leaves, green chillies, and roasted peanuts. Sauté these ingredients together with the onions for a minute or so on low heat.

If you are using potatoes in your Poha, now is the time to add them. Sauté the potatoes along with the onions and spices until they are lightly golden and crisp. This step ensures that the potatoes are cooked through and have a soft texture.

Once the onions and potatoes are cooked to your liking, it's time to move on to the next step of preparing the flattened rice.

Garnishing and serving

• Once the poha is cooked, it is important to taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or lemon juice if needed.
• Poha can be garnished with a variety of ingredients such as chopped coriander leaves, roasted peanuts, sev (fine fried gram flour vermicelli), fresh grated coconut, masala boondi, pomegranate pearls, and lemon wedges. These garnishes add texture, flavour, and colour to the dish.
• It is recommended to sprinkle a little namkeen sev, some roasted peanuts, and green coriander on top of the poha for a simple yet delicious presentation.
• If desired, a lemon wedge can also be served on the side, allowing diners to squeeze fresh lemon juice onto their poha according to their taste.
• Poha can be served as a light snack or a quick breakfast. It can also be served as a complete meal by pairing it with plain yoghurt and a vegetable salad on the side.
• For a more filling option, poha can be topped with crunchy sev, fresh cut onions, or grated coconut.
• If making the Indori Poha, the dish is assembled on plates with toppings such as chopped onions, coriander leaves, jeeravan masala, pomegranate arils, masala boondi, and Indori sev.
• The Indori Poha is best served straightaway to retain the crunch and freshness of the toppings.
• Poha can also be customised to individual preferences, such as adding boiled eggs towards the end of the cooking process or skipping the addition of potatoes.

Frequently asked questions