Pages

Monday, December 04, 2017

Kanda Poha - a traditional Maharashtrian breakfast dish

One of the things I miss the most from my days of living in Mumbai is the street food. From vada paos to pani puris to idlis and dosas, everything was available on the streets and I used to absolutely love it. I was a frequent traveler on the infamous 'Mumbai local' while I lived there. The morning scene outside my destination station was always the same. A few local women with large steel dabbas would set up shop outside the station. Hot idlis with chutney and sambar, vada pao and kanda poha would be ladled out of these steel dabbas into paper plates. The taste of the poha that they used to serve is something that still lingers on in my mind. Though I make poha often, I feel that the one sold on the streets was so much better.


What you need:
Poha/aval/rice flakes - 1 cup, heaped
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped fine
Green chilli - 2, minced
Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped (optional)
Ginger - a small piece, julienned
Peanuts - a handful
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Juice of half a lemon
Coriander - finely chopped, for garnishing
Sugar - a little (optional)
Sev - a handful (optional)

Take the poha in a colander. Run cold water over it and wash it well. Let the water drain out completely. Wash and drain again. Let it stand for five minutes.

In a pan, heat some oil. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds pop, add green chilli, ginger and garlic. Fry well. Mix in and roast the peanuts.  Add onions and saute over a low flame until translucent. Add turmeric powder and the drained poha along with salt. Mix well. Stir in the lemon juice. Sprinkle some sugar(less than 1/4 teaspoon) over this if you would like. I feel that the sugar really adds to the taste of the final dish and that is how it is served in Maharashtra. Garnish with chopped coriander and a handful of sev.
Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

9 comments:

Srivalli said...

Looks so bright and nicely done..I love this Kanda Poha!

Jyoti Babel said...

I absolutely love Poha. Your version is quite similar to mine. a dash of lemon juice, in the end, is a must for it. Love it with a cup of masala chai

Nisha said...

Love this simple dish. My go-to dish when I am in a hurry and need something quick.

Pavani said...

That is such a simple yet so delicious dish. Looks very inviting.

Priya Suresh said...

My all time favourite, never get bored of this fantastic,super filling Kanda poha.

Harini R said...

I just had poha this morning but had I seen this post I would have added sev on top and enjoyed it even better! Of course, there is a next time for everything! The Mumbai street food scene is definitely a mouthwatering one!

vaishali sabnani said...

Kanda Poha is a typical breakfast in our house , light on the tummy . Love that Color and sev on top of this dish .

Sandhya Ramakrishnan said...

I love kanda poha, but never seem to get a chance to make it. Looks so delicious and I might actually make it for kids lunch box tomorrow.

cookingwithsapana said...

One can never go wrong with this humble poha.