Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the poha in a sieve under running water for 15 seconds until soft but not mushy. Mix in the salt, sugar and turmeric and leave for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil, pop the mustard seeds, then add cumin, curry leaves, chilli and peanuts.
- Add the onion and potato and cook until the potato is tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the poha, mix gently, cover and steam on low for 2 minutes.
- Finish with lemon juice, coriander and a sprinkle of sev.
The spices that matter
Black or brown mustard seeds start most South Indian, Gujarati and Maharashtrian tempering: they pop in hot oil before curry leaves and dals go in. G…
No mustard seed? Cumin seeds give a different but workable tempering. Yellow mustard seeds are milder.
A pinch goes into almost every dal, sabzi and curry, usually with the onions or straight into the dal as it boils. Fresh turmeric root is pickled in …
No turmeric? There is no real substitute for flavour. For colour only, a tiny pinch of saffron or Kashmiri chilli changes the shade, but not the taste.
Fried in hot oil with mustard seeds for sambar, rasam, poha, upma, chutneys and Kerala and Tamil dishes.
No curry leaves? No real substitute. Lime zest gives a hint of the citrus note.
Nice to have
Salt, oil or ghee, onions, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs are assumed. See how to make a tadka for the order to add whole spices.
Dishes with similar spices
Frequently asked questions
How long does kanda poha take to make?
About 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
What spices are in kanda poha?
The essentials are mustard seed, turmeric, curry leaves. Nice to have: cumin, asafoetida.
Tips from travellers
Use Kanda poha differently at home? Share your tip. The first good one goes right here.