Oats Poha
- 10 min prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- Serves 2
- 470 kcal
- 10 g protein
Kanda poha's morning routine with rolled oats folded in: mustard, curry leaves, peanuts, potato and lemon, with fresh coconut on top. Ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (80 g) thick poha (flattened rice)
- ½ cup (45 g) rolled oats
- 1½ tbsp (22 ml) oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp (18 g) raw peanuts
- 10–12 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies (8 g), chopped
- 1 medium onion (100 g), finely chopped
- 1 small potato (80 g), boiled, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp (20 g) green peas
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt, to taste (about ¾ tsp)
- 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) water, to sprinkle
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh coconut, grated
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
Method
- 1Put the poha in a sieve and rinse under running water for 15–20 seconds, tossing, until just soft when pressed. Drain and leave in the sieve. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar and turmeric and toss gently.
- 2Toast the oats in a dry kadai on medium-low for 3 minutes until fragrant and set them aside.
- 3Heat the oil in the same kadai on medium. Fry the peanuts for 2 minutes until they crackle and darken slightly. Add the mustard and cumin; when the mustard pops, add the curry leaves and green chillies.
- 4Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the potato cubes and peas and fry for 2 minutes so the potato catches a little colour.
- 5Add the toasted oats and stir for a minute. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water over them; they will soften and absorb it.
- 6Tip in the seasoned poha and fold everything together gently with a light hand. Cover and cook on low heat for 2–3 minutes until steaming hot and the oats are tender. Add a spoon more water if the oats still feel firm.
- 7Switch off, squeeze in the lemon juice and fold once more. Serve topped with coconut and coriander.
Notes from the Department
- Do not soak the poha in a bowl. A quick rinse is enough; soaked poha turns to mush.
- Toast the oats before adding water, or they go gummy and clump with the poha.
- Use thick (jada) poha. Thin poha dissolves when mixed with oats.
- Skip the sugar for a purely savoury bowl; it is there only to balance the lemon, Maharashtrian style.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrate
- 66 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 7.5 g
- Sugars
- 5.6 g
Why this works
Kanda poha is the default Maharashtrian breakfast: flattened rice tossed with a mustard-curry leaf tadka, onion, a pinch of sugar and plenty of lemon. Folding in rolled oats keeps the familiar taste while adding more texture and fibre to the plate. The key is to treat the oats like the poha: toast them, give them just a little water, and let them steam briefly so they turn tender without becoming porridge.
Seasoning the rinsed poha directly with salt, sugar and turmeric before it hits the pan means every flake is evenly flavoured and nothing needs aggressive stirring later. Gentle folding keeps both the poha and the oats in separate, fluffy pieces. The Department of Poha does not accept mashed poha.
Swaps
Quick oats work; toast them for only 2 minutes and skip the extra water, as they soften fast. Leave out the potato for a lighter bowl, or add grated carrot and capsicum. Cashews can replace peanuts. Hing is traditional in the tadka; skip it or use a wheat-free one if you need the dish gluten-free, and buy oats labelled certified gluten-free. For a vegan bowl, this recipe already qualifies as written.
Serving and storage
Serve hot with a cup of chai. In Indore it comes topped with sev and jeeravan masala; in Nagpur with a ladle of spicy tarri. Pomegranate seeds on top add sweetness and crunch.
Oats poha is best freshly made. Leftovers keep for a day in the fridge. Sprinkle with a spoon of water and reheat covered on low heat for 3 minutes.
Questions people ask
- Can I make oats poha without poha?
- Yes. Use 1 cup rolled oats in total, toast them well and steam with 3–4 tbsp water. The texture is closer to oats upma but the flavour is still classic kanda poha.
- Which oats are best for oats poha?
- Rolled oats hold their shape best. Quick oats work but soften faster, so add them later and use less water.
- Why is my poha dry or hard?
- The poha was under-rinsed or the oats were not given enough water to steam. Sprinkle a spoon of water, cover and cook on low for another minute.
- Is oats poha gluten-free?
- Poha, oats and the other ingredients contain no wheat, and this recipe skips hing. Use oats labelled certified gluten-free, as regular oats are often processed alongside wheat.
Inspired by Cooking Curries. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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