Kanda Poha is a savory Indian breakfast dish made with quick-cooking rice flakes(poha), onion(kanda), peas and turmeric. I add some oats to make this extra filling and nourishing!
Meet my favorite savory breakfast dish – Poha! This is a popular Indian breakfast dish made with thick rice flakes. These flakes are like oats, you soak them and use. Most often they are used in a savory dish like this breakfast. It’s a stir fry with Indian spices, onion, peas, other veggies, and nuts. It’s served garnished with lime juice, cilantro. I often add oats along with the rice flakes, to make it a heartier breakfast. Oats are an acquired flavor so try by replacing quarter of the rice flakes and then half with oats. For an all oat version, make my oat poha.
It’s a tiny bit like Indian turmeric rice but made with quick-cooking rice flakes and oats and making this takes just about 15 mins and all you need is 1 pan.
Chopped peanuts or cashews add some crunch while peas add a pop of color but you could add any other veggie to this dish. Whatever you have sitting in your fridge and does not require much cooking time would be a great addition here.
More savory vegan Breakfast dishes:
Tofu Bhurji(Indian Breakfast Scramble)
Chickpea Flour Frittata GF Soy-free
Vegan Omelet with Mung bean GF Soy-free
Kanda Poha (Spiced Veggie Rice flakes Oat Breakfast)
Kanda Poha is a savory Indian breakfast dish made with quick-cooking rice flakes(poha), onion(kanda), peas and turmeric. I add some oats to make this extra filling and nourishing! So good on a cold morning.
Yield: 2
Calories: 279kcal
- 1 cup thick poha thick flattened rice flakes
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats use certified gluten-free oats to make gf.
- 2 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves chopped fresh*, frozen or dried
- 1/2 hot green chili finely chopped, such as Serrano, or Indian chili
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 3 tablespoon chopped cashews or peanuts omit for nutfree
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder or to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen green peas thawed if frozen
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
- 2 teaspoon lime or lemon juice for garnish, not optional
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Wash the poha and oats and soak in 2 cups of warm or room temperature water for 5 minutes, then drain for 2 mins. (Steps 2 through 4 take about the same time, so the poha and oats do not have to be soaked in advance.)
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Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil.
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When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to change color significantly or to start popping. 10 seconds to a minute depending on heat of the skillet. Add curry leaves and chili, then stir carefully for a few seconds. Add in the onions and cashews and good pinch of salt and cook onion is until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
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Add turmeric , cayenne, peas, half the salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
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Drain the poha and oats well and add to the pan, then add the remaining salt. Toss and Mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
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Open the lid and Stir to mix and fluff. Add cilantro and lemon juice and mix. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Cover, take off heat and and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Open the lid and fluff again and Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice.
To make this nut-free, omit the nuts.
* Fresh curry leaves are available at Indian stores locally or online on amazon. Freeze them in airtight container for months, use frozen directly from the freezer.
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
Ingredients:
- for this dish, I use a mix of thick poha ( thick flattened rice flakes ) and old-fashioned oats
- spices: for the tempering, we toast black mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil, then add green chili and onion to get the flavors going
- for color and to get some veggies in, we add some frozen peas. Add in cooked potatoes, finely chopped carrots , peppers, zucchini for variation
- we add our favorite warming ground spices turmeric and a touch of chili powder for heat
- chopped green chili add some heat
- cashews or peanuts provide some crunch, omit for nutfree
- chopped cilantro adds freshness and a touch of color
Tips & Variations:
- For variation: add cooked cubed potatoes after the onions are translucent. Or add other chopped veggies and greens, cover and cook until just about done and continue with the next step.
- To make this nut-free, omit the nuts.
- Fresh curry leaves can be bought from Indian stores locally or online on amazon. Freeze them in an airtight container for months, and use frozen directly from freezer.
How to make Kanda Poha:
Wash the poha and oats and soak in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, then drain for 2 mins. (Steps 2 through 4 take about the same time, so the poha and oats do not have to be soaked in advance.)
Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil.
When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to change color significantly or to start popping. About a minute. Add curry leaves and green chili, then stir carefully for a few seconds.
Add in the onions and cashews and a good pinch of salt and cook the onion until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
Add turmeric, cayenne, peas, and half of the salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
Drain the poha and oats well and add to the pan, then add the remaining salt. Toss and Mix well.
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Open the lid and Stir to mix and fluff. Add cilantro and lemon juice and mix. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Cover, take off heat and and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Open the lid and fluff again and Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice.
Make this Nutfree: Omit the nuts
