Batata Poha is a flavored breakfast/snack dish from Maharashtra. Poha stands for Rice Flakes or Beaten Rice. Poha is known as Aval in Malayalam. Both thick and thin varieties of Poha are available at most Indian stores. It requires very little cooking or almost none. Batata Poha is an upma made using poha, onions and potatoes. Though it is never made in Kerala, we have eaten Poha from restaurants and office food court. I started experimenting with Poha only recently and have fallen in love with these Rice Flakes.
Here is the recipe for this super simple Batata Poha which can be prepared in 15 minutes. A good Poha should not be soggy but the rice flakes should be moist and soft. You can make this for breakfast, lunch or as an evening snack. 🙂 Whatever be the meal, you will definitely like Batata Poha.
Ingredients
- Poha (Beaten rice/Rice Flakes) – 2 cups (Thick or Thin Variety – I used Thick Poha for this recipe)
- Diced Onions – 1 small
- Finely Diced Potatoes – 1 medium
- Minced Green Chillies – 2 or 3
- Groundnuts/Peanuts – 1/4 cup
- Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
- Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
Preparation Method
- Wash the Poha 2 or 3 times until moistened. Drain and keep aside. If you are using thick Poha, soak it for around 5 minutes, then wash and drain.
- Heat oil in a non stick pan and splutter mustard seeds.
- Add groundnuts and roast for a few minutes until it begins to change color.
- Add the onions and green chillies. Saute until the onions become translucent.
- Add the potatoes along with turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt to taste.
- Cover and cook for a few minutes until the potatoes are done. Make sure not to overcook the potatoes.
- Add poha to the pan and mix everything well.
- Garnish with grated coconut and remove from stove top. Keep covered.
- You can also sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice for more flavor.