Poha is a nutritious breakfast recipe that is made using flattened rice and is a very popular dish all over India. Flattened rice is use to make a lot of dishes like chivda, upma, dosa, idli etc.
Almost every household in India makes poha with their own variation. Hara bhara poha is another variation for the traditional poha. It has mint leaves and coriander leaves and is not only healthy but tasty too.
To make hara bhara poha you need to soak some poha in a colander. Then make a mint chutney using coriander leaves, curd, mint leaves, green chilli, lime juice, salt and oil. Then roast some mustard seeds, curry leaves and peanuts in a pan and add the mint chutney to it. Add the soaked poha and mix it properly for a minute. This is how you can make hara bhara poha easily with a few basic ingredients.
Poha is best for breakfast, light snack or even for a quick dinner. Children love poha and so it is perfect for school lunchboxes too. So, do try this easy and nutritious recipe for your family right now. Also, read the tips for the perfect hara bhara poha recipe.
Different types of poha
Poha is a famous Indian breakfast dish that is most popular in Maharashtra. Traditionally it is yellow and made with onions, potato, peanuts, chilli, flattened rice and spices. But there are a lot of variations to this simple poha recipe.
Some types of poha that are quite famous are-
Kanda poha– kanda means onions and kanda poha has lots of onions. It is famous in Maharashtra.
Kanda batata poha– batata means potato and kanda means onion so this recipe of poha has onions and potatoes in it.
Dadpe pohe– this one is famous in konkan region. This recipe requires fresh coconuts and the poha used in this recipe is left uncooked.
Indori poha– this poha has a distinct flavour of fennel seed making it different from the typical poha. This poha is usually best with sweet and sticky jalebis.
Maharashtrian gopalkala poha– this is a curd poha recipe with fruits. It is made during Janmashtmi festival as prasad and is super easy to make.
Pro tips for hara bhara poha
You can add spinach and peas to make the poha more nutritious.
Do not over soak the poha in water or it will get mushy. Always put the poha in a colander and sprinkle some water on it so that it doesn’t over soak.
You can use any variety of poha for this recipe according to your liking.
Garnish the poha with sev, grated coconut or raw onions.
FAQs
How to soak the poha properly?
It is preferable to rinse the poha in a colander or sieve instead of soaking it in water. Rinsing helps in making poha soft and doesn’t make it mushy.
How to know when the poha is ready?
To check if the poha is done, try pressing one flake and if it breaks then it is good or else sprinkle some more water on it.
Poha is too dry after cooking.
If you feel that the poha is too dry then add around 1/4th cup of water to the poha, cover it and let it cook on low flame. You will see the poha puffing up.
Other recipes to try
Apart from hara bhara poha do try these delicious breakfast recipes-
Poha recipe– the traditional poha that is perfect for breakfast and is healthy too.
Cutlet recipe– veg cutlets that are a perfect tea time snack and great for guests too. This recipe has veggies like onions, carrot beetroot and peas.
Moong dal cheela– healthy breakfast dish made using moong dal batter than can be made in only 10 minutes if you have already soaked the dal.
Ragi porridge– a healthy breakfast dish that is also perfect for babies. All you need to make this recipe is ( ( and
Bread upma– a bread version of poha that is perfect for breakfast and is made using tomato, onions and bread.
Add 1 cup mint leaves, 1 cup coriander leaves, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp curd, 2 tsp lime juice, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp oil to a grinder and make a smooth paste. Mint chutney is ready.
Take 1 cup poha in a big bowl and add 2 cups water to it. Wash it properly and then strain out the water.
In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 4 tbsp peanuts, 10 to 12 curry leaves and fry everything for a minute.
Add the chutney to the pan and mix it. Now add the poha to the pan and mix it well so that the poha coats well with the chutney.
Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp lime juice to the poha and mix. Your hara bhara poha is now ready. Serve and enjoy.
