Needless to say, I didn’t grow up eating poha for breakfast, what with it being a Maharashtrian recipe and all. The first time I tried Batata Poha was at a food expo in my hometown when I was around 8. At these food markets, they would set up stalls and sell a variety of things, all homemade. In one of those, they were selling this Batata Poha in small cups for 5 rupees each. Amma and I had no clue what Batata or even Poha was but decided to give it a shot anyway. After one bite of it, Amma goes “ahh aval!” and then quickly went on to dissect the ingredients and guess what went into the Batata Poha. We loved it! Fast forward a few more years, I moved to Hyderabad for work and met people from all over. I tasted food that I’d never even heard of before. This recipe is from a Maharashtrian ex-colleague. He made his mom’s Batata Poha one day and posted a picture on Facebook. I, of course, immediately asked him for the recipe and he obliged. Thanks Yash! I was wondering if Batata Poha and Kanda Poha are the same thing so I asked Yash. He said batata = potato and kanda = onion. If you add both to the poha, then it becomes Kanda Batata Poha. Anyway, irrespective of the finer details, this is a delicious, easy, and healthy recipe that you must make! Also check out this aval vadai recipe.
How to Make Batata Poha – Step by Step Pictures
Run the poha or flattened rice under water in a colander until it turns soft – about 30 seconds to a minute is sufficient. Transfer to a bowl, add turmeric and salt and mix well, set aside Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add onions, green chillies, ginger (optional), and boiled and chopped potato. Add fried peanuts to this (you can try it in the oil before adding onions and set aside, then add it at this stage). Mix everything well. Then add the softened poha and sugar. Mix gently to combine, add lime juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot. Hot and healthy potato poha or batata poha is ready for breakfast. Enjoy!
