Vegetable Poha

Recipe: Vegetable Poha

Vegetable Poha is a version of the popular traditional Indian breakfast, lunchbox or snack food known as Bateta Poha. Instead of adding only potatoes to the flattened rice, I like to add mixed vegetables. This makes it more healthier and an excellent way to get more veggies in one’s diet.

What Is Poha?

Poha is flat, pressed or beaten rice. The rice is de-husked, parboiled and flattened.The flattened or pressed rice is dried. The flakes have rough edges and the thickness of the flakes depends on the pressure it was flattened. Thin poha, powa or chiura can be paper thin or thicker than a rice grain. Poha is used for making both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s also used to to thicken gravies, bind patties or cutlets. Poha is cooked in liquids like water, milk or cream or dry roasted or fried. Poha is easily available in most Indian stores. Also known as pua, aval, chira,avalakki.

Some Poha Recipes You May Like

POHA PHIRNI

Poha Phirni is a gluten free rich creamy pudding made by using rice flakes and full fat milk. Serve it as it is or with fresh fruits like the way I do.

Check out this recipe

KETO CAULIFLOWER PANEER POHA

Check out this recipe

Roasted Poha Chivda

Doodh Poha

Sharing Vegetable Poha Recipe With Sunday Funday

As kids go back to school and adults to work after summer holidays, it is time to think of lunchbox items. Therefore, Wendy suggested we our favourite lunchbox meal. Must admit don’t have to make prepare lunchboxes for anyone as kids are adults and hubby and I are retired. However, when I did have to pack lunch for the kids, hubby and myself, one of the quickest meal was vegetable poha.

I first posed this recipe on the blog on 30/03/2015. Republishing it with better photos and write up on 07/09/2025

Why Vegetable Poha Is An Excellent Lunchbox Meal

Loaded with veggies, quick to prepare and best part, can be prepared  the previous day while you’re getting dinner sorted. Usually, I packed it with a bit of fresh fruit and a dessert. Poha is quite an easy food item to enjoy right at your desk. No mess, no drips from sauces, all you need is a spoon.Add can be easily warmed up in the microwave oven, My school didn’t have a microwave oven but the room temperature poha tasted equally good. You can add any veggies of your choice. Also add some tiny cubes of paneer to make it protein rich. The recipe is versatile, you can easily increase the quantity of veggies and reduce the poha.

Ingredients Required For Vegetable Poha

Poha

Flattened rice which is easily available in all Indian Stores. There are 3 main types of poha available, medium, thick and nylon or thin poha. Thin poha is good for roasted chivda. The thick is suitable for deep frying and is used for the fried chivda. The medium one is generally used to make bateta or vegetable poha. You can replace white poha with the red ones if available.

Potato

I small or medium potato. Peel and dice the potato. Leave it in some tap water till required.

Mixed Vegetables

Here you can opt to use only one or a mixture. I like to add peas, carrot, green beans and sweet corn. Make sure you chop the vegetables almost the size of the peas for easier cooking.

Onion

I have used red onion. Peel and dice a small onion.

Green Chillis

I prefer to use green chilli paste. You can chop the green chillis if you like. Add according to your taste.

Ginger

Peeled and grated or minced.

Peanuts

For this recipe I prefer to use the peanuts with the skin. If you don’t have those use unsalted roasted peanuts. Can easily replace peanuts with cashew nuts if you want to.

Oil

We will be using about 2 tbsp oil. Can use less but the poha will taste a bit dry.

Fresh Coriander

Wash the coriander and chop it with the tender stalks.

Lemon Juice

Add according to your taste. I prefer to add about 2 tbsp.

Mustard Seeds

Also known as rai, sarson ke dane.

Cumin Seeds

Jeera or jiru, need some for flavour.

Sesame Seeds

Generally not used in a poha recipe but I like to add them for nutritious value and bite.

Cinnamon Stick

An inch of cinnamon stick broken into 2 pieces. It adds a subtle flavour. This is an optional ingredient.

Cloves

Wee need about 3-4 cloves. These too add a subtle flavour to the vegetable poha. Optional ingredient.

Black Peppercorns

We need about 6-8 of them and they are an optional ingredient.

Asafoetida

Also known as hing. Add a little for that umami flavour. For a gluten free version omit asafoetida. If you don’t have any, don’t worry you can omit it.

Salt 

The salt will be divided into 2 parts. One part we will be adding to the vegetables while cooking. The other part to the washed poha.

Sugar

For balance of flavours. Can omit it if you don’t want to add. However, will alter the flavour slightly.

Turmeric Powder

Hardar, haldi. Divide into 2 parts. One part add to the vegetables and the other to the washed poha.