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
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
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.
Some Lunchbox Ideas
Lunchbox Favourites By Members Of Sunday Funday
- Antipasto Skewers from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Allergy Friendly Granola from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad from Palatable Pastime
- Peanut Butter Chip Brownies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pepperoni Jalapeño Pizza Quesadillas from Food Lust People Love
- Sabudana Vada from Sneha’s Recipe
- Vegetable Poha from Mayuri’s Jikoni
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.
VEGETABLE POHA
Ingredients
- 2 cups poha
- 1 cup potato peeled and diced
- 1 cup mixed vegetables
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 green chilli paste
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Put the poha in a sieve and wash it under running water. Leave it in the sieve so that water can drain out.
- Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Stir fry the peanuts till they begin to crack.
- Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep on the side.
- Add mustard, cumin and sesame seeds.
- Add asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Immediately add chopped onion and stir fry till it becomes a bit soft.
- Add ginger and chillis and stir fry for just a few seconds.
- Add diced potato, mixed vegetables, half of the measured turmeric powder and half of salt from the measured amount.
- Mix well. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Cook the vegetables till done. You may need to add 2-3 tbsp water if the veggies don't get cooked in 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, transfer the washed poha to a mixing bowl. They will be soft so handle with care.
- Add the remaining salt, turmeric powder and sugar.
- Mix very gentle using your fingers.
- Add poha to the cooked vegetables.
- Gently mix everything.
- Cover and let the mixture cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
- The poha should be done and should not be hard.
- Add lemon juice and coriander and mix well.
- Serve hot poha with a slice of lemon, your favourite chutney or with some yogurt.
Notes
- If you soak the poha in water it becomes mushy.
- You can prepare poha ahead and serve later. If you find that the mixture is too dry, sprinkle a bit of water, cover and heat the poha.
- Adjust the spices according to your taste.
- You can add cashew nuts instead of peanuts.
- If you like you can add more poha or increase the amount of vegetables.
Pin For Later
https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/237776055321817480/
A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62