Whether you are reliving your memories of Indore or trying it for the first time, this Indori poha recipe will surely leave you craving more.
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What is Indori Poha?
Indori Poha is a quintessential breakfast delicacy from India’s heart, Indore – a city in Madhya Pradesh. It is known for its comforting savoury flavour with subtle sweetness, a variety of delicious toppings, and a unique cooking style.
Indori Poha is not just a food item but an emotion for the people of Indore. Even though the ingredients are very similar to Maharashtrian Kanda Poha, still the taste and texture of Indori poha are very different and delicious.
This year during one of my work travels I got the chance to sample the authentic Indori Poha in Indore and trust me, even since then I have been obsessed with this simple dish.
What makes Indori Poha so special?
- the toppings like Ratlami sev, and Jeeravan make it delicious to the core
- it has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savoury
- it is a vegan, gluten-free, and fulfilling Indian breakfast
- it remains fresh and soft throughout the day
- it’s steamed, hence has the softest texture
- it is the easiest Poha recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make authentic Indori-style poha, you will need the following ingredients:
- Poha/Chiwda is the Hindi term for flattened rice. Use a thick but softer variety of flattened rice for this poha recipe.
- Tempering (Tadka): Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds (Saunf), tiny Black Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves, Raw Peanuts
- Oil: Use neutral flavour refined oil or groundnut oil for tempering the poha.
- Seasoning: Salt, Granulated White Sugar, Turmeric Powder, Green Chilli, and Lemon Juice
Ingredients for Poha Toppings
- Spicy and Savoury Boondi gives a crunch factor to the Indori Poha.
- Thick Sev preferably Ratlami with a thick texture is one of the essential toppings for this poha.
- Chopped onion, fresh coriander leaves and lemon juice give a fresh taste to the poha.
- Jeeravan Masala is a quintessential spice blend from Madhya Pradesh. It is sprinkled over the Indori poha before serving for a lip-smacking flavour. You can source it online or make it at home.
How To Make Indori-Style Poha
Preparing Poha (rice flakes):
- Begin by soaking flattened rice flakes in clean water for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, gently transfer it to a colander to drain all the water. Let the flattened rice sit in the strainer for 10 minutes to drain excess water.
- Once the poha is softened, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add turmeric powder, sugar, and salt. Mix gently with your fingers and set aside.
Tempering (Tadka):
- Heat oil in a pan, once hot add cumin, fennel, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
- Once the seeds start crackling, add green chilli and peanuts. Fry them nicely till the peanuts are crunchy and cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Pour this tadka over the poha and gently mix using a spoon or your fingers.
Steaming:
- Heat a steamer filled with water.
- Arrange poha in an even layer in a steamer basket or a large plate.
- Once the steam starts forming, place the poha basket on the steamer.
- Steam the poha for 10 minutes stirring at regular intervals.
Final Touch:
- Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Mix gently.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestion
Serve the Indori poha hot, topped with a generous amount of sev, boondi, chopped onion, fresh coriander and a dash of Jeeravan masala. Without these toppings Indori poha is incomplete.
You can also serve it with a side of jalebi for a traditional Indori breakfast experience.
My Tried and True Tips
- Type of Poha: Use thick and soft flattened rice for this poha recipe as thin poha tends to become mushy. Many leading brands sell a specific type of flattened rice flakes for Indori poha.
- Handling Poha: Be gentle while soaking the poha. The idea is to soften it just enough without making it mushy. It is never rinsed under running water for this Poha recipe.
- Essentials: There is no Indori poha without fennel seeds (saunf), sugar, lemon juice, Jeeravan, Boondi, and Sev. Hence, do not miss out on any of these ingredients.
- Balancing Flavors: The addition of sugar and lemon juice is key to achieving the balance of sweet and tangy flavours typical of Indori Poha.
- Crunch Factor: The fried peanuts, boondi, and sev adds a delightful crunch to the poha.
- Steaming and not cooking is the secret tip to make the light, fluffy, and soft Indori poha.
More Indian Breakfast Recipes
- Matar Poha
- Rava Upma
- Dalia Upma
- Vermicelli Upma
- Sabudana Khichdi
- Masala Khara Bath
- Mumbai Style Kanda Poha
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Indori Poha Recipe
Whether you are reliving your memories of Indore or trying it for the first time, this Indori poha recipe will surely leave you craving more.
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Calories: 2.254kcal
- Steamer
- Tadka Pan
- Colander or Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 Cup thick flattened rice flakes (poha)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 ¼ teaspoon granulated white sugar
Ingredients for Tadka (Tempering)
- 4 tablespoon refined oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (rai)
- 2 tablespoon peanuts
- 2 green chillies sliced
- 6 curry leaves
Ingredients for Serving:
- Jeeravan Masala
- Lemon Juice
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup savoury boondi balls
- ¼ Cup sev
- handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Begin by soaking flattened rice flakes in clean water for 5 minutes to soften it and remove all the dirt particles.
- After 5 minutes, gently transfer it to a colander to drain all the water. Let the flattened rice sit in the strainer for 10 minutes to drain excess water. Handle flattened rice gently without breaking it.
- Once the poha is softened, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add turmeric powder, sugar, and salt. Mix gently with your fingers and set aside. At this stage, taste and add more salt or sugar, if required.
- Next, heat a steamer filled with water.
- On another burner, heat oil in a pan, once hot add cumin, fennel, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
- Once the seeds start crackling, add green chilli and peanuts. Fry them nicely till the peanuts are crunchy and cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Pour this tadka over the poha and gently mix using a spoon or your fingers so that everything is combined evenly.
- Arrange poha in an even layer in a steamer basket or a large plate.
- Once the steam starts forming, place the poha basket on the steamer. Steam the poha for 10 minutes stirring at regular intervals.
- Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Mix gently.
- Serve the Indori poha hot, topped with a generous amount of sev, boondi, chopped onion, fresh coriander and a dash of Jeeravan masala.
Recipe Notes:
- Be gentle while soaking the poha. The idea is to soften it just enough without making it mushy. It is never rinsed under running water for this Poha recipe.
- Many leading brands sell a specific type of flattened rice flakes for Indori poha.
- Indori Poha is always steamed to keep it soft and fluffy for hours.
- Oil in tadka is slightly higher than in other poha recipes. It helps in keeping the poha soft and to coat it evenly with the tadka.
Nutrition
Calories: 2.254kcal | Carbohydrates: 354g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Monounsaturated Fat: 44g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 4.21mg | Potassium: 2.031mg | Fiber: 34g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 17.795IU | Vitamin C: 141mg | Calcium: 426mg | Iron: 17mg
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