🍳 BREAKFAST
Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice)
Thick flattened rice rinsed soft, then tossed in a mustard-seed, cumin and curry-leaf tempering with onion, green chilli, turmeric and crunchy peanuts, finished with lemon, coriander and fresh coconut.
Indian (Maharashtrian) · easy · serves 3
prep 10 min · cook 15 min
~487 cal · 10g protein · 72g carbs · 18g fat · 5g fiber · 5g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Kanda poha, kande pohe in Marathi, is the breakfast of Maharashtra and of Mumbai's mornings. Kanda means onion and poha is flattened rice: rice that is and pressed into flakes, so it needs only a quick rinse to soften before it goes into the pan. In ten or fifteen minutes it becomes a light, golden, gently spiced plate.
The flavour comes from the tadka, a tempering of mustard and cumin seeds popped in hot oil with , green chilli and a pinch of , then onion softened until translucent. Turmeric turns the flakes yellow, a little sugar balances the salt, and roasted peanuts add crunch. Many cooks add small cubes of potato, which makes it kanda batata pohe.
It is finished at the table the Maharashtrian way: a squeeze of lemon, chopped coriander and a scattering of fresh grated coconut, often with a handful of crisp sev on top and a cup of chai alongside. It is sold from street stalls and served in homes, and quick enough to make for guests who drop in.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 3
- 200 g thick flattened rice (poha), use the thick (jada) variety; thin poha turns to mush when rinsed
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 40 g raw peanuts
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 to 12
- 2 green chillies, slit or chopped
- a pinch wheat-free (hing), most compounded hing is cut with wheat flour; choose a gluten-free brand
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 small potato, peeled and cut into small cubes (optional, for kanda batata pohe)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus wedges to serve
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut, to garnish
Instructions
- 1Put the poha in a sieve and rinse under running water for 20 to 30 seconds, tossing, until the flakes are just soft. Drain well, sprinkle over the turmeric, sugar and salt, mix gently with your fingers and leave 5 to 10 minutes.✎ Chef’s notePress a flake between your fingers: it should crush easily. Do not soak it, or it turns to paste.
- 2Heat the oil in a wide pan or kadai and fry the peanuts over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crunchy. Lift them out.
- 3In the same oil, if using potato, fry the cubes for 6 to 8 minutes until tender and lightly golden, then lift them out too.
- 4Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then the cumin seeds. Add the curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida, then the onion, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 5Add the poha, potatoes and peanuts and fold everything together gently. Cover and steam on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, sprinkling in a spoon of water if it looks dry.
- 6Stir in the lemon juice, check the salt, and serve hot, topped with coriander and grated coconut, with lemon wedges on the side.✎ Chef’s noteA handful of crisp sev on top is a popular Maharashtrian finish; sev is made from gram flour but check the packet if you avoid gluten.
Maharashtrian home and street breakfast tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Maharashtra (Mumbai). Maharashtra, home to Mumbai, cooks fiery coastal Malvani seafood and the city's beloved street food, vada pav, pav bhaji, and bhel puri. Peanuts, coconut, and kokum define its varied table.
🗺️
India. A grain line runs across the country, rice through the south and east, wheat rotis through the north and west, and the cooking fat shifts with it: coconut oil and curry leaves in the south, mustard oil in the east, ghee and dairy-thickened gravies in the north. Chilli is a relative newcomer to all of them, carried in by Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
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Good to know
You’ll need: Steamer.
Storing it: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within an hour. Keep up to 2 days and reheat until piping hot all the way through.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice)?
Thick flattened rice rinsed soft, then tossed in a mustard-seed, cumin and curry-leaf tempering with onion, green chilli, turmeric and crunchy peanuts, finished with lemon, coriander and fresh coconut.
Where does Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) come from?
Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) is an Indian (Maharashtrian) dish from Maharashtra (Mumbai), India.
Can Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Onion Flattened Rice) take to make?
About 25 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 3.
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