Kanda poha or Aval / Pressed Rice Upma

Kanda Poha is a very popular Maharashtrian breakfast, Kanda means Onion. It is made from flattened/beaten rice and tossed in caramelized onions, green chillies and peanuts.

I was introduced to this by one of my friend in Mumbai. It is a very tasty and easy to cook dish. When you are pressed to time in the morning, this is an ideal breakfast dish. Some also prefer to eat this as a teatime snack. You can always spice it up or down depending on your taste.

Ingredients

Pressed rice/ Poha, thick  - 2 cups

Onions Chopped  -  2 medium

Oil – 4 tablespoon

Asafoetida  - a small pinch

Mustard seeds   -  1 Teaspoon

Cumin Seeds   -  1 Teaspoon

Curry Leaves   - 6 to 7

Turmeric Powder   -   ½ teaspoon

Green chillies, chopped   - 1 teaspoon

Salt    -   to taste

Sugar  - 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice    -  1 tablespoon

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped    -   2 tablespoon

Method

Place poha in a colander and pour water over to moisten it. Chop onions and green chillies. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the oil remaining in the pan. When the seeds splutter, add asafoetida, curry leaves and onions and sauté till lightly browned. Add turmeric powder and green chillies and stir for ½ minute. Add poha, salt and sugar and mix well. Squeeze the juice of a lemon and mix. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.