I love traditional Indian breakfasts and this Instant pot Poha is one of them. This tangy and sweet poha with potatoes and peas (Kanda batata poha) is a popular breakfast item in northern parts of India. But in south, we have our own versions like aval upma (poha upma), puli aval (tamarind poha), vella aval (sweetened poha with jaggery) all of which are delicious and easy to make.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is very important to start the day with something nutritious and most of the Indian breakfasts usually cater to that philosophy. Be it kichdis, upmas, parathas or idlis, all these dishes contain a good serving of veggies and carbs. And when they are served with delicious sides like chutneys and sambars, they taste delicious. Now that I think about it, there aren’t many traditional Indian breakast items with too much sugar. They might be carb heavy, it is highly unlikely that you’ll find people consuming processed sugar or frozen foods to begin the day with.
What kind of poha to use?
Poha is basically flattened rice and unlike rice they cook pretty fast. You will find two kinds of poha in the Indian stores. One is the thin variety and the other is thick. We use the thick variety to make this upma because the thin variety is unforgiving and can be easily over cooked. You can also find millet flakes like Ragi flakes in the market these days. They can also be used in this recipe and they are definitely a great alternative for people looking to avoid rice. This is the Poha
I used to make this recipe .
I did not eat a lot of poha growing up. When ever my mom used to make it, I would grumble and make some excuses not to eat it. But she did not make this version. I like this version because it is,
- Tangy from the lemon
- Slightly sweet
- Spicy from green chillies
- Crunchy from the peanuts
- It is a riot of flavours in one plate!
You can add more veggies like carrots, beans for an extra serving of veggies. I am sticking to the traditional version with potatoes and peas this time.
This Instant pot Poha is so easy to make and gets done in less than 30 minutes. My brother in law who is kind of a poha fan approved of this recipe 🙂 Serve this with a hot cup of chai and start your day with a delicious meal!
Note: the recipe has been updated with water measurements for bigger instant pot sizes. I have made mine in a 3qt Instant pot. Please read the notes for water measurements.
A popular Indian breakfast where flattened rice (poha) cooked with potatoes and peas in the instant pot.
- 2 cups Thick poha
- 1 potato cubed in medium size pieces
- 1 big onion chopped finely
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/2 tsp sugar (any kind) optional
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 lemon (juice extracted)
- 2 tsp coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 to 3 green chillies (use as per spice levels)
- 6 to 7 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp crushed or whole roasted peanuts
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This instant pot poha recipe was done in a 3q IP. For making this in bigger size IP check out the notes for the water measurements.
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Take the poha in a colander and wash it in running water for a minute and not more than that. Drain and set it aside.
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Switch on the saute mode in your IP and add the oil. When it becomes hot, add the ingredients given under "tadka"
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When the mustard seeds splutter, add the onions and saute for a minute. (No need to brown the onions.)
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Add the potatoes, peas, 1 tbsp water, salt and switch off the saute mode immediately. The vegetables (onions, peas and potatoes should cover the bottom of the pan fully)
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Close the lid and cook on manual high for 2 minutes and release pressure immediately.
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On opening you will find a little bit of moisture in the mixture. If there is a lot of liquid, saute it for a couple of minutes until there is not much water. Then add the washed poha. Mix and close the lid again and let it rest for 10 minutes or more. (Do not switch on keep warm mode)
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The poha will get cooked in the retained heat. After 10 minutes, open up and add some lemon juice and sugar. Adjust salt as need at this stage.
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Garnish with coriander leaves and peanuts. Serve your instant pot poha recipe hot.
- This recipe can't be done with thin variety of poha. If you wish to use thin poha, do not wash the poha poha in the begining. Add them in the end after the veggies are cooked and let it cook in the retained heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
- I used my 3qt instant pot to make this recipe. So 1 tbsp of water was enough. For people using a bigger size add 3 tbsp water extra. (Totally 1/4 cup for a bigger size instant pot)
- The onions release some liquid which prevents burnt bottoms.
Like this recipe? Please rate by clicking the number of stars near the comment section. Pin it for future reference on pinterest and share it on your favorite social media channels (Pinterest, facebook, instagram)
Do share a picture of your dish with the hashtag #cookingwithpree so that I can see it! 🙂 Other Indian breakfast that you can make in your instant pot – Godhuma rava upma (Broken wheat upma) , Semiya biriyani, pongal
Tried this today. One of the best Poha I have ever made. Instructions and footnotes were perfect and easy to follow. Good job!
Thanks so much for the feedback. Glad you enoyed it 🙂
Hi, my onions were stuck to the bottom when I opened the cooker. I used a little more than 1 tbsp water. What could have gone wrong? I have a Mealthy 3qt pot. I didn’t want to add too much water for fear of making it watery.
Hi, did the onions get stuck to the bottom while you were sauteeing them? The onions should not be sauteed too much. The idea is the onions cook while they are getting pressure cooked and they will release some moisture that will prevent food getting stuck in the bottom. I would suggest that you deglaze the pan with a couple tbsp of water to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan before you add the poha. Maybe next time add 2tbsp more water and cook the onions less? Just sauteeing for few seonds is enough.
I will try this at home.
Hope you like it! 🙂
Came out just fine for a rookie like me. Thank you!
That’s great 🙂
Hello! If I want to make this without the onions do I need to increase the amount of water?
Thank you
Hi Sonia, yes, please increase the amount of water by 2 to 3 tbsp. I havent done it without the onions, so I am unable to say the exact amount of water needed. If you do try it, I would like to know how much you increasedand if it worked out. Thank you 🙂
If I need to make 3 times this recipe,then do I increase cook time and water? I have a 6 qt DUO
Hi, you have to increase the water. But the cook time will be the same. Just make sure you chop the potatoes in smaller size to ensure they are cooked properly. For 6 qt and triple the qty of this recipe, I think 1/2 cup water should be more than enough. If there is left over water, pls saute it to reduce the water.
This recipe came out perfectly for me in my 6 quart IP, using your recommendation for extra water! I did pre cook my potatoes a bit beforehand based on the comments. Super tasty and simple. Thank you!
Oh yaay! Glad you liked it 🙂
Hi ! Hey just made this and it seems a bit dry ( and the potatoes slightly underdone ) when you put the poha in colander do you put bowl below to soak one minute ? Or run the water over the poha for a minute ( that’s what I did) how to make it less dry? My husband like it anyway by the way – so that’s a winner! But I’d like it less dry. Thanks!
Is it? How much water did you use? You do not have to soak the poha. Just run the water over the poha like you did. If its a bit dry you could sprinkle some more water after adding the poha and letting it absorb that water in the retained heat or wash them for 2 minutes, instead of one! And for the potatoes you could cut them a little smaller to get them cooked properly. Do let me know if these tips helped 🙂
I do not live anywhere near a store that supplies Indian ingredients.
Is there any other kind of rice that can be substituted
for the poha? Also, curry leaves are not available here.
Hi Sandra, You could get it in amazon. I have linked it in my post. But if you want to substitute it with something else, I would suggest maybe using quinoa. If you are doing that, please add the quinoa along with the potatoes and peas and add water in 1:1 ratio and the cook time would vary accoringly too. And you could skip the curry leaves. They add a great flavor to the recipe, but you can do without it too 🙂