15-Minute Kanda Poha with Peanuts, Curry Leaves and Lime
A quick kanda poha recipe: flattened rice tossed with soft onions, crunchy peanuts, mustard seeds, curry leaves and lime. Maharashtra's classic breakfast.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
15-Minute Kanda Poha with Peanuts, Curry Leaves and Lime is a vegan breakfast recipe made with thick poha (flattened rice), fine salt, organic cane sugar. It takes 15 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 494 calories, 10 g of protein and 8 g of fiber.
Fluffy kanda poha starts with a fast rinse in a colander, not a long soak. The flakes keep softening on their own while you temper the spices, so they stay separate when they go into the pan. Frying the peanuts first flavors the oil, and lime and cilantro go in at the end to keep the dish bright. Use thick poha. Thin poha turns mushy in seconds.
Ingredients
- 3 cups360 gthick poha (flattened rice)
- 1 tsp6 gfine salt, plus more to taste
- 1½ tsp6.3 gorganic cane sugar, balances the lime; leave it out if you prefer
- ½ tsp1.5 gground turmeric
- 3 tbsp42 gneutral oil, such as peanut or sunflower
- ⅓ cup48 graw peanuts, skin on or off
- 1 tsp3.3 gblack or brown mustard seeds
- ½ tsp1.1 gcumin seeds
- 15 1 gfresh curry leaves
- 1 medium14 gjalapeño, finely chopped (seeded for less heat)
- 1 large150 gyellow onion, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp23 gfresh lime juice
- ¼ cup4 gfresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 65 glime wedges, for serving (optional)
- 2 tbsp7.5 gunsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
Kit: colander, large skillet or kadai with lid
Tips
- Rinse in a colander, not a bowl of water. Soaking makes the flakes absorb too much water and turn into paste.
- Thin poha (sometimes labeled 'nylon' or 'patla') is meant for snacks like chivda and won't hold up here. Buy bags marked thick or medium-thick.
- Add the turmeric to the rinsed poha instead of the hot oil. It coats every flake evenly and won't scorch.
Swap ideas
- Add 1 small potato, diced small, with the onion (cover and cook 6–7 minutes until tender)
- Makes kanda batata poha, which is heartier and more filling. Adds about 7 minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup frozen green peas with the onion
- Adds sweetness and color, and makes the dish a bit more filling.
- Use 1–2 Indian green chiles or a serrano instead of the jalapeño
- More heat, closer to the traditional Maharashtrian flavor.
- Use toasted cashews instead of peanuts
- Softer, richer crunch, and a good option for peanut allergies.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
494kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.8 g 9%
- Sugars
- 4.1 g
- Sodium
- 645 mg 28%
- Potassium
- 276 mg 6%
- Calcium
- 25 mg 2%
- Iron
- 1.9 mg 11%
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg 10%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: THICK POHA (Deep Foods Inc., BANSI; ingredients: pressed rice - thick). Branded food. Potassium (117 mg) isn't on the label and is taken from a secondary database listing for rice flakes (poha)., Salt, table, Sugars, granulated, Spices, turmeric, ground, Oil, canola, Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted, without salt, Spices, mustard seed, ground, Spices, cumin seed, Curry leaves, fresh (Nutridex; from Gopalan et al. 1980, Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, and Wu Leung et al. 1972, Food Composition Table for Use in East Asia), Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Onions, raw, Lime juice, raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw
Method
Put the poha in a colander and rinse under cold running water for 20–30 seconds, tossing with your fingers so every flake gets wet. Stop when a flake squashes easily between two fingers. Drain well, sprinkle the salt, sugar and turmeric over it and toss gently with a fork. Set aside. It will finish softening while you cook.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or kadai over medium heat. Add the peanuts and fry, stirring, until golden and blistered, 3–4 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and leave the oil in the pan.
Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil. When they start popping (about 30 seconds), add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and jalapeño. Stand back because the leaves spatter. Stir for 15–20 seconds, until the leaves turn crisp and glossy.
Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent with barely golden edges, 4–5 minutes. Kanda poha onions should stay sweet and soft, not deeply browned.
Fluff the poha with a fork. If any flakes still feel hard, sprinkle over 1–2 tablespoons of water. Add it to the pan and fold gently until it's evenly yellow. Lower the heat, cover and steam for 2 minutes, until hot all the way through and tender.
Take the pan off the heat. Fold in the fried peanuts, lime juice and most of the cilantro. Taste and add more salt or lime if needed.
Serve hot, topped with the remaining cilantro, a little coconut if you like and lime wedges on the side.
Storage: Poha is best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, sprinkle with a little water, cover, and warm in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until steaming. The peanuts will soften.
Questions
- How much protein is in 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime?
- Each of the 4 servings has 10 g of protein, 8 g of fiber and 494 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime take to make?
- 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, so 15 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime ahead?
- Poha is best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, sprinkle with a little water, cover, and warm in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until steaming. The peanuts will soften.
- What can I substitute in 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime?
- Add 1 small potato, diced small, with the onion (cover and cook 6–7 minutes until tender) — makes kanda batata poha, which is heartier and more filling. adds about 7 minutes.. Stir in 1/2 cup frozen green peas with the onion — adds sweetness and color, and makes the dish a bit more filling.. Use 1–2 Indian green chiles or a serrano instead of the jalapeño — more heat, closer to the traditional maharashtrian flavor.. Use toasted cashews instead of peanuts — softer, richer crunch, and a good option for peanut allergies..
- Does 15-minute kanda poha with peanuts, curry leaves and lime contain peanuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes peanuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 6, 2026 ·Indian (Maharashtrian)