There are some recipes you learn from a cookbook.
And then there are recipes you learn by simply standing beside your grandmother in the kitchen.
No weighing scales. No carefully measured teaspoons. No timer sitting beside the stove.
Just a handful of this, a pinch of that, a quick taste — and somehow it came out perfect every single time.
Poha was one of those recipes.
It wasn't something that needed planning. It wasn't reserved for a Sunday or a special occasion. It was the kind of food Grandma could put together quickly in the morning when everyone was rushing around — or make in the evening when somebody suddenly said:
"Kuch garam khane ko hai?"
Is there something hot to eat? ❤️
And within minutes, you'd hear mustard seeds crackling in the kitchen. That sound usually meant one thing...
Poha was coming.
🌿 The Beauty of Simple Indian Food
Poha is made from flattened rice, but what makes it special is everything that happens around it.
Mustard seeds hitting hot oil. The fragrance of fresh curry leaves. Green chillies. Soft onions. A little turmeric. Crunchy peanuts. Fresh coriander. And finally, that squeeze of lemon that somehow brings the entire plate alive.
Nothing particularly extravagant. Yet put everything together and you have one of India's most comforting everyday meals.
Good food doesn't always have to be complicated.
❤️ Grandma's Quick Poha Recipe
Preparation: Around 5 minutes Cooking: Around 10 minutes Perfect for: Breakfast, brunch or an evening snack
You'll Need
- 2 cups Thin Poha (Flattened Rice)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- A few fresh curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- A handful of peanuts
- A little cooking oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh lemon
- Fine sev for topping
And if there are some peas, potato or grated carrot sitting in the kitchen? Use them. Grandma certainly would have. Nothing good needed to go to waste.
👵 The Way Grandma Made It
First, the poha...
This is where you need to be gentle. Because we're using thin poha, it doesn't need soaking.
Put the poha into a colander and give it a very quick, gentle rinse under cold water. Then drain it immediately. Don't leave it sitting in water — thin poha absorbs moisture very quickly and too much water can make it soft and mushy.
Grandma's instructions were much simpler: "Bas halka sa paani... zyada nahi." Just a little water... not too much.
Leave it aside for a couple of minutes while you prepare everything else.
🔥 Then Comes That Familiar Crackle...
Heat a little oil in a pan. Add your mustard seeds. And wait.
Crackle... crackle... crackle.
Then add the curry leaves, green chilli and peanuts. Within seconds, the kitchen begins to smell completely different.
That combination of mustard seeds and curry leaves hitting hot oil is one of those aromas that instantly takes you somewhere. For some of us, it takes us straight back home.
🧅 Now the Onions
Add your finely chopped onion and gently cook until it starts to soften. If you're adding peas, potato, carrot or another vegetable, add them at this stage too.
Then add the turmeric and salt. Suddenly that ordinary-looking pan starts turning a beautiful warm yellow.
🌾 In Goes the Poha
Now gently add the softened poha. And gently really is the important word. Don't aggressively stir everything around.
Use your spoon to softly lift and fold the poha through the onions, peanuts, chillies, curry leaves and spices. Let everything warm together for another 2–3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
Your poha is almost ready.
🍋 Don't Forget Grandma's Final Touch
Fresh coriander goes in. Then comes a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. Taste it. Maybe another little squeeze.
Finally, spoon your steaming poha onto a plate and sprinkle some fine sev over the top.
Soft poha. Crunchy peanuts. Fragrant curry leaves. Fresh coriander. A little heat from the green chilli. Tangy lemon. And that final crunch from the sev.
Simple ingredients. Wonderful food. ❤️
☀️ A Breakfast for Busy Mornings
One of the reasons poha deserves to come back into more kitchens is simply how practical it is. Mornings are busy. Children need getting ready. Work is waiting.
Once your ingredients are ready, you can have a hot plate of poha on the table in around 10–15 minutes. And you can make it completely your own.
- Cooking for children? Reduce the chilli.
- Want more vegetables? Add peas or carrots.
- Love peanuts? Throw in another handful.
- Want more crunch? Be generous with the sev. 😋
That's the beauty of poha. There isn't only one way. There's your family's way.
☕ Or Save It for the Evening...
Poha doesn't belong only at the breakfast table. Imagine a cooler evening. The kettle is on. You can smell curry leaves and mustard seeds coming from the kitchen.
A few minutes later, there's a warm plate of freshly cooked poha topped with coriander, lemon and sev. Next to it... a steaming cup of masala chai. ☕
Hot poha. Chai. A quiet evening. Simple happiness. ❤️
🌿 Grandma's Two Little Secrets
1. Don't drown your poha in water.
Especially when cooking with thin poha. A quick rinse is enough. Let the remaining moisture soften the flakes naturally.
2. Add your lemon at the end.
That final squeeze of fresh lemon wakes up the entire dish. It wasn't necessarily about complicated techniques — it was about knowing when to add that one little thing that made all the difference.
❤️ Why We're Sharing Grandma's Recipes
This is exactly why we created Curry Kart Kitchen Secrets. We want to share what you can make with the ingredients we stock — the everyday recipes our mothers and grandmothers cooked, the little tricks that were never written down, and those simple dishes that can make somewhere thousands of miles away suddenly feel a little more like home.
Because sometimes food isn't simply something you eat. Sometimes it's a memory you can taste. ❤️
📦 Want to Make It? We've Made It Even Easier.
You read the recipe. Then you look in the cupboard... No poha. No mustard seeds. You're almost out of turmeric. Where are you going to find fresh curry leaves? And there's definitely no sev.
We thought about that. 😊
❤️ Grandma's Quick Poha Kit — £14.99
One box. The ingredients you need. And Grandma's recipe printed and included inside.
What's Inside Your Kit?
- 🌾 Thin Poha – 310g — the heart of the recipe
- 🌱 Mustard Seeds – 100g — for that essential crackle
- 🟡 Turmeric Powder – 100g — for warmth and golden colour
- 🥜 Peanuts – 375g — because good poha needs that crunch
- 🧅 Fresh Onion – 500g
- 🌶️ Fresh Green Chillies – 100g
- 🌿 Fresh Coriander – 1 bunch
- 🍋 Fresh Lemon – 1 piece
- 🌿 Fresh Curry Leaves – 1 pack
- ✨ Fine Sev – 1 pack — for the finishing crunch
- 📜 Grandma's Printed Recipe & Step-by-Step Cooking Method
These Aren't Tiny Recipe Sachets
You're receiving proper packs of ingredients. Use what the recipe calls for and keep the rest in your kitchen. Your mustard seeds season another dish. Your turmeric goes back into the spice cupboard. Poha for another breakfast. Sev for whenever something needs that extra crunch.
The box doesn't end when you've cooked your first plate of poha. It's the beginning of the next one too. ❤️
Buy Grandma's Quick Poha Kit — £14.99 →
Already have some of the ingredients? No problem — shop for individual ingredients at Curry Kart instead.
💚 Kitchen Secrets by Curry Kart
More from Grandma's kitchen: try our Lauki Chana Dal & Masala Chaas — a wholesome, comforting meal with its own secrets inside.
Curry Kart
🏡 Your Indian Kitchen Starts Here.
From Grandma's kitchen to yours. ❤️
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