Vegetable Poha aka diet poha is a healthy low carbs breakfast with lots of vegetables, sprouts and flattened rice .Gets ready under 20 minutes and has loads of fibers , minerals and vitamins. A perfect way to kick start the day.
Other popular poha recipes on blog are : Gojju Avalakki (Spice & Tang Poha) , Sweet Poha(Sihi Avalakki) and Vegetable Poha Cutlet .
If you are looking for low calories diet friendly breakfast recipes then do check this out : Ragi Idli ,Rice Kanji , Murmura Upma and also Cornflakes Upma
About this recipe
Poha / Flattened rice is used to make variety of recipes from breakfasts to snacks in India. Poha is easy to digest and is very light on stomach. Veg poha is a simple recipe with lots of vegetables and sprouts. The ratio of vegetables to poha is 2: 1 . This makes an ideal breakfast for all.
I generally include this recipe in my diet chart for all weight watchers . This diet poha is easy to make and is a balanced meal on its own. This recipe has vegetables like carrots , beans , cabbage ,capsicum and potato , along with sprouted moong beans and green peas. A plate of this vegetable poha has carbs , protein , vitamin , minerals and fat , everything packed together. Hence this can be added either to your morning breakfast or evening tiffin .
Watch Video :
These days I have got busy working on diet plans for my clients. I generally give them instructions on portion meals and also recipes .
As I stay in Pune , Maharashtra when I ask them to eat Poha , by default it's understood has Kanda Pohe (Onion Poha) or Batata Poha (potato poha) with lots of oil , onion , potatoes and topped with some fine sev ..... ! Awwww, undoubtedly it tastes delicious .....! But that's not what I mean when I say eat Poha for breakfast .
My happy clients somehow became unhappy when I said no sev toppings 🙁 so to keep up the taste along with nutrition and maintain calories , I made this Vegetable / Diet Poha .
Ingredients
Poha / Flattened Rice : A thick or medium variant Poha can be used in this recipe. Thick variant needs little more time around 5 minutes to rinse in water where as medium variant needs just 30 seconds.
Vegetables : Onion , Tomatoes ,Carrot , French beans , Capsicum , Cabbabge , Potato etc, any vegetables of your choice can be used here.
Beans/ Legumes : Sprouted moong bean ( green gram sprouts ), green peas and peanuts are used here to increase the protein portion in this recipe.
Herbs : Coriander leaves , Curry leaves, green chillies , garlic , ginger and lemon.
Spices : Mustard seeds , Cumin seeds , Turmeric powder and salt
Others : Oil , chana dal and urad dal for tempering.
How to make Vegetable Diet Poha
Rinse medium variant , poha 2-3 times and set aside for 10 minutes. Let water drain completely. If using thick variant , you may need to soak poha in water for 4-5 minutes , drain water completely and set aside.
Whilst clean and wash all vegetables , chop and keep it ready .
Heat oil in a kadai / deep pan , add mustard seeds , jeera seeds allow it splutter. Add peanuts , Chana dal , urad dal and fry till it turns brown.
Throw in curry leaves , green chilies and grated ginger , saute for 30 seconds.
Add chopped onions , turmeric powder , asafoetida.
Saute till onions turns translucent.
Now add in green peas and all vegetables , add ½ teaspoon of salt .
Cook on medium heat until vegetables are cooked. Just make sure green peas and potatoes are well cooked , if other vegetables are cooked to 75% its fine.
Now add in ½ cup of moong sprouts and mix well everything.
Add poha and salt to taste.
Mix well everything. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. You can also close lid and cook , if you want. I usually don't do this because steam falls on poha making it mushy. If you are using a thick variant poha , then closing a lid will help in soft and separated poha.
Turn off the stove , squeeze lime juice , add chopped coriander leaves , mix well everything .
Serve hot . In frame salted ragi ganji and moong sprouts salad.
Recipe
Vegetable Poha -Diet Poha Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Poha / Flattened Rice , Thick or Medium variant - refer notes
- 1 Onion , medium size , chopped
- ¼ cup Green peas , fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup Carrot , chopped
- ¼ cup French beans , chopped
- ¼ cup Capsicum , chopped
- ¼ cup Potato , chopped
- ⅓ cup Cabbage , chopped
- ½ cup Moong bean sprouts
- 2 no's Green chillies, chopped
- 2 Sprig Curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Ginger ,grated
- 1 ½ tablespoon Coconut Oil or any cooking oil , unrefined
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Jeera seeds /cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Chana Dal
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 tablespoon Peanuts
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Hing / Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Rock Salt / Sendha Namak or as required
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves , chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
Instructions
- Rinse poha 2-3 times and set aside for 10 minutes. Let water drain completely.
- Whilst clean and wash all vegetables , chop and keep it ready .
- Heat oil in a kadai / deep pan , add mustard seeds , jeera seeds allow it splutter.
- Add peanuts , Chana dal , urad dal and fry till it turns brown.
- Throw in curry leaves , green chilies and grated ginger , saute for 30 seconds.
- Add chopped onions , turmeric powder , asafoetida and saute till onions turns translucent.
- Now add in green peas and all vegetables , add ½ teaspoon of salt and cook on medium heat until vegetables are cooked. Just make sure green peas and potatoes are well cooked , if other vegetables are cooked to 75% its fine.
- Now add in ½ cup of moong sprouts and mix well everything.
- Add poha , salt to taste and mix well everything.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. You can also close lid and cook , if you want. I have not used closed lid here because steam falls on cooked food and may make poha mushy.
- Turn off the stove , squeeze lime juice , add chopped coriander leaves , mix well everything and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Three variants of poha are available in market , thick , medium and thin. Thick variant needs to be soaked for about 4-5 minutes , medium variant can be just washed and used. Don't use thin variant Poha here.
- You can add as much as vegetables you wish , there is no actual measurement for this. With this measurement of veggies there would be balance in taste with poha to vegetables ratio.
- As this recipe is specially for diet , I have said unrefined coconut oil for cooking. You can use any cooking oil of your choice. You can also reduce on the amount of oil to ½ - 1 Tbsp
Rosa villella says
I don’t knaw if potato rice and pease are really a good idea for weight loss
Muktha says
Yes ,your question is absolutely right. Flattened Rice is Poha ,which is ver easy to digest . Though potatoes contins starch and peas has good amount of carbs . It's complex carbs and potatoes used here can be boiled or sauted and not fried . With all vegetables ,beans and right amount of carbs make this an absolute filling and balanced breakfast ,which keeps you full for long without any hunger pangs. Serving size is just 3/4 cup with 184 calories and being well balanced it's an ideal option in Weight Loss Diet.
Rosa villella says
Hi, I don't understand how your Poha ca be ok for weight loss when it has so much carbs in it like potato rice pease and carrots which are all high carbs, and you don't describe the the amount of protein carbs and fats
Muktha says
Hi Rosa , Eating Refined carbs will not help in weight loss but mindfully eating right amount of complex carbohydrates along with other nutrients will definitely help in weightloss.In this particular recipe , I'm considering to make balanced meal. Yes , I should use a plugin for detailed nutritional information. I may consider adding it into my website in future. Thanks for your feedback
Jim Sullivan says
I am new to non-American Indian cooking (though my mother-in-law is helping), in this recipe, are the chana dal and urad dal already cooked in this recipe? I imagine they must be, but I don't want to make western assumptions. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Jim Sullivan says
I am new to non-American Indian cooking (though my mother-in-law is helping); in this recipe, are the chana dal and urad dal already cooked in this recipe? I imagine they must be, but I don't want to make western assumptions. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Muktha says
Hi Jim Sullivan , Uncooked Chana Dal and Urad dal are directly added into hot oil , it's called tempering. In any South Indian cooking for tempering , by default we use uncooked chana dal and urad dal , when it turns golden in color other ingredients are added as per the recipe. You can refer my curd rice recipe for better understanding , videos are also added , please do watch . Hope this helps , Thank you.