pick 1.5 cups poha. rinse the poha in clean running water twice or thrice. use a strainer to rinse the poha. keep the poha in the strainer and rinse it in running water. make sure that you do not rinse it too much or else it breaks and gets mushy. while rinsing, the poha absorbs enough water and it becomes soft. the poha must become soft but remain intact, whole and separate. If the poha does not become soft, sprinkle few drops of water on the poha in the strainer.