Table of Contents
What is Kanda Poha?
Kanda Poha or Bombay Poha as its fondly called is a light and gently spiced breakfast item or an evening snack, had with a hot cup of steaming coffee.

“Poha” means beaten /flattened rice, while” kanda” means Onions (in Marati, a language spoken by the western regions of India).
Each state in India has its own cultural richness, its traditional attire & food specific to that region. Just like the many languages spoken in different states in India, the food is diverse too. Kanda Poha is a famous dish of the Maharastrian cuisine where the city of Bombay or Mumbai is situated.Hence, this dish is also called Bombay Poha.
The Back Story
My first brush with this ‘Kanda Poha‘ came when I visited a Maharastrian friend, in their home. His wife made this dish lovingly for me, in her traditional Marati attire and served with the hospitality, so typical of the land.
To this day I’m not sure which I liked more, the ‘Kanda Poha ‘she made for me with all the affection, or her traditional attire of the‘Nauvari sadi‘ (nine yard saree) with her gleaming traditional nath( nosering with pearls hanging from them).

Food is all about making memories.While I relished my food, and told her how beautiful her nose ring was, she went on to brief me about the reason why Marati women wear the nath .Feigning a serious note, she said,”This traditional big beautiful nose ring, is equipped with seductive powers”.
We all had a good laugh about it, while enjoying her delicious and simple Kanda Poha. So my first memory of eating the this dish will always have a nose ring attached to it 🙂
Kanda Poha Recipe
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories146
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 7g 11%
- Saturated Fat 4g 20%
- Sodium 200mg 9%
- Potassium 353mg 11%
- Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
- Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 3g 6%
- Vitamin C 19%
- Calcium 2%
- Iron 6%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
My list of Poha recipes
My published posts using Beaten Rice/Poha/Aval/Bajeel are listed below for your interest.
- What is Poha?
- Kanda Poha/Beaten rice with Onions & Potatoes
- Kothumali Aval Upma/Cilantro Poha
- Huli Avalakki/Tamarind Poha
- Aval Pidi Kolkattai/Beaten Rice Dumpling
- Sri Krishna Festival /Gokulashtami Recipes with Poha
The Bottom Line
Now that it is the Gokulashtami /Sri Krishna festival season, would you plan to try making some of these quick and easy poha recipe at home?
Go on give this delicious Marati dish, a try. You can thank me later!
If you try any of my recipes, would love for you to snap a quick photo of your recipe and tag us #stirringmyspicysoul on your social media feeds to get the word around and encourage readers like you.
You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.
Share this post with a #stirringmyspicysoul on your social media feeds and let your friends and family know.They can always subscribe to our weekly newsletters and regular updates by signing up here or by visiting our blog.