Short answer: there is no difference. Chiwda and chivda are two English spellings of the same Marathi word (चिवडा) for a crunchy snack made from flattened rice (poha) or other flakes, tossed with peanuts, curry leaves, spices and often dry fruits. You may also see it written as chevda or chiwra.
What is chiwda?
Chiwda is a savoury, ready-to-eat snack from Maharashtra and western India. The classic version is made by frying or roasting poha (flattened rice) and mixing it with peanuts, curry leaves, a tempering of spices, a little sugar and salt, and dry fruits like cashews and raisins. The result is light, crunchy and a balance of spicy, salty and slightly sweet.
Why are there two spellings?
Marathi is written in Devanagari script, and the "व" sound sits between an English "v" and "w". Some people write it as chivda, others as chiwda. Both are correct, and both are used by shops, families and recipe writers across India.
Popular types of chiwda
- Poha chiwda: the classic, made with crisp poha, peanuts and dry fruits. Try our Poha Chiwda.
- Patal poha chiwda: made with thin poha and curry leaves for a lighter crunch. See Patal Poha Chiwda.
- Cornflakes chiwda: golden cornflakes with a sweet, salty and tangy taste. See Cornflakes Chiwda.
- Upwas chiwda: made from potato or sabudana flakes for fasting days. See Potato Chiwda and Shabuflakes Chiwda.
- Millet chiwda: made with jowar flakes. See Jowarflakes Chiwda.
- Dry fruit chiwda: a richer, festive version. See Badam Chiwda.
When do people eat chiwda?
Chiwda is an everyday tea-time snack in Maharashtra, a travel and tiffin favourite, and an essential part of Diwali faral, the platter of homemade snacks shared during Diwali.
Where to buy authentic Pune chiwda
Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda has been making chiwda in Pune since 1945. You can order our full range online from our chiwda collection with delivery across India.
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