The cuisine of Odisha is popularly known as the Odia Cuisine. The food of Odisha is majorly influenced by the cuisine of North India. However, Odisha is bordered by both South Indian and North Indian states. It is a melange of varied items and practices. With mustard oil used as a cooking medium, rice is the staple food of Odisha. Besides that, Yoghurt forms a major part of many dishes of Odisha as well. Odisha is like a quintessential gourmet central with a burst of flavors. That is why it is aptly called “the Goa of Eastern India”.
Contents:
1) Rice Based Dishes From Odisha
2) Veg Curries For Authentic Odiya Experience
3) Dal To Complete Every Meal
4) Non-Veg Curries (Chicken, Mutton & Egg Only)
5) Non-Veg Curries Of Fish & Sea Food
6) Fries – Meals Feel Incomplete Without These
7) Snacks
8) Dessert
9) Drinks
Rice Based Dishes From Odisha
1) Khechidi
Khechidi or Khichdi is a South Asian cuisine dish that is made of rice and lentils. When it is cooked, add some pure ghee to the dish to make it even more delicious. Besides that, you can also make Bajra and moong dal khichdi for a healthier version of this dish.
2) Pakhala
Pakhala is prepared by soaking cooked rice in sour curd and water. After that, allow it to ferment overnight and then serve it with onions, yogurt, and green chilis. It is also known as Basi Pakhala or Dahi Pakhala. And if you decide not to ferment it, then it is known as Saja Pakhala.
3) Kanika
Kanika is a sweet rice-based dish that is very famous in Odisha. It is made by using pure ghee in the dish and is garnished with different nuts and raisins. This sweet dish is quite popular in Temples and poojas. Interestingly, it is also one of the items that are offered in Jagganath Temple.
4) Palau
Palau or Pilaf’s recipe usually includes rice that is cooked in vegetable broth or spiced water. Besides that, vegetables, meat, nuts, and raisins are added to the dish as well. The Odiya version of Palau will surely make you feel “Wow!”
5) Ghee Rice
When we talk about authentic Odisha dishes, Ghee rice might be the easiest yet delicious dish you can have. This is a three-ingredient dish that only needs, cooked rice, ghee, and cinnamon. You just need to fry the rice in pure ghee with the cinnamon in it and you are done.
Veg Curries For Authentic Odiya Experience
1) Alu Potala Rasa
It is one of the popular vegetarian curries in the state of Orissa. It is prepared with potato and pointed gourd. This dish is yet another dish that is offered to God at the Puri Jagannath temple. To make it more savory and delicious, you can add a bit of cashew paste or onion and ginger paste to it.
2) Santula
This is a classic Oriya dish that can be fried or boiled vegetable curry. The dish is nothing less compared to any other healthy food. It is most commonly eaten for a healthy diet because it is low on spices and high on greens. With a blend of raw papaya, potato, tomato, and brinjal, this dish becomes even more delicious. For an extra taste, you may want the dish to be sauteed with milk.
3) Kadali Manja Rai
This is one of the famous vegetarian curries in Odisha that is made from banana plant stem and mustard seeds. Apart from that, cumin, cinnamon, garlic cloves, cardamom, coriander, and green chilies give an oomph factor to the dish.
4) Chaatu Rai
It is a nutritious vegetable dish that’s very popular in Orissa. Chaatu Rai is also known as Chaatu Besara. The main ingredients of this dish are mushrooms and mustard that is cooked with different spices. This dish is often prepared during special occasions in Odisha.
5) Besara
This dish is a mixture of potato, pumpkin, banana, and papaya. However, the main ingredient of this dish is panch phutana or panch phoran which is the perfect blend of five spices. The aroma of cut vegetables and sliced onions will surely make you fall in love with Odiya cuisine.
6) Mahura
Mahura is one of the dishes of Mahaprasad that is served to Lord Jagannath in the Lord Jagannath temple. This dish is a mix of raw banana, pumpkin, panch phoran, yam, and brinjal with the perfect blend of different spices. It denotes the authentic taste of Odiya.
Dal To Complete Every Meal
1) Dal
Even though we all have dal in our daily meals, Odiya dal has some different flavors to it. This dish can be made from either Tur dal, Masoor dal, Moong dal, or Kothala Dali chana. Moreover, it can also be made from the combination of these dals.
2) Dalma
You just can’t get enough of dal if you are having Dalma. Without any onion or garlic, it is made with roasted moong dal. Besides that, a few regular spices along with a cup of veggies are added to it. It is mostly served with steamed rice.
Non-Veg Curries (Chicken, Mutton & Egg Only)
1) Chicken Kasa
It is a delicious dry dish, where the chicken is generously cooked in an onion, ginger-garlic paste, and minimal spice mix in its own juice. The main ingredients of this dish are chicken, garam masala, ginger, and cinnamon that is deliciously cooked in mustard oil.
2) Mangsaw Kasa
Mangsaw Kasa is one of the most authentic and delicious dishes of Odisha. Loved by all, the main ingredient of this dish is mutton that is packed with strong flavors of cumin, mustard, ginger, garlic, and onion.
3) Saru Patra Poda Chicken
Saru Patra Poda Chicken is a unique and delicious recipe that is very famous in Odisha. Interestingly, it’s an oil-free healthy recipe that goes well with hot rice. Even it has less oil and spice in it, the dish has strong pungent flavors to it.
4) Baunsaw Poda Mangsaw
Baunsaw Poda Mangsaw is also known as Burnt Bamboo Mutton or simply Bamboo Mutton. It is an Indian dry mutton curry dish that is quite popular in Odisha. It has traditionally been made with mutton cut into small chunks that are marinated with spices, garlic-ginger paste, and green chilies.
5) Patra Poda Mangsaw
Patra Poda Mangsaw is a famous Odiya dish that is roasted mutton prepared in a leaf. Blended with the perfect amount of cumin, mustard, green chilis, and onion, this dish will make you fall in love in love with the Odiya cuisine.
6) Mati Handi Mangsaw
When we talk about popular Odiya dishes, we cannot escape Mati Handi Mangsaw. It is a mutton-based dish that is prepared in Mati Handi with lots of spices in it. It is a very easy dish yet a very delicious dish. The aroma of the Mati Handi makes it even more delicious.
Non-Veg Curries Of Fish & Sea Food
1) Kankada Jhola
Kankada Jhola is a traditional crab curry from the kitchen of Odisha. It is one of the most famous recipes of Odisha. With the aromatic flavor of onion, ginger-garlic paste, and spices, this amazing and delicious crab curry is made.
2) Chingudi Malai Tarkari
This dish is all about the delicious creamy prawn curry. Interestingly, the creamy part comes from coconut milk. This dish is absolutely flavorsome and mouth-watering. The richness of this dish is enhanced by the mild spices. Moreover, it is best served with chapati or steamed basmati rice.
3) Chunna Machha Jhola
Chunna Machha Jhola is a fish curry that is quite similar to Machha Jhola. The only difference is that it is prepared with small smelt fish. It is a very spicy curry that is liberally seasoned with garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, and other Indian spices.
4) Machha Chhencheda
Machha Chencheda is a dish that is usually cooked with fish heads and tailpieces. The main ingredients of this dish are fish head, chana dal, purple yam, cabbage, and potatoes. Made with the perfect mix of Indian spices, this dish represents the authentic cuisine of Odisha.
5) Dahi Machha
Dahi Machha is a traditional Odiya delicacy that is made of fish. This spicy yogurt-based fish curry is usually eaten with steamed rice. The use of turmeric powder in the curry imparts the beautiful yellow color in the dish that makes it look and taste even more amazing.
6) Kokali Sukhua Rai
Kokali Sukhua Rai is a traditional dry fish recipe from the kitchen of Odisha. In Odisha, it is a very popular dish in every home and people love to have it. With onion, mustard seeds, and mustard oil in the base, this dry fish is the dish you want to have if you are visiting Odisha.
7) Smoked Oil Sardine (Dry Fish) With Garlic
If you don’t know, Sardine means dry fish. So, basically, this dish is prepared with sardine, cilantro, garlic, chilies, and mustard oil. Cut vegetables and sliced onions make your little heart yearn to savor them as you fry them in the pan. It denotes the authentic taste of Odiya.
Fries – Meals Feel Incomplete Without These
1) Bhendi Baigana Bhaja
This is a very traditional dish that is prepared all over Odisha. It is a popular traditional Odiya dish of marinated and deep-fried thick eggplant. Bhendi Baigana Bhaja is a crispy spiced eggplant that is fried in mustard oil. Any meal is incomplete without this side dish.
2) Badi Chura
The sun-dried lentil dumplings are called Badi in Odisha. And, the mixture of Badi, green chilies, mustard oil, onion, and garlic is called Badi Chura. This is the side dish that has no match and you will surely want to eat it again and again.
3) Phula Badi
Phula Badi is nothing the bigger version of normal Badi, that is, sun-dried lentil dumplings in a bigger size. This deep-fried dish is one of the favorite and popular side dishes among the people of Odisha. You can enhance its taste by adding onion, garlic, and mustard oil to it.
4) Sajana Chhuin Bhaja
Sajana Chhuin Bhaja is yet another side dish that is quite popular in Odisha. This particular dish is made by cutting drumsticks into 3 inches long and deep-frying it into the mustard oil. Before frying, add the Indian spices to make them super delicious.
Snacks
1) Ghugni
Ghugni is a spicy curry-based dish that can be made from different varieties of peas such as chickpeas, green peas, white peas, or black gram. It is usually served with pooris and is very popular in Odisha. It is one of the easiest yet healthiest dishes of Odisha.
2) Gupchup
Gupchup is one of the dishes that are quite popular in India. The small and crisp puris are made from the dough of suji, atta, and maida. And it is served together with chana masala and khatta Jal jeera. Besides Khatta Jal Jeera, you can also use aam Panna to make it extra tangy. You can have fun with the filling and the spiced water used in this dish.
3) Dahibara Aludam
Dahi vada and aloo dum are considered to be two separate dishes almost all over India. However, Odisha offers a distinctive blend of both. In this dish, the taste of Dahi vadas neutralizes the spiciness of aloo dum. It is also famous as the Vada Pav of Cuttack.
4) Piaji
Piaji is a popular snack in Odisha that is perfect to munch in the evening with a cup of tea. This deep-fried Odiya delicacy is made from Chana dal, baking soda, ajwain, and mint leaves. You will get this delicious dish on every street of Odisha.
5) Bara
Bara (Vada) is a famous street food of Odisha and is very much popular in the whole country. Bara is made by deep-frying black gram dal after fermenting it for 4 to 5 hours and making a paste of it. Basically, this delicious dish is a mix of Dahi or curd and vada or bara.
6) Gulgula
Gulgula is an Indian mini donut that is made of wheat flour and semolina. It is a deep-fried sweet dish that is quite popular in the streets of Odisha. To prepare this sweet delicacy, just throw wheat flour, semolina, fennel seeds, and powdered sugar into a bowl and mix them with a smooth paste. After that, fry them into small balls, and you are done.
7) Aloo Chop
Aloo Chop is a type of deep-fried dumpling consisting of a thick binder combined with a potato filling in it. The main part about this dish is its filling. The richness and spiciness of the spices mixed with potatoes make it delicious.
8) Baigani
Baigani is yet another deep-fried eggplant dish that is often consumed as a snack in Odisha. To make this dish, all you need is rice flour, chickpea flour, chili powder, mustard oil, and Indian spices. This dish will show the authentic taste of Odisha.
Dessert
1) Kheeri
Kheeri is nothing but the Kheer that is made of rice, milk, and sugar or jaggery. It is a sweet dish that is also known as rice pudding. Adding cardamom, saffron, and dry fruits to the Kheeri makes it super delicious and gives it an oomph factor.
2) Chhena Gaja
This sweet delicacy is fried and soaked in sugar syrup for extra sweetness and yumminess. When the deep-fried cottage cheese balls soak the sugar syrup in them, it becomes one of the most delicious sweet dishes in Odisha.
3) Chhena Poda
The one sweet that Odisha is famous for is Chhena Poda. It is also known to be Lord Jagannath’s, favorite sweet. It is made up of burnt semolina and homemade cottage cheese along with sugar syrup. This rare dessert is baked for several hours until the caramelized sugar brings out the distinct flavor of Chhena Poda.
4) Khira Sagara
Khira Sagara is a famous sweet dish in Odisha that is made of milk. It is a dessert that consists of Mini Roshogullas prepared in sugar syrup. After that, it is dunked in delicious and rich milk that is packed with the flavor of cinnamon, cardamom, and dry fruits.
5) Malpua
Malpua is an Indian pancake that is served in Odisha on special occasions. Since this pancake is dunked into the sugar syrup for some time, Malpua become very sweet, tender, and juicy to eat. It is one of the best sweet dishes of Odisha.
6) Chhena Kheeri
Chhena Kheeri is a sweet dish that is very popular not only in Odisha but all over India. The main ingredients of this sweet delicacy are cottage cheese, milk, sugar, cardamom, and dry fruits. If you want to taste the authenticity of Odisha, never miss out on this dish.
7) Rasabali
Soaked in thick flavored milk, the sweet dished is garnished with cardamoms. This delicacy traces its origin from the Kendrapara district in Odisha. It is served in Lord Jagannath temple as a part of Chappana Bhog. You can also use saffron and cinnamon for extra color and flavor in the dish.
8) Chhena Jhili
Chhena Jhili is a popular dessert of Odisha. The man who started preparing this sweet was Aarta Sahoo. This dish was originated in Nimapada in the Puri district because Sahoo was from the Shyam Sundarpur Village of Nimapara.
9) Sarsatia
Sarsatia is a mildly sweet delicacy that is made by a lot of local homes in Odisha. The main ingredient to make Sarsatia is the resin of twigs of the Ganjer tree. Its sweet delicacy is usually made on the occasion of Dussehra.
10) Attakali
Attakali is a traditional sweet dish from Odisha that is quite popular among people. The main ingredients of this sweet delicacy are basmati rice, sugar, bay leaf, raw coconut, and dry fruits. This sweet dish will certainly blow your mind.
11) Gajja
This sweet delicacy is fried and soaked in sugar syrup for extra sweetness and yumminess. It is a deep-fried delicacy that is soaked in sugar syrup. That is why it is considered one of the most delicious sweet dishes in Odisha.
Drinks
1) Ambaw Pawṇaa
Ambaw Pawnaa is one of the most popular drinks in the streets of Odisha, especially in summers. It is a mango-based summer drink that is quite refreshing and soothing in the hot summers of Odisha. If you are visiting Odisha in the summers, this drink is a must-try.
2) Tnkaw Toraaṇi
Tnkaw Toraani is a famous drink in Odisha as it is served in the Jagannath Temple to Lord Jagannath. This delicious and refreshing drink is prepared from the base of rice water. This drink gives the authentic taste of Odisha.
3) Belaw Pawṇaa
During the Pawnaa Sanskriti festival, this delicious and soothing drink is made. Belaw Pawnaa is made from stone or wood apple that is quite famous among the people of Odisha. Never forget to try this drink while in Odisha.
4) Landa Bagula Dahi Sarbat
Landa Bagula Dahi Sarbat is a refreshing and soothing dish that is very famous in the hot summers of Odisha. This amazing drink is made from curd with sweet basil seeds in it. It is yet another fascinating drinking item that is very popular in Odisha.
