Odia cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Odisha. Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine uses less oil and is less spicy, while nonetheless remaining flavourful.[1]Rice is the staple food of this region. Mustard oil is used in some dishes as the cooking medium, but ghee (made of cow's milk) is preferred in temples. Odia foods traditionally served either on brass, bronze metal plates, banana leaf or disposable plates made of sal leaves.[2]
Traditional Odia Lunch Thali
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2023)
Odia cooks, particularly from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to cook food in accordance with Hindu scriptures. [3][4]
Yoghurt is used in dishes. Many sweets of the region are based on chhena (cheese).[5]
Rice is a major crop of Odisha along with wheat.[6] Lentils such as pigeon peas and moong beans are another major ingredients.
Indigenous vegetables used in Odia cuisine are pumpkin, gourd, plantains, jackfruit, and papaya. Vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflowers, and cabbages are also used alongside local vegetables.
The food in the region around Puri-Cuttack is greatly influenced by the Jagannath Temple. On the other hand, kalonji and mustard paste are used mostly in every part of the state. In the region closer to Andhra Pradesh, curry tree leaves and tamarind are used more. The Brahmapur region has influences of South Indian cuisine.[8]
Temples in the region make offerings to the presiding deities. The prasada of the Jagannath Temple is well known, and is specifically called Maha Prasad meaning greatest of all prasadas. It consists of 56 recipes, so it is called chhapan bhoga. It is based on the legend that Krishna missed his eight meals for seven days, while trying to save a village from a storm holding up the Govardhan hill, as a shelter.[5]
Pakhala is a rice dish made by adding water with curd to cooked rice. It may then be allowed to ferment overnight. This is called basi pakhala and dahi pakhala. The unfermented version of this is called saja pakhala. It is served with green chillies, onions, yoghurt, badi etc. It is primarily eaten in summer.[10][11]
Upma served with ghugni is a breakfast recipe made with suji
Dal
Dalma
Dalma: A dish made from dal and vegetables.[18] It is generally made from toor dal and contains chopped vegetables like green papaya, plantain, eggplant, pumpkin, gourd, etc. It is garnished with turmeric, mustard seeds, and panch phutana. There are several variations of this dish.[3]
Santula: A dish of finely chopped vegetables which are sauteed with garlic, green chilies, mustard and spices. It has several variations.[3][11]
Ghuguni: A popular dish made from overnight soaked peas, potato with some moulds of horse gram powder to thicken the curry. It's a popular curry in street food mostly eaten with bara in undivided districts of Puri and Cuttack.
A list of the plants that are used as sāga is as below. They are prepared by adding pancha phutan, with or without onion/garlic, and are best enjoyed with pakhala.
Matara sāga (ମଟର ଶାଗ): The inner coating of peas is removed and then chopped to make the saga.
Lali koshala saaga is made from green leaves with red stems. Other saagas that are eaten are pita gahama, khada, poi, koshala, and sajana. Some items are as follows:
Pithas and sweets are types of traditional Odia dishes.[27][28]
Poda pitha- Traditional Odia cake, that's a special delicacy in Makar Sankrati & Raja festival. It is also made in layering of batter & gud-coconut stuffing.
Chhena Poda pitha- A softer & more spongy variant of Poda pitha made with chhena as base ingredient.
Enduri Pitha- This stuffed steamed cake, wrapped in turmeric leaves is a Prathamashtami Special dish.
Arisa Pitha- A popular fried pitha made from rice & jaggery, topped with sesame seeds. This has longer shelf life & relished as a snack.
Manda Pitha- Similar to Ukdiche Modak, these are round steamed pithas, made of rice & stuffed with coconut & jaggery. Specially made during Raja, Kumara Purnima & last thursday of Margashirsh.
Chakuli Pitha- Commonly made in every household on regular basis. Colemented with bhajaa, santula, dalma, milk or gud.
Budha Chakuli pitha- A thick pancake usually made from leftover batter by mixing banana, sweetners & seasonings.
Gainthaa pitha- Bite sized steamed rice pitha, usually made along Manda Pitha and specially on Boula Amavasya
Chhunchi Patra pitha- Renowned for its thinness, this pitha is a wrap made by brushing rice batter on pan with a cloth & stuffed with coconut & jaggery.
Muaaan pitha- A bigger version of Manda Pitha made by layering batter & stuffing on a cotton/muslin cloth tied over a steamer
Taala pitha- A rare pancake made by flavouring the chakuli pitha batter with grounded ice apple.
Chitau pitha- A pan-baked unturned pitha, made from rice batter & topped with coconut shavings. This is specially made on Chitau Amavasya & first thursday of Margashirsha.
Itli pitha- Similar to idli, this pitha is made from urad batter & topped with coconut shavings. Commonly relished with ghughuni/bhubhuni or Dalma
Gajaa pitha- Another variant of Manda, stuffed with sweetened moong sprouts. The structure, unlike the normal manda are a little peaked from top. This is specially made for Lord Dhabaleshwar on the occasion of Bada Osha.
Dudura Pitha- A fried puffed pithas, that's sweet in taste. Mostly prepared in Sambalpur and offered to Maa Samalei.
Egg, chicken and mutton
Anda tarkari: An egg curry prepared with onion and tomato paste
Chicken tarkari: A chicken curry
Chicken kasa
Saru Patra Poda Chicken
Mangsaw tarkari
Mangsaw kasa
Mangsaw besara
Baunsaw Poda Mangsaw: Mutton or Chicken roasted inside bamboo.
Patra Poda Mangsaw: Mutton or Chicken wrapped in leaves then roasted .
Mati Handi Mangsaw: Mutton or Chicken cooked in earthen utensils.
Smoked Dry sardine after cleaning mix with garlic, green chilly, salt using mortar and pestle or mixture grinder. Dry White bait fish (ଚାଉଳି ଶୁଖୁଆ), dry shrimp (ଚିଙ୍ଗୁଡ଼ି ଶୁଖୁଆ, ତାଂପେଡା) etc. also prepared like this flake/powdered.
seer fish (କଣି ମାଛ)/ mackerel (କାନାଗୁର୍ତ୍ଆ, ମରୁଆ) curry, chilly
Bitter dry fish fry (ପିତା ଶୁଖୁଆ ଭଜା)- small freshwater nutrient fish dried in sun ray in hygienic manner and eaten fried or smocked.
ପୋହଳା ମାଛ ତରକାରୀ (minor /small carp fish curry). Fried small carp in onion or mustard based gravy.
Mola fry/ chips/ boiled grind. ମହୁରାଳୀ ମାଛ ଭଜା / ଛଣା / ଚକଟା. Very nutritious. After Cleaning wash, boil in less water, add salt and turmeric. Mix with mustard oil, green chilly, garlic, onion and grind.
Fritters and fries
Alloo piaji:[32] A savory snack, similar to pakora or fritters, made with potatoes and onions, long-sliced, mixed and dipped in a batter of gram-flour, and then deep-fried
Bhendi baigana bhaja:[12]okra (ladies' fingers) and eggplant, sliced and deep-fried
Badi chura:[33] A coarse crushed mixture of sun-dried lentil dumplings (badi), onion, garlic, green chillies and mustard oil
Pampad: flat savory snack like deep-friend or roasted appetizer, which looks very similar to a roti, usually eaten during lunch time
Phula badi: bigger and inflated versions of the normal Badi - a sun-dried lentil dumpling
Sajana chhuin bhaja: drumsticks sliced into pieces and deep/shallow fried in oil
Desi kankada bhaja (ଦେଶୀ କାଙ୍କଡ଼ ଭଜା) - a vegetable found in hilly area and fried with oil, onion, dried chilli flake, cumin powder curry, fry, chips
Mudki: A famous savory snack which resembles a jalebi but the only difference being that jalebi are on the sweet palette where as mudki are light and more savoury
There are many traditional alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks which are unique to Odisha. Some are made during specific festivals or as an offering to Hindu gods, and others are made all year. The drinks which have a thick consistency are usually called paṇan and the ones with have a watery consistency are usually known as sarbat.[39][40][41] Many of the ethnic tribes[42] of Odisha have their own indigenous drinks made from forest produce. Any drink that contains alcohol is usually called madya[43][44]
Charmaine O' Brien (15 December 2013). "Orissa". The Penguin Food Guide to India. Penguin Books Limited. p.188. ISBN978-93-5118-575-8. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
"Inside Delhi". The Hindu. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2014. While savouring Chingudi malai curry (prawns with rich Oriya spices) and kukuda jhola (chicken cooked with spices and egg), the friend soaked in the atmosphere and was transported back to the sight and smell of his native place.
"Several good reasons to loiter". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2014. Mouth-watering malpua, rasagulla, rasamalei, gulab jamun and other Oriya sweetmeats are served here.
