Odia Cuisine: Food From Odisha, East India

Odia cuisine is from the state Odisha located in the east coast part of India.

Odisha is a combination of stunning natural landscapes, outstanding architecture, rich heritage, vibrant art and an amazing culture.

Odia cuisine uses minimal spices and less oil, perhaps people from Odisha know the art of achieving maximum flavours with minimal ingredients. Most of the recipes are deeply influenced by the food offered to god in the temples

An extremely popular “East India Golden Triangle” , a circuit that covers three most exquisite places – Puri, Bhubaneswar and Konark that contributes to the maximum tourist attraction is in Odisha. 

Puri is famous for Lingaraj temple, the most popular Jagannath temple in Bhubaneshwar is renowned for its annual chariot festival called “Rath Yatra”. The epicentre of Puri Jagannath temple is the fifty two varieties of food items called “Mahaprasad” offered to God. Every dish is cooked in an earthen pot on charcoal wood fire.

The Sun temple in Konark is a famous heritage site with glorious and magnificent architecture built in the form of a giant chariot with twenty four intricately carved massive stone wheels and seven horses.

List of Popular Odia vegetarian dishes: 

Belaw Pawnaa: A thick consistency drink made of wood apple. 

Ambaw Pawnaa: A sweet mango based drink very popular during summer.

Chaula Bara: A popular deep fried street side snack across western Odisha. 

Pakala Bhata: A simple yet comforting staple dish of every Odia household specifically during scorching summer to refresh and to help keep body temperature cool. Cooked rice is fermented in water overnight and then mixed with lightly spiced yogurt. It is served with accompaniment. 

Dalma: A delicious dish made of various seasonal vegetables, varieties of lentils and served with plain steamed rice or mildly flavoured rice such as jeera rice. 

Santula: A simple and nutritious steamed mixed vegetable curry that goes well with rice. 

Potala Alu Rasa: A spicy curry made with potato and pointed gourd.

Chenna Poda: This is an extremely popular baked cottage cheesecake. The word translates to burnt cheese. 

Rasabali: A classic dessert made of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and thickened milk. Flattened paneer is deep fried and soaked in sweetened, flavourful thickened milk. It is said to have originated in the Baladevjew temple of Kendrapara.

Pitha: A traditional sweet delicacy from Odia cuisine. These are a kind of pancakes made in various varieties. A special occasion or festival is incomplete without at least one version of pitha. 

Khaja: A sweet, flaky layered dessert made of flour, ghee and sugar. 

Are you looking to expand culinary horizons? Then check Kathiyawadi, Maharastrian, Chettinad, Kumaoni, Malabari, Rajasthani, Awadhi, Malnad. Do like, share this post and let us know in comments which Indian cuisine do you want us to write about next.