Top 10 traditional foods from Odisha every foodie must try.

Odisha, a land of rich culture and heritage best known as India's best kept secret (well not any more a secret). Odisha is well known for its scenic beauty, ancient temples, architectural marvels, intriguing tribal culture etc. But there is more to it, this beautiful state also has a range of mouth watering traditional food options that makes this eastern state a heaven for foodies. Here is a list of 10 delicate dishes picked from the wide range of options.

Pakhala Bhata

For Odias Pakhala is not only a dish its an emotion. Its a staple food for almost every household of Odisha. It is made by soaking cooked rice in water. Also curd is used in Pakhala which is called Dahi pakhala. Usually cooked rice is soaked in water overnight and eaten next day. It is commonly served with badhi chura, saga bhaja, fried fish, mashed patatos (aloo chatuni) and onion and green chilies are bonus. You need a sound sleep then you must have it. Every year on 20th March, Pakhala diwas is celebrated across the state.

Dalma

You must have tried Dal but in Odisha it comes with a tasty twist called as Dalma. This aromatic curry is served as a main course with plain rice. Dalma is prepared with toor dal, moong dal etc. and vegetables like pumpkin, brinjal, yam etc. It is not only tasty but also very healthy dish. Potato can also be added in the dish but traditionally only yam is used. Specially in Habisha Dalma only traditional method is used. During the month of Kartika, Habisha Dalma is prepared.

Poda Pitha

Raja parba is a three day long festival of womanhood celebrated in Odisha. As unique the festival is, the pitha cooked for this festival is also a very unique dish. The recipe for poda pitha is rice flours, jaggery, coconut, bay leaves. It is baked on a traditional chula and eaten during the festival. During this festival women take break from household work and play indoor games and doli (swings).

Chhena Poda

Chhena Poda is one of the most popular sweet dishes of Odisha. This iconic dish will definitely win your heart. This dish is prepared with ingredients like homemade cottage cheese, semolina etc. It is burned until it turns brown and trust me the smell and taste will make you obsessed with it. The dish was invented in Nayagarh district in the first half of the twentieth century by Sudarsan Sahoo. Every year Chhenapoda Dibasa is being celebrated since 11 April 2022, the birth anniversary of Sudarsan Sahoo.

Rasagolla

How one can forget the battle between Odisha and West Bengal on origin of Rasagolla. Rasagolla is a very popular sweet in Odisha. It is served as a bhog to Prabhu Jagannath in Jagannath temple. This delicate dish is in the heart of every Odia.

Chakuli Pitha

Chakuli pitha is a very famous dish of Odisha. Its quite similar to Dosa yet different. It is prepared with a batter of lentil and rice. The batter spread over a pan in a circular shape and cooked both side. Chakuli pitha is softer than dosa. It is served with alloo bhaja, dalma etc. and my personal favorite Chakuli with chicken curry.

Rasabali

This delicious food, which comes from the Kendrapara district of Odisha, is made with flavor-infused milk and presented as a part of the chappana bhogas to the Lord Jagannath temple in Odisha. After the cooking, this lip smacking meal is next decorated with cardamoms for generating its unique flavour.

Khaja

Served as a prasad in the temple of Lord Jagannath on a daily-basis, Khaja is one of the most delicious dishes of Odisha that you can easily find in every nook and corner of the city of Puri in Odisha. Refined wheat flour is combined with sugar and fried lightly in little oil to form this wonderful delicacy.

Enduri Pitha

Enduri Pitha, One of the famous steam cake prepared during Prathamastami festival in Odisha. This is prepared with the mix of Rice flour, black gram flour along with coconut, raw-sugar (jaggery), black pepper, cardamom wrapped in turmeric leaves.

Dahi bara

Its a very popular street food in Odisha. While everywhere else, dahi vada and aloo dum are considered to be two independent cuisines, Odisha offers a special combination of the both. The mouthwatering flavour of dahi vadas delicately balances the heat of aloo dum to produce the flavour that every Odia yearns for. Cuttack is famous for its Dahi bara.