Cuisine of Odisha


Odia Cuisine is the cuisine of the state of Odisha. It has developed over time with local culture and agriculture and hence has its distinct items and practices. Odisha borders both north Indian states and south Indian states and consequently is similar to the cuisines of North India, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh as well.
Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine uses less oil and is less spicy while nonetheless remaining flavourful. Rice is the staple food of this region. Mustard oil is used in some dishes as the cooking medium, but ghee is preferred in temples. In old times food was traditionally served on banana leaves or disposable plates made of sal leaves.
Odia cooks, particularly from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to cook food in accordance with Hindu scriptures. During the 19th century, many Odia cooks were employed in Bengal and they took many Odia dishes with them. This period also saw a heavy demand for Brahmin cooks, leading many Odia cooks to fake their castes.
Yoghurt is used in dishes. Many sweets of the region are based on chhena.

Ingredients and seasoning

Rice is a major crop of Odisha. Hence It is used as a central ingredient. Lentils such as s and s are another major ingredients.
Indigenous vegetables used in Odia cuisine are Pumpkin, Gourd, plantains, jackfruit, and papaya.Recently introduced vegetables such as Chillies, Potatoes, Cauliflowers, cabbages are also used alongside local vegetables.
The curries are garnished with dried raw mango.
Panchaw phutana is a blend of five spices that is widely used in Odia cuisine. It contains mustard, cumin, fenugreek, aniseed and kalonji. Garlic, onion and ginger are used in most of the food. Temple food preparation doesn't allow the use of garlic or onion. Turmeric and red chillies are used regularly

Local variation

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 the region bordering Bengal and curries tend to be sweeter. In the region closer to Andhra Pradesh, curry tree leaves and tamarind are used more. The Brahmapur region has influences of South Indian cuisine and the Telugu people living there have invented new Odia dishes.

Temple food

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.

Fish and seafood

Fish and other seafoods are eaten mainly in coastal areas. Several curries are prepared from prawn and lobster with spices. Freshwater fish is available from rivers and irrigation canals. Rohu, Catla and Ilishi are the famous freshwater fishes used in curries.

List of dishes

Rice dishes and rotis

Odia cooking has some different type of curries based on the overall preparation style. Tarakari, Santula, Rai, Rasa.
Khatta refers to a type of sour side dish or chutney usually served with Odia thalis.
In Odia cuisine, sāga is one of the most important vegetables. It is popular all over the state. A list of the plants that are used as sāga is as below. Odias typically eat many cooked green leaves. They are prepared by adding "pancha phutana", with or without onion/garlic, and are best enjoyed with pakhala.
One of the most popular is lali koshala saaga made from green leaves with red stems. Other saagas that are eaten are pita gahama, khada, poi, koshala, sajana, etc. Some items are as follows;
s and sweets are types of traditional Odia dishes.
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 gods and others are made all year. The drinks which have a thick consistency are usually called pawṇaa and the ones with have a watery consistency are usually known as sarbat. Many of the ethnic tribes of Odisha have their own indigenous drinks made from forest produce. Any drink that contains alcohol is usually called mad or madaw.

Alcoholic