Odia people love food, owing to the importance of it in the religious culture and tradition of the state. Odia cuisine is very simple, intricate yet delicious, prepared in little or no oil which gives out the flavors of the spices that are sparingly used themselves. The spread is vast and is very easy on the food palate.
Temple Cuisine in Odisha
The grand temples of Odisha were the epicenter of socio-cultural activities in ancient Odisha. The social customs and the festivals were all centered around it. Many of the recipes of Odia cuisine originated from these ancient temples, the most talked about being the Kheera Mohana popularly known as Rasagulla.
The temple cuisine comprises indigenously grown local cereals and vegetables, cooked in traditional methods using wooden charcoal and earthen pots. The recipe has been passed on from generations. The food is simple yet tastes heavenly and is much sought after by locals and tourists alike. Our resort in Tadoba offers really amazing Odia cuisine that you must try out for sure.
Image Credits: Destination Odisha
The most popular temple cuisine dish in the state is the Mahaprasad which is the offering to the Lord Jagganath of Puri, known better as the Mahaprasad offering. The Mahaprasad is cooked in a very unique way. Earthen pots are kept on top of the other over the burner being used. The pot at the top cooks first then the pot at the bottom near the burner.
According to the ancient Hindu mythology Lord Vishnu meditates in Badrinath, gets dressed at Dwarka, has his lunch at Puri, and retires for the night at Rameswaram. Need we say more about Odia cuisine! Our resort in Tadoba has a very distinct Odia cuisine menu that has been carefully chosen so as to give you the best culinary experience possible in Tadoba.
The food of the masses of Odisha
Dalma – The wholesome lentil food of Odisha
Dalma is essentially dal also known as lentils cooked with an assortment of vegetables and spices. Apart from being a part of the main course, people absolutely relish the dish with a variety of dishes like Dalma with Pitha which is a local pancake, Dalma with Vada which is a fried lentil cake. The high protein dishes are highly healthy and are the most essential component of any Odia meal.
Image Credits: Onmanorama
Pakhala – The coolest food in the entire state of Odisha
Pakhala is essentially rice that has been left to ferment overnight with water and is consumed with an accompaniment of fried vegetables and fish. Pakhala is the food of choice for Odia people, especially during the hot summers. The food is well known to be a preventive for heat strokes which is quite prevalent in the region during the summers and some researchers opine that it’s the only food that has vitamins for nerve cells. Having Pakhala by spoon is akin to having chowmein by hand so it is advisable to have it with a fork instead!
Image Credits: Pakhala
Pitha – A food for all of the important occasions
Pitha is essentially a cereal-based steamed cake that is absolutely delicious. It’s the food for any important or celebratory occasion from the perspective of an Odia household. The dish has many variants and the much sought-after variants amongst them are the Chakuli Pitha, PodaPitha, and Monda. Our resort in Tadoba serves a really amazing dish of Pitha.
Image Credits: Archana Kitchen
The sweet relics of Odisha
Rasgulla – The sweet is one that melts the gods. Known in ancient Odisha as Kheera Mohana, it is one of Lord Jagannath’s favorite sweets and one of the most popular in India. During the ritual Niladri Bije during which when the Lord returns to the temple after the Chariot Festival, he woos his consort, Goddess Lakshmi, with a bowl of Rasgulla. The dish is made from Cottage Cheese which is rolled into a round shape by hand and boiled in sugar syrup.
Image Credits: Ruchis Kitchen
Chenna Poda –
This magnificent sweet dish is the quintessential sweet dish of Odisha. An extremely popular sweet dish in Odisha, chenna poda is prepared when cottage cheese is mixed with sugar and put in a bowl to give it the round shape. Then it’s baked in an earthen oven covered with sal leaves and the burnt upper layer gives it that typical smoky flavor and adds to its wonderful taste.
Image Credits: The Free Press Journal
Chenna Jhilli –
Typical to Nimapada a quaint little town located 39 kilometers from Puri, Chenna Jhili is essentially Jalebi made out of Cottage Cheese. What makes the sweet so alluring and enticing is the sugar quotient, which doesn’t bind the mouth.
Image Credits: Pearl Of East
Korakai –
This is one of the most crunchy and tangy sweets from Odisha. Korakai which is essentially caramelized ‘lia’ is the favorite of Lord Lingaraja. The crunchy sweet is prepared by an exclusive group of sweet shop owners and confectioners for the Lord LIngaraja in the Old Town of Bhubaneswar. They follow the process which has been perfected over centuries and thus adds to its distinct flavor and taste.
Our resort in Tadoba will take you to the heart of Odisha with a bite of our Odia cuisine menu. So do visit us in Tadoba soon in 2021!
