oriya cuisine- why not so famous?

In India when we talk about North, South, East & West regions, we generally try and describe these with the natives living in that particular region but somehow limit our thoughts and just say: Punjabi in Northern region, Madrasi/ Tamilian in Southern region, Bengali in Eastern region and Gujrati in Western region. However, we generally forget a region/ zone constitutes of various states (different languages) and have different cultures. Here would like to highlight that a region might have similar culture but still we have different states and union territories to complete our country India.

So, let us not discuss regionalism but understand how vast and tasty Oriya Cuisine is…

Odisha being a large state of India, and borders both north Indian states and south Indian states and consequently is influenced by the cuisines of North India, Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh as well and hence the cuisine is also varied.

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. It is a rich state in terms of Vegetables also. Odisha has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal, so seafood and fish are very popular in this state.

Overall, Odisha has a rich history of food be it vegetarian or non- vegetarian. Few of my close friends’ hail from Odisha and that is where my curiosity woke up for this interesting and authentic cuisine.

There are several delicacies of this state, but let’s explore a few of them like the dalma, ghonto, badi-chura, gupchup, dahi vada- aloo dom, mansa tarkari, chingudi jhola, kankada jhola and chena poda.

Dalma

Aah Dalma! You just can’t get enough of dal, can you? However, this staple food comes with a unique twist when in Odisha. It is made with roasted moong dal without any onion or garlic. A few regular spices along with a cup of veggies are added to it to give it a lip-smacking flavour. Common veggies include pumpkin, plantain, yam and papaya, which work like magic on your overall health. Mostly eaten with rice, this finger-licking meal will more than satiate your appetite.

Ghanto

Ghanto is a signature Oriya recipe where variety of vegetables are cooked with soaked pulses and legumes. Due to the presence of so many vegetables, the nutrient content of this curry is also high. This mixed vegetable dish from Odisha is somewhat similar in the lines of Aviyal of Kerala or Undhyoo of Gujarat. This curry is made during festivals throughout the year.

Badi-Chura

The badi chura is an authentic recipe of Odisha state. Badi is sun-dried lentil dumpling and chura means a coarse mixture of badi, spices & flavours like onion, garlic, green chilli along with mustard oil. Traditionally, soaked black gram or urad dal was grinded to a paste along with some water. Then these dumplings are sundried. Usually these are made in fall and stored away for entire year.

Dahi vada-aloo dom

Yet another popular street food that we see after gupchup in Odisha, is Dahi vada and Aloo dum. Go out at even 5 in the morning and you can see thela walas with their big pots of dahi vada and smaller pots filled with aloo dum. While everywhere else, dahi vada and aloo dum are considered to be two separate dishes, Odisha offers a distinctive blend of the both. The relishing taste of dahi vadas carefully neutralises the spiciness of aloo dum, giving the taste that every Odia craves for. Also famous as the ‘Vada Pav’ of Cuttack, this dish has surely paved its way into people’s hearts and everyday lives.

Gupchup

Known as Panipuri in Western India, Puchka in Bengal, Golgappa in the north and Gupchup in Odisha.  This quick snack, which has almost become a staple across the nation, needs no introduction. This extremely popular street food comprises of small and crisp puris made from the dough of semolina and flour served together with aloo masala stuffing and khatta Jal jeera. Probably one food which is loved by every age group and enjoyed at any time of the day. The best thing about this dish is that it is so cheap and light. Without a doubt, it is everyone’s favourite.

Mansa Tarkari

And not to forget the mutton curry in Oriya style- Mansa tarkari (mutton curry)…

Mansa Tarkari Odia Style is a popular mutton curry from the state of Odisha. Mansa aloo tarkari is a spicy and lip-smacking curry made with mustard oil and minimal aromatic spices. Mutton potato curry makes a perfect weekend meal. Goat meat is slow cooked with warm and aromatic Indian spices along with potatoes until the meat is cook through and the meat is juicy and tender.

Chingudi Jhola

Odisha being a coastal region and has river basins, prawn is a popular food item in the state.

Oriya style prawn curry which is also called chingudi jhola in oriya is a very delicious recipe. Goes well with steamed rice. It is a spicy gravy based prawn curry with different flavours of spices. It is mostly eaten by people of the coastal regions and the areas of River basins of Odisha, India.

Kankada Jhola

Kankada jhola is the famous crab curry of Odisha.

A traditional crab curry from kitchen of Odisha. Kankada Jhola is a curry which is very common in Coastal Odisha.

Chena Poda – The Traditional Food of Odisha

How can we forget about the sweet tooth that every East Indian has…

Odisha’s very own cheesecake- Chhena Poda, also known to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite sweet and is often offered to him at the Puri Temple. The lingering taste of burnt home-made cottage cheese and semolina combined with sugar syrup simply blow away your mind. This rare dessert is baked for several hours until it becomes red and the caramelised sugar brings out the distinct flavour of Chhena Poda. Being sold in almost every nook and corner, this dish is simple, easy and absolutely delicious.

Oriya cuisine is not limited to the above but is as vast as the sky as it is said “Sky is the limit”.