Odisha has a long culinary tradition, with Oriya dishes featuring a variety of flavors and ingredients that are sourced from local sources.
Famous Food
Temples were a very important part of the culture in ancient Odisha. The social customs, festivals, and recipes all originated from them. In continuation with its beautiful cultural heritage; Odia food is highly influenced by Shri Jagannath Temple.
Odia cuisine is less spicy and uses less oil than other regional Indian cuisines but is very flavorful.
Must Try Odia Cuisines
If you're visiting Odisha, don't miss out on some of the best local food! Here are some of the tastiest dishes you won't want to miss when you're in Odisha.
Odia people love food a lot. It is a very important part of their religious culture as well. Odia cuisine is simple and delicious as the spices are used sparingly and the food isn't too oily. There is a lot of variety in Odia food, and it is easy to eat and fall in love with.
Rasagola - The Sweet Treat
Pakhala Bhata - Simple and Divine
Chhena Poda - Celebrating Sweetness
Manda Pitha – The Festive Bliss
Dalma - The Traditional Meal
Khicede - The Prasad
Gaja - The Must Try Sweet
Khaja - The Sweet Offering
Rasabali - From the Chappan Bhog
1. Rasagola - The Sweet Treat
Rasagola is a delicious little treat that is soft, spongy, and scrumptious. There is a long history of rasagola, it was originally called Khira Mohana. According to the historians of Odisha, the rasagola originated in Puri, as Khira Mohana, which later evolved into the Pahala rasagola. It has been traditionally offered as bhoga to goddess Lakshmi at the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri.
2. Pakhala Bhata - Simple and Divine
Pakhala bhata is a dish that is loved by almost everyone in Odisha. It is prepared in a unique way and the taste is amazing. The dish is made by soaking cooked rice in a mixture of sour curd, cumin seeds, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and water. It is then left overnight, and it is delicious the next day with fried fish, roasted vegetables, potatoes, papad, and raw onions. Besides being delicious, this kind of fermented rice is very healthy and perfect for beating the heat.
Pakhala Divas, or Pakhala Day, is celebrated on March 20th in Odisha, India. On this day, locals welcome the summer season with this traditional food of Odisha.
3. Chhena Poda - Celebrating Sweetness
Chhena poda is a cheese dessert from Odisha, India. It is made of well-kneaded homemade fresh cheese, sugar, semolina, and is baked for several hours until it browns.
4. Manda Pitha – The Festive Bliss
Manda Pitha is a type of steamed pitha from Odisha, India; that is usually eaten during festivals such as Manabasa Gurubara, Durga Puja, Kumar Purnima or Rakhi Purnima. It is made from semolina, and is filled with sweet or fresh cheese (Chhena). The pitha is then flavored with grated coconut and cardamom, giving it a nice, sweet taste.
5. Dalma - The Traditional Meal
Dalma is a dish made from lentils cooked with vegetables and fruit. It is a popular food in Odisha, and it has a special connection to Lord Shri Jagannath. It is made using different types of vegetables, including bananas, papayas, pumpkins, drumsticks, and yams.
6. Khicede - The Prasad
Khicede or khichdi is a simple yet delicious meal widely enjoyed in Odisha. The dish is particularly famous and important as it is part of the main bhoj of Puri Shri Jagannath Temple. Khicede is offered to Lord Jagannath every day and the same is also offered as prasad to the devotees. Prepared with rice, lentils, ghee, chopped vegetables and some mild spices, Khicede is a filling and nutritious meal for people of all ages. Restaurants across the state serve this delicacy with some fresh curd and papad.
7. Gaja - The Must Try Sweet
If you're interested in trying some of the best traditional foods from Odisha, Gaja is a must-try. While there are many different types of Gaja sweets available in the state, Chhena Gaja is the most popular. To make this sweet, cheese is mashed and then shaped into squares or rectangles and then fried in oil until golden brown. The fried Gajas are then soaked in a sugar syrup for a while to help them absorb the sweetness. Although it is a simple sweet, Gaja is definitely one of the most delicious desserts available in Odisha. Other variants of the sweet, such as Khasta Gaja and Khira Gaja, are also worth trying.
8. Khaja - The Sweet Offering
Khaja is a type of pastry that is made from flour, sugar, and sometimes dried fruits or nuts. It is usually fried in oil, and is a favorite treat in Odisha. It is thought to represent the emotions of all Odia people, and is sometimes given as an offering to Lord Shri Jagannath in the Temple in Puri .
9. Rasabali - From the Chappan Bhog
Rasabali is a dish that is offered to Shri Baladevji, and it comes from the Shri Baladevji Temple in Kendrapara. It is one of the Chappan Bhog of Shri Jagannath temple.
Rasabali is made out of flattened, reddish brown patties of chhena (farmer cheese), which are soaked in a thickened, sweetened milk (rabri).