The Indian state of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa) is well recognized for its scenic beauty, fascinating tribal culture, and archaeological brilliance in addition to being a favorite vacation spot for adventurers. Apart from this well-known fact, visitors are most impressed by the state’s delectable cuisine. Odisha’s cuisine is rich in flavor but uses fewer spices and oils than other states. On one of your Orissa travel packages, you will see delicious meals being served on plates made of sal leaves, luring you in with their perfume.
Odisha residents enjoy their sweet foods, hence you’ll never find a sweet store in the state closed. The diversity of Orissa’s delectable cuisine matches the range of destinations to visit there. As a result, when visiting Odisha, you may rely on these locally famous foods of Odisha for your meals in between sightseeing excursions: –
The List of Famous Foods of Odisha
The cuisine of Odisha, also referred to as “Odia Cuisine,” is a mash-up of many ingredients and customs. Odisha’s cuisine is heavily inspired by the cuisine of North India, Bengal, and Assam because it borders both South and North Indian states. The primary cuisine consumed in Odisha is rice, which is typically cooked in mustard oil.
Many of Odisha’s recipes have a significant amount of yogurt, while many sweets are made with chhena (a type of cheese). Odia cuisine is flavorful but less greasy and spicy. Odisha, dubbed “the Goa of Eastern India,” is like the ultimate culinary hub for any cuisine enthusiast. Here is our hand-picked list of the best dishes from Odisha:
1. Macha Ghanta
Every household enjoys fish dishes, which are particularly well-liked in Odisha. What better fish dish to enjoy than Macha Ghanta, a favourite among all Odiyas? This mouthwatering stew, which includes the fried head of the fish, is a must-offer to Durga Maa on Dussehra. It is served with steaming steamed rice and salad. The curry is a flavorful combination of onions, potatoes, garlic, and common spices. Vegans can prepare a simple “Ghanta” simply omitting the fish. No matter where you go, there isn’t a dish like this, and it will certainly tempt you to eat it repeatedly till you reach Odisha.
2. Gupchup
The national dish of India is gupchup, also called “puchka” in Bengal, “golgappa” in the north, and “panipuri” in western India. This delicacy consists of crispy hollow balls prepared from maida, atta, or suji that are stuffed with chana masala and then dipped in hot jal jeera, just enough to send your taste buds on a flavor-packed whirlwind. This crispy wonder is an exquisite treat that one can binge-eat while visiting Odisha because of the overwhelming burst of gupchup, one of the state’s most well-known foods.
3. Dalma
All dalma is healthy dal prepared in the Odia style. Dal is prepared in a unique way in Odisha, and the flavor is really mouthwatering. The dish is prepared with roasted yellow moong dal, ginger, green peppers, and a few chopped vegetables, including onions, potatoes, pumpkin, raw papaya, and carrots. Ghee and a variety of spices, including cumin seeds, bay leaves, dried red chilies, and panch phoran, are used to temper Dalma. Shaved coconut and chopped coriander leaves are used as garnish. You can enjoy this famous food of Odisha along with crunchy and spicy papads and hot rice.
4. Pakhala Bhata
During the summer, Pakhala Bhata is virtually always served for lunch in Odisha homes. Cooked rice is soaked in sour curd and water to make it. It is typically left overnight. This meal of fermented rice will cool you off from the inside out and help you beat the heat. All Odias observe March 20 as Pakhala Dibasa (Universal Pakhala Day) to welcome the summer season with cuisine from Odisha. Try it! This delicious dish is a must.
5. Chakuli Pitha
The Chakuli Pitha is the dish from Odisha that is well known. This has similarities to southern dosa, as do the components required to make Chakuli Pitha. It is created with a batter that contains equal parts of rice that has been soaked, pounded, and fermented for at least five hours and lentils (Urad Dal). A griddle or skillet is used to distribute the batter, which is then cooked in some mustard oil on both sides. The Chakuli Pitha is both softer and somewhat thicker than a Dosa.
6. Palua Laddu
The dessert Palua Laddu is produced with the plant-based grain-free starch Arrowroot. This laddu, a favorite household treat, is from the Bhadrak area of Odisha. This tasty snack is prepared from refined wheat flour, water, oil, semolina, baking soda, and arrowroot powder. You must not miss the locally recognized and unique cuisine of Odisha.
7. Dahi vada-Aloo dum
Dahi vada and aloo dum are other well-liked street meals we encounter in Odisha after gup chup. You may see thela walas outside at five in the morning with their large pots of dahi vada and their smaller pots of aloo dum. Odisha has a unique fusion of dahi vada and aloo dum, often seen as two independent cuisines anywhere else. Every Odia craves the flavor that dahi vadas provide by delicately balancing the heat of aloo dum. This meal has undoubtedly paved its way into people’s hearts and daily lives.
8. Kanika
The “Chappan Bhog” for Lord Jagannath also includes one of the most famous food items of Odisha. Before biriyani, Kanika was the preferred Odiya meal, then fried rice replaced it. You may prepare Kanika using tasty basmati rice instead of the usual raw rice. The Kanika rice is an essential food in Orissa, where it is typically produced as a gift for temples. It goes best with a delicious chicken or mutton curry.
9. Santula
Santula is a unique Odia-style curry that is delicious and wholesome and contains a lot of veggies and the correct spices. Potato, tomato, brinjal, raw papaya, and a few other green and red veggies make up the majority of the dish. Salt, garlic, ginger, green chilies, panch phoran, mustard seeds, and other seasonings are added after the veggies have been simmered till mushy in order to make santula. The best part about this well-known dish from Odisha is that it has few spices and a lot of healthy vegetables. So, if you like eating nutritious foods, santula is a dish you must try.
10. Chhena Poda
Chhena Poda, an irresistible dessert eaten in Orissa, is the ideal food for those with a sweet craving. It resembles a cheesecake and is thought to be Lord Jagannath’s favorite sweet dish. As a result, the Jagannath Puri temple also offers it. Durga Puja, Diwali, and other holidays are just a few examples of special occasions when this meal is prepared and enjoyed. Semolina, paneer crumbles, raisins, almonds, sugar, cardamom powder, and cashews are all ingredients. After being thoroughly combined, all of the ingredients are cooked until golden. It has a sweet, lingering flavor that melts in the mouth.
11. Rasabali
Rasabaali is yet another delectable treat to savour in Odisha. The city of Puri, where the sweet dish is served as part of the chappan bhog at Shree Jagannath Temple, is where it is most well-known. This delicacy is made by mixing paneer, wheat flour, semolina, sugar, and cardamom powder into a soft dough and then shaping it into tiny tikkis that resemble doughnuts. The tikkis are deep-fried in ghee before being put to milk that has been thickened. Make sure you indulge in some if you are next in Odisha because this straightforward yet tasty delicacy is a favourite among both residents and visitors.
12. Khicede
Khichdi, as we refer to it in other states, is a simple yet filling dish. One of the most significant foods is Odisha khicede, which is served to Lord Jagannath at the Puri Temple as the main course or bhog. It has a distinct and delectable flavour because of the ideal proportions of rice and lentils cooked together in ghee.This warming supper provides excellent nutrition in addition to wonderful taste. You’re sure to drool over this delicious dinner, which is mildly spicy and frequently served with curd and papad.
13. Chungdi Malai
This mouthwatering prawn curry is a specialty in Odisha and a must-try for every non-vegetarian food enthusiast. It is rich, creamy, and flavorful since only the best ingredients were used to make it. Coconut milk, onions, ginger, and a variety of Indian spices—including bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, cumin, and red chili powder—are used to make chungdi malai. It is accompanied by a side of steaming hot basmati rice and garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
14. Chaatu Rai
Another delicious food of Odisha that is worth trying is a cuisine that is flavorful and packed with nutrition. It is nutritious and loaded with veggies, including potatoes, tomatoes, and mushrooms, all of which are cooked in a mustard mixture over low heat. The meal gets a distinctive flavor from the mustard. Enjoy this tasty dish with hot steamed rice or chapatis.
15. Besara
Besara needs to be one of the famous foods of Odisha that you test on your subsequent visit. Potatoes, pumpkin, banana, papaya, onions, garlic, and spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dry red chilies are used to make this straightforward but delectable recipe. For that genuine flavor and aroma, the chopped veggies are first sautéed in oil before being spice-flavored. Enjoy besara with rice, Dalma, and other traditional Odia fare.
16. Pilaf
The most popular rice meal in Odisha, along with vegetable pulao, is pilaf. This delicacy is made by sautéing soaked rice in oil, spices, onions, garlic, and chopped veggies for a bit, and then adding water and cooking it for around 30 minutes. Both meat and dried fruits can be used to produce pilaf. With raita or any curry of your choosing, it is more akin to a one-pot dinner.
17. Gaja
Gaja is a need if you want to enjoy some of the best traditional meals from Odisha. Chhena gaja is the most popular version of this delectable sweet delicacy, while sweet shops and restaurants throughout the state provide other variations as well. This dessert is made by shaping mashed chhena into square or rectangular discs and deep-frying them in oil until they are golden brown. The fried gajas are then given a lengthy soak in sugar syrup to aid in their assimilation of the sweetness. Gaja, although being a straightforward sweet, is unquestionably one of the most delicious desserts offered in Odisha. It’s also worthwhile to try the sweet’s other varieties, such as khasta gaja and khira gaja.
18. Chhena Jhili
Another delicious treat from Odisha’s diverse cuisine is chhena jhili. As the name suggests, the dessert is made using chhena that has been crumbled together with other ingredients including semolina, powdered sugar, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and crushed cardamom pods. The ingredients are mixed to create a soft dough, which is then formed into little balls and deep-fried in ghee or oil. The chhena balls are then dipped in sugar syrup and topped with dried fruits and cardamom powder. You must try this iconic Odia delicacy if you enjoy sweets!
19. Chaula Bara
The crispy fritters or pakodas found in various Indian towns and cities are similar to the chaula baras from Odisha. A batter made of rice, split black lentils (urad dal), cumin seeds, carom seeds, coriander leaves, and other ingredients is used to make these crispy and delicious baras or vadas. Although you can have these deep-fried baras at any time of the day, they go best with evening tea or coffee. You will undoubtedly fall in love with this popular snack if you visit any of the street food stands and restaurants in Odisha.
20. Khattas and Chutneys
Odiya’s Khatta is available in a wide range of recipes. The repertory of Odiya Khattas includes the songs Khajur Khatta, Tomato Khatta, Mango Khatta, and Dahi Nadia. The dish’s richness comes from the main ingredients. The dish tastes best when paired with steamed rice and fried green chilies because of the flavorful chutneys.
Enjoy the Delectable Food Items in Odisha!
Are any upcoming travel plans to Orissa? Odisha should be explored not just for the incredible natural beauty and archaeological wonders it is home to, but also for the rich food that adds to the enjoyment of your trip. As you can see, Odisha doesn’t fall short when it comes to mouthwatering cuisine alternatives. So if you want to have a real experience, be sure to taste these most famous foods of Odisha.