In this blog, we will take a gastronomic trip through the famous food of Odisha, exploring some of the most popular foods in the state. Come and enjoy the mouth-watering treats that Odisha has to offer, whether you’re a foodie or simply inquisitive about regional cuisine.
The food of Odisha is Very Simple & Delicious. Less Usage of Oil & Spices in food makes it extremely healthy.
Odisha cuisine offers a broad choice of foods that are sure to tantalise your taste buds, from hearty breakfasts to sweet desserts.
You can find here the Famous Food of Odisha
- Lunch & Dinner Favorites
- Street Foods of Odisha
- Festive Foods of Odisha
- Sweet Dishes of Odisha
A. Famous Food of Odisha – Lunch and dinner Special
1. Santula
To make Santula, prepare a combination of potatoes, raw papaya, tomatoes, brinjals, green peas, and other spices. Boil the vegetables, then sauté them to enhance their flavor.
This steamed vegetable curry is an extremely healthy and simple dish that vegans will love. It is available in both fried and boiled forms and is typically served hot with rice.
2. Chaatu Besara Rai
Chhatu Besara rai is a Mushroom based Odisha Dish. This delicacy is famous in every household in Odisha. Mushroom is prepared with Mustard paste, vegetables & Other Spices. This delicious tangy flavour dish will make your day.
3. Dalma
Dalma is one of the famous food of the State. This is extremely tasty & healthy food. Dalma is prepared with Toor dal, Chana Dal, Pumpkin, brinjal & Other seasonal vegetables.
Quite Popular during Winter. Habisha dalma is a kind of Dalma. Being a lentil-based food, this local food is very good for health. Locals love to eat it with rice.
4. Kadali Manja Rai
Kadali Manja rai is the Traditional food of Odisha. Manja Means Stem &Rai refers to Mustard. Banana stem & Rai paste are used to prepare this dish. Very Popular in local households. Another Vegan dish from Odisha Cuisine.
5. Kadali Manja Rai
One of the unique dishes from Odisha. Kadali Manja means Banana stem and rai Represent Mustard. A dish prepared with Banana Stem and Special Mustard paste.
This is one of the healthiest food from Odisha Cuisine. The banana Stem is cooked with a Special mustard paste. That Is prepared with Garlic and other Indian spices. This dish is mostly consumed with rice or roti. Food is very light and easy to cook.
6. Mudhi Mansa
This food is a Unique & distinct dish from Odisha Cuisine. Meat is made with puffed rice. Mudhi Means Puffed rice – also Known as Murra or Parmal in other parts of the country.
Mansa Means Meat in odia Lanaguge. Thick Gravy-based meat is prepared with Tomatoes, onions & Other spices. Then it is served with Crunchy Puffed rice. This amazing combination relishes your taste buds.
7. Macha Ghanta -a Popular Dish of Odisha
Macha Ghanta is one of the most famous food from Odisha. This non-vegetarian food is a fish curry dish. Fish is prepared with Vegetables in this food. The meaning of Ghanta I Mix. Must-Have a dish during Durga pooja or Dussehra. Mostly head of fish is used to prepare this recipe.
B. Popular Food of Odisha- Street Food
8. Chungdi Malai
Chungdi Malai, an Odisha Prawn Curry dish, is a non-vegetarian delight of Odisha cuisine that every prawn lover must try. This dish is one of the most beloved seafood dishes of Odisha, known for its thick gravy.
To prepare this dish, marinate prawns with ginger-garlic paste, coriander, and other spices. Then, cook the marinated prawns with tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients to make a thick gravy. Finally, coconut and curd are added to the gravy to enhance its flavour.
That makes this dish more unique. Food is served with hot steamed rice or Roti.
9. Pakhala Bhata
Pakhala Bhata is one of the Signature dishes of Odisha. This food is served in Lord Jagganath Temple. You can find this food everywhere. It is one of the popular street food in Odisha.
This simple dish is very common in every household in Odisha. Pakhala Bhata is a very simple rice and Curd dish. In this recipe, rice fermentation is very important. For that, rice is put in water overnight. Fermented rice is easy to digest and good for digestion.
Locals mostly consumed this dish during summer. It acts cooler for the body. This food is popular in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam, and West Bengal Too. It is eaten with fried vegetables like Potatoes, Brinjal, Badi, etc.
10. Chaula Bara
Bolangir is the Cultural hub of Odisha. If you are in Bolangir “ Chaula Bara” can’t be ignored. Food is a signature dish of Bolangir. This is a deep-fried snack, and It is an important part of Odisha food and Culture.
It is the Popular Street food of Odisha (western). Chaula Bara is Made with Rice, Urad dal, onion, and Chaula Bara Other Indian Spices. This Deep fried snack is served with chutney.
The two most common and popular chutneys are used, i.e. Tentel Jhol ( Made of Tamarind) and Patalganta chutney (Tomato Chutney). Food is served hot with tangy chutney and Green chilis.
C. Famous Food of Odisha -Festive Foods
11. Poda Pitha
Poda Pitha is Another famous sweet dish from Odisha. It is a pancake & traditional food. This sweet dish is prepared with Urad dal, Jaggery & Coconut, and rice flour. Milk & Dry fruits etc.
it is mostly prepared during the Raja Parba festival of Odisha to Serve Lord Jagannath. It is eaten in hot as well as cold forms.
12. Manda
It is a famous food in Odisha. Popular during monsoons & Festivals. It is a rice flour dumpling. This is a steamed cooked delicacy. Rice flour balls are stuffed with a mixture made of Jaggery & Grated coconut. This food is similar to Modak from Maharashtra. Dish is popular in Gurubar Puja.
13. Kanika
Kanika has a special place in Odisha Cuisine. It is one of The important food on the 56 blog food list that is served to Lord Jagannath. This food is a sweet pulao.
This delicacy is prepared with aromatic basmati rice and Dry fruits. Most of the temples offered this as Mahaprasad. it has amazing taste. it is the best food in Odisha.
14. Aloo Potala Rasa
Potala is the name of Parval in the Local Langauge of Odisha. In English, it is known as a pointed gourd. This is a spicy and thick gravy dish made of Potatoes and a pointed Gourd.
It is a traditional dish of Odisha. This dish is specially Prepared with Mustard oil. The aroma of Mustard oil makes this dish distinct and unique. Aloo and Parval are cooked with coconut and Peppy seeds with other Indian spices.
The gravy of this dish is so tempting you cannot ignore stopping yourself to taste this Spicey delicacy. This is eaten with hot steamed rice or Roti( flat Indian bread.
D. Popular food of Odisha- Sweet dishes
15. Palua Ladu
Palua, a sweet and delicious dessert from Odisha cuisine, is made from arrowroot powder which is obtained from the roots of plants.
This dish originated in the Bhadrak district of Odisha and is one of the oldest recipes in the region. Arrowroot powder is commonly used in many dishes to improve their texture.
To prepare Palua, a small ball is made by mixing arrowroot powder with khoya, dry fruits, ghee, and other required ingredients. This dough ball is then deep-fried and served cool as a sweet dish.
16. Chhena Jhili
Chhena Jhilli is a Sweet dish of Odisha. This delicious dessert is a Popular dish of the Nimpada. That belongs to the “Puri” district. This sweet dish is not only Tasty but very easy to make.
Chhena Jhilli is Made of Chhena i.e Paneer or Cottage Cheese. Prepare the Small Size Ball with a Mix of Chhena and Maida.
This Ball-shaped dough was later deep-fried in Oil or Ghee. After that, this fried ball is put into the sugar syrup. This sweetened dish is very much among all age groups. Food is mostly consumed hot.
17. Rasabali
Rasabali is a classic sweet dessert from Odisha Cuisine. This famous food of Odisha is One of The 56 bog offered to Lord Jagannath Temple.
It is very soft and easy to cook, and a dish loved by all age groups. This sweet delicacy is a special dish for Lord Baladejew. That is Situated in Kendrapara.
It is believed that this dish originated from this place only. Rasabali is made of Cottage cheese or Chenna. Fried chenna is Soaked with Rabari (sweetened milk). The usage of Cardamom enhances the taste of this sweet delicacy. It is mostly consumed cold.
18. Kora Khai
Kora Khai is a Sweet and Crunchy food that has religious sentiment. This food is served as a “Prasad” In the Temple of Odisha. So this food is very close to Hindu family life and culture.
It is the prasad of Lord Lingraj. Kora Khai is made with Pupped Rice, Jaggery, Coconut, ghee, etc. Caramelization is a very important process in this dish.
The unique taste of this dish a lot depends on the proper caramelization. Popular among children. This famous dish is easily available in a local retail shop.
19. Poda Pitha
Poda Pitha is Another famous sweet dish from Odisha. It is a pancake & traditional food. This sweet dish is prepared with Urad dal, Jaggery & Coconut, and rice flour. Milk & Dry fruits etc.
it is mostly prepared during the Raja Parba festival of Odisha to Serve Lord Jagannath. It is eaten in hot as well as cold forms.
20. Enduri Pitha- Famous Dal based Snacks
Enduir pitha is Another type of Pitha recipe from Odisha Cuisine. Mostly consumed during Manabasa Gurubara and Prathamstami. These steamed cooked Snacks are very light food and Good for health. This aromatic dish is very easy to cook.
To make Enduri Pitha, one must prepare a paste of soaked rice and urad dal (black lentils). Then, add a mixture of coconut and jaggery to the paste.
The paste is put on the Turmeric leaves and cooked with steam. This traditional food of Odisha is amazing in taste. Instead of Turmeric leaves banana leaves are also used but you will miss that aroma.
21. Kakera Pitha
Like West Bengal, Odisha has an amazing range of Sweet dishes. Kakera Pitha is one of them. It is a famous sweet dish in Odisha. Kaera Pitha is also one of the dishes of the Indian temple.
It is offered to temple deities. This delicious sweet dish is made of Suji, Coconut, and other ingredients. It is a deep-fried sweet dish mostly consumed as Snacks and dessert.
It is popular among all age groups. This dish is served Hot or cold.
22. Chhena Poda
Chhena means paneer. It is a Paneer-based famous Sweet dish from Odisha cuisine. The texture & appearance looks very similar to baked Spong cake. But this Dessert is unique & Distinct.
Paneer Cake, this dessert is made by combining semolina, ghee, and various dry fruits. It is believed that this dish is a favourite of Lord Jagannath and is considered one of the best foods in Odisha.
Odisha, a popular state in India, is known for its “Rath Yatra” festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath. During this festival, 56 food items, also known as Chhapan Bhog, are offered to Lord Jagannath. This offering is also referred to as Mahaprasad.
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