Cuisine of Odisha

Ingredients and seasoning

Odia cooking relies heavily on rice, alongside staples like pigeon peas and moong beans. Local vegetables such as pumpkin, gourd, plantains, jackfruit, and papaya are common, as are potatoes, cauliflower, and cabbage. The spice blend pancha phutana—mustard, cumin, fenugreek, aniseed, and kalonji—is essential. Curry leaves, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, tamarind, and coconut also appear frequently.

Temple food

Temples in the region make offerings to presiding deities. The prasada of the Jagannath Temple is called Mahaprasad, meaning greatest of all prasadas, and consists of 60 recipes or dishes, referred to as Sathie Pauti. A misconception that it consists of 56 dishes (Chhapana Bhoga) is false; that concept prevails in the Vrindavan/Braj region. The names of the dishes are considered a sacred secret known only to the Mahasuar (chief cook), as it is believed the mother prepares dishes for her children without sharing what or how much she prepares.

List of dishes

Pakhala is a rice dish made by adding water with curd to cooked rice, which may ferment overnight (basi pakhala or dahi pakhala) or be unfermented (saja pakhala). Khechudi is rice cooked with lentils, the Odia version of khichdi. Palau is a rice dish with meat, vegetables, and raisins, akin to pilaf. Kanika is a sweet rice dish garnished with raisins and nuts.

Ghee rice is fried with ghee and cinnamon. Upma, served with ghugni, is a breakfast semolina dish. Dalma is dal with vegetables like green papaya, plantain, eggplant, pumpkin, and gourd, garnished with turmeric, mustard seeds, and panch phutana. Dali is a dish of one or more dals such as tur, horse gram, chana, masur, or mung.

Santula consists of finely chopped vegetables sauteed with garlic, green chilies, mustard, and spices. Guguni is a street food of overnight-soaked dried peas and potato with horse gram powder, eaten with bara in Puri and Cuttack. Chhatu rai is mushrooms with mustard paste. Alu potala rasa is curry of potato and pointed gourds.

Kadali manja rai is curry from banana plant stem and mustard seeds. Mohura is curry with bodi, tamarind, jaggery, and vegetables. Besara is assorted vegetables in mustard paste tempered with pancha phutan. Khatta is a sweet-and-sour side dish or chutney.

Dahi baigana and dahi bhendi are sour yoghurt dishes with eggplants or ladies' fingers. Khajuri khata, amba khatta, ou khatta, and tomato khata are sweet-and-sour dishes from tomatoes and dates, raw mangoes, elephant apple, or tomatoes with jaggery. Dhania-patra chutney is made from coriander leaves. Salad greens (saga) are prepared with pancha phutana, with or without onion or garlic, and sometimes eaten with pakhala.

Did You Know?

• Odia cooks, particularly from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to cook food in accordance with Hindu scriptures.
• In regions closer to Andhra Pradesh, like Brahmapur, curry leaves and tamarind are used more due to South Indian influence.
• Yoghurt is used in many Odia dishes, and many sweets are based on chhena (cheese).