Odisha's legacy of flavours is still shining

Bengal may have claimed the rasgulla, but that still leaves Odisha with a slew of delicious home-grown goodies. Creamy, rich rasabali anyone?

With the recent Geographical Indication (GI Tag) presented to the rasgulla , there was an interesting exchange of historical debate between the Oriya and Bengali communities across different social media platforms. Oriyas have finally made peace with the GI tag going to ‘Banglar rasgulla’, with the Chief Minister’s office stating that they’d provide necessary evidence to substantiate claim for the Odishara rasgulla .

Odisha has been a State rich in history and culture, which have manifested in its food too. Boasting of a treasure chest of sweets, the State’s culinary gems shine through in their historic temples. However, Oriya cuisine hasn’t been explored much. Here’s a list of five delicious dishes from the State.

Rasabali

Most of Odisha’s sweets find their origins in temples. Offered in the Shri Baladevjew Temple, Kendrapara, this sweet is decadent and heavenly. Many Oriya sweets are based on chenna or farmer’s cheese. For rasabali , the chenna is deep-fried into patties and dunked in cardamom milk. Over time, the patties soak in the flavoured milk and make for an exquisite indulgence. It is part of the chhappan bhog served to Lord Jagannath.

Chenna Poda

The

chenna poda is the most famous among Oriya sweets, apart from the

rasgulla , gaining popularity among people now that they await small boxes from their Oriya friends every visit. The

chenna poda is a very complex dish which has been oversimplified through steaming. The original

chenna poda gets its whole burnt, smoky flavour from the śāl leaves in which the

chenna has been wrapped and left in the embers. The result is a golden, burnt crust of

chenna, which gives way to a soft, white inside.

Dalma

The pancha phutana has been the base of Oriya cuisine. A mix of mustard, cumin, nigella, fenugreek and aniseed seeds flutters open when tempered in mustard oil or ghee, giving it an unmatched aroma and taste. The tempering is used in the dalma, which is a wholesome mixture of vegetables and lentils. An Oriya meal is incomplete without the dalma . Every family has its own variation of the dalma . There are also festive occasions which do not allow for the use of onion and garlic, and the people in the house gather together to have steaming hot bhaata (rice) and dalma together, sharing the simple dish with their neighbours.

Pithas

Primarily considered as festival specials, there are countless types of pitha s which make up Oriya cuisine. The Prathamastami festival celebrates the first-born of the family with enduri pitha s. The enduri pitha s are made with rice and black gram batter, with a filling of coconut, jaggery and spices. This is then steamed in turmeric leaves, giving it a beautiful aroma. The Oriyas have a beautiful festival called Raja that correlates the fertility of harvest with that of a woman. The festival celebrates the onset of womanhood in a girl, mostly with them enjoying some poda pitha and chakuli pitha . The former is rice and coconut cake, with a burnt top with a mix of coconut, caramelised jaggery and spices. The types of pitha s in Oriya cuisine are countless.

Macha Chincheda

Any discussion on Oriya food is incomplete without listing out the dishes that originated along its vast coastline. Seafood forms a regular part of the menu, and the macha chincheda is one such household dish. The dish is very popular and is a part of most marriage functions and get-togethers in Odisha. In the chincheda , the fish head is cooked along with channa dal and vegetables. This makes for a great meal alongside steamed rice.