India has achieved mastery in the matter of food. Leave aside the method of food, even the method of cooking changes every time you walk a short distance here. You will get to see different flavors of food at every tourist place in India, whether it is a hill station or a religious place. Today in this episode we are going to talk about one of the major four-pilgrimage sites of India, Puri located in Odisha. It is famous for its architecture, temples, and natural beauty. But at the same time, Puri is also known for its local food. Here you will get to see a mixture of sweet, pungent, and sour flavors. Here we are going to give you information about the famous local food of Puri, which you must taste. Let's know about these dishes...
Porridge
Khichdi is a very common dish, which is commonly made in almost every state of India and all households. But, khichdi is the main dish in Puri as khichdi is offered to Lord Jagannath here. Here the khichdi is cooked in pure ghee with rice, lentils, and saag vegetables, which brings out the unique taste. This is the reason why the taste of khichdi here can be quite different than what you get elsewhere.
Enduri pitha
Coconut is used a lot in most of the sweets made in India and it is also used a lot in Puri. Roasted coconut is mixed with jaggery and some spices to make enduri pitha. After which it is wrapped in turmeric leaves and steamed. Due to the traditional methods of making pita, its taste is maintained. This dish is very tasty to eat. The special thing is that Enduri Peetha is also included in all the types of Peethas offered in the Jagannath Temple of Odisha.
Chunky cream
If you are from any of the states around Orissa or are living in Orissa, then you must have heard the name of this dish but if you are from any other distant state then maybe this dish will be a different taste experience for you. This dish is not only a popular dish in Puri but also Odisha. It is a kind of creamy curry made from coconut milk and a variety of spices are also added to bring out its unique taste and then this curry is served with rice.
Badi
Badi is as important in Puri as upma is in the rest of the country. This scrumptious dish is made in two parts. Firstly, red lentils are dried in the sun, after which small dumplings are made and fried on a low flame. After frying, they are crushed. After which it is mixed with chopped onions, garlic, cloves, and green chilies. To get the best taste of this dish, you should have it with rice. One of the most traditional dishes of Odisha, you must try this dish.
Macha Ghat
If you are a fan of non-vegetarian food, then you can enjoy the taste of this scrumptious dish in Orissa. It is a popular and commonly prepared fish dish in Odisha. The dish is prepared by adding fried fish to a gravy made from a mixture of onions, potatoes, garlic, and a variety of other spices.
Chhena poda
Chhena Poda is a sweet sold in every nook and corner of Orissa which is also specially used as an offering to the Jagannath Temple. It is also believed to be the favorite sweet of Lord Jagannath, which is why this sweet is sold here in huge quantities. This is a local sweet of Orissa, which is made by roasting chhena made from milk, semolina, sugar, etc. It takes a long time to make as all these mixtures are roasted till it turns red.
Basra
You can understand Besra as a traditional mixed vegetable of Odisha. Potato, cilantro, banana, and papaya are widely used in making this dish. First of all, the vegetables are cut and fried with onions, garlic, cumin seeds, dry chilies, and mustard seeds until golden brown. By the way, all these spices are used in almost all the dishes of Odisha. After the vegetables are cooked well, it is eaten by adding coriander on top. This dish tastes great both in making and eating.
Kanika
Kanika is a sweet pulao especially served in Odisha. It is considered one of the 56 Bhog of Lord Jagannath. This dish is served with chicken or mutton curry in Orissa.
Pakhala bhata
While visiting Puri during summers to enjoy the coolness one can taste the Pakhala Bhata dish which is prepared daily in almost every household in Orissa. It is left to soak cooked rice and curd together for several hours and then this dish is prepared which is served with things like fried fish, potatoes, and papad.
Dalma
This dish is a kind of curry that is made by mixing toor dal, chana dal, pumpkin, potato, brinjal, and a variety of other vegetables. Coconut is an important part of this which gives life to this dish. You can eat Dalma with roti as well, but if you want to walk the Odisha way, you should eat it with rice. Dalma is a form of pulse in the language of Oriya people which is liked in every household. This dish of Puri is not only very easy to make but is also full of nutritious properties.
Suntula hari
Suntula Hari is a curry prepared by boiling vegetables. This vegetable contains a mixture of many types of vegetables ranging from potato, raw papaya, tomato, brinjal, due to which it is a very postic vegetable and its taste is also very wonderful. This vegetable is prepared with less oil and less spices.
Khaja
If you are in Puri and haven't eaten Khaja then you have missed the most delicious dish of Puri. Khaja is a kind of sweet dish. For making flour and sugar are used. All the layers are made by adding sugar to the flour. Later it is lightly fried. Khaja is also a very important part of all the things offered at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. Apart from this, this dish is also very popular among Bengali tourists visiting Puri.
