Odisha, the land of Jagannath, is famous for its spiritual significance and amazing attractions. Odisha is known as the 'Soul of India' where you get to see cultural, spiritual, historical, etc. landscapes. Odisha proves to be a perfect destination from a tourism point of view. Whoever goes to Odisha for tourism becomes crazy about the food here. Odisha is known for its local and traditional food. The food here has its taste and nutrition. A range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are prepared here that are healthy, tasty, and easy to eat. Today in this episode, we are going to give you information about those foods without tasting which a trip to Odisha is considered incomplete. Let us know about them...

Dalma
Dalma, the most famous and popular dish of Odisha, can be found almost everywhere in the state. This dish is a kind of curry that is made by mixing toor dal, chana dal, pumpkin, potato, brinjal, and various other vegetables. An important part of this is coconut which adds life to this dish. You can eat Dalma with roti but if you want to follow the Odisha style then you should eat it with rice. Dalma is a form of dal in the language of the Oriya people which is liked in every household. This dish of Odisha is not only very easy to make but is also full of nutritional properties.

Move away
A mouth-watering food widely cooked in Odisha. It is spiritually significant as it is cooked as the main offering at the Jagannath temple in Puri. This food, which is offered to God every day, is distributed among the devotees in the form of Prasad. It is made from pure ghee, pulses, rice, mild spices, and chopped vegetables. It is a high-nutrition and nutritious food. This dish can be enjoyed with papad and fresh curd.

Chhena Poda
Chhena means cheese. It is a cheese-based “sweet dish” of Odisha cuisine. In texture and appearance, it resembles a baked sponge cake. But this sweet is unique and quite different. This food is also called cheesecake. Sweets are made from semolina, ghee, and other dry fruits. It is believed that this dish is the favorite dish of Lord Jagannath. This is one of the best sweet foods in Odisha.

Chunky cream
Prawn is called Chungdi in the local language of Odisha. So accordingly, Chungdi Malai is the name of the dish made from prawns. Among all the things that go into Chungdi Malai for Prawns, the most important things are coconut and cream. Mild spices are used to make this curry, so even if you do not like spicy food, you can still eat this dish comfortably. The taste of Chungdi Malai Curry prepared traditionally is very delicious. This dish is tasty and fun to eat. Like other dishes of Odisha, you can eat this dish with Basmati rice.

Macha maharaja
It is a fish dish in Odisha cuisine. Fish dishes are extremely popular in Odisha, making it a staple food in almost every household. This attractive gravy consists of fried fish and is served with hot boiled rice and salad. The gravy is prepared with a rich mixture of onions, potatoes, garlic, and regular spices. No matter where you are, and as long as you are in Odisha, you will crave to eat it again and again.

Kanika
Kanika is a traditional food of Orissa, loved by locals and visitors alike. It is mostly enjoyed during puja, festivals, and other special occasions. Sweet in taste, it is one of the Chhappan Bhog or 56 dishes served to Lord Jagannath. This pulao dish is made with high-quality basmati rice mixed with cashew nuts, sugar, ghee, raisins, cardamom, and cinnamon. It is taken as a dessert after a heavy meal.

Poda pitha
Another famous sweet of Odisha is Poda Pitha. This traditional food is a kind of pancake. This sweet dish is made from urad dal, jaggery, coconut, and rice flour. Milk and dry fruits etc. are also used. This sweet is mostly prepared to serve Lord Jagannath during the “Parba festival”, the king of Odisha. It is eaten in both hot and cold forms.

Santa
If you want to eat a good dish of Odisha while taking care of your health, thenOne should think about Santula without thinking too much. The specialty of this dish is that apart from less spices, a lot of green vegetables are used in it. Santula, made traditionally, uses boiled vegetables. Raw papaya, potato, tomato, and brinjal are used in this. Sometimes milk and some local spices are used to enhance the taste of the dish. As colorful as this dish looks, it is equally delicious to eat. The best thing is that even health-conscious people can eat it comfortably.

Pakhala reflux
Pakhala Bhata, made in almost every Odisha household, is prepared uniquely. This delicious dish is made from rice cooked in a mixture of cumin, sour curd, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and water. It is left to soak overnight and enjoyed the next day with roasted vegetables, fried fish, papad, potatoes, and raw onions. Fermented rice has high nutritional value and a unique taste. This dish is known for its importance, and hence, Pakhala Day is celebrated in the state on 20 March.

Kadali Manja
This is one of the dishes of Odisha and is a vegetarian dish. Kadali Manja Rai is a traditional food of Odisha. Manja means stem and rai refers to mustard. Banana stems and mustard paste are used to make this dish.

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