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 in terms of tourism. 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 nutritional value. It prepares a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes 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 the journey of Odisha is considered incomplete. Let's 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 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 the Oriya people which is liked in every household. This Odisha dish is not only very easy to prepare but is also full of nutritious properties.

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A mouth-watering food widely cooked in Odisha. It is spiritually significant as it is cooked as the main blog offered at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. This food offered daily to the Lord is distributed among the devotees in the form of Prasad. It is made with pure ghee, pulses, rice, mild spices, and chopped vegetables. It is a highly nutritional and wholesome food. This dish can be enjoyed with papad and fresh curd.

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

Chunky cream
Prawn is called chungadi in the local language of Odisha. So according to this Chungdi Malai is the name of a dish made from prawns. Among all the ingredients used in Chungdi Malai, the most important ingredients for prawns are coconut and cream. Mild spices are used to prepare this curry, so even if you do not like hot and spicy food, you can still eat this dish comfortably. Chungdi Malai Curry made traditionally tastes amazing. This dish is tasty and fun to eat. Like other dishes of Odisha, this dish can also be eaten with basmati rice.

Macha Ghant
It is a fish dish in the cuisine of Odisha. Fish dishes are extremely popular in Odisha, it is mostly a staple food in almost every household. This appetizing gravy consists of fried fish and is served with hot steamed 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 Odisha, loved by locals and visitors alike. It is mostly enjoyed during pujas, festivals, and other special occasions. Sweet in taste, it is one of the Chappan Bhog or 56 dishes served to Lord Jagannath. This pulao recipe 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 Peetha
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, the king of Odisha during the "Parba festival". It is eaten in both hot and cold forms.

Santula
If you want to eat some delicious Odisha dishes while taking care of your health, then you should think of Santula without much thought. The specialty of this dish is that apart from fewer spices, lots of green vegetables are used in it. Traditionally, boiled vegetables are used in Santula. Raw papaya, potato, tomato, and brinjal are used in this. Sometimes milk and some indigenous spices are used to enhance the taste of the dish. This dish is as colorful to look at as it is equally delicious to eat. The best part is that even health-conscious people can consume it comfortably.

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

Kadli Manja
This is another vegetarian dish from Odisha cuisine. Kadali Manja Rai is a traditional food of Odisha. Manja means stem and rai refer to mustard. Banana stem and mustard paste are used to make this dish.