Cuisine & Must Try Dishes

Traditional Cuisine of Odisha

Odisha’s cuisine is a flavorful mix of temple food, seafood delicacies, street snacks, and tribal recipes. Known for its minimal use of oil, fresh ingredients, and unique flavors, Odia food is both simple and delicious. Whether you’re a foodie, a vegetarian, or a seafood lover, Odisha has something special to offer!

Here are the must-try dishes in Odisha:

1. Pakhala Bhata – Odisha’s Signature Dish

✅ Why Try It? A traditional fermented rice dish, loved across Odisha.

Highlights:

• Cooked rice soaked in water overnight, served cold with curd, lemon, and fried vegetables.
• Perfect for hot summers, as it cools the body.
• Served in every Odia household and Jagannath Temple kitchens.

 Where to Try? Local Odia homes, traditional restaurants, and temple kitchens.

2. Dalma – The Nutritious Lentil & Vegetable Dish

✅ Why Try It? A healthy one-pot meal, made with lentils, vegetables, and raw papaya.

Highlights:

• Cooked with aromatic spices but no onion or garlic.
• A specialty of the Jagannath Temple Mahaprasad.
• Best served with steamed rice and ghee.

 Where to Try? Abadha (Jagannath Temple food), Odia thali restaurants.

3. Chhena Poda – Odisha’s Caramelized Cheesecake

✅ Why Try It? A unique baked dessert, known as Odisha’s "signature sweet".

Highlights:

• Made with chhena (cottage cheese), sugar, and cardamom, slow-cooked over charcoal fire.
• The caramelized top gives it a rich, smoky flavor.
• A favorite prasad (offering) in Puri Jagannath Temple.

 Where to Try? Pahala, Nayagarh, and sweet shops across Odisha.

4. Macha Besara – Fish in Mustard Gravy

✅ Why Try It? A must-try Odia seafood delicacy, cooked in tangy mustard gravy.

Highlights:

• Rohu or Hilsa fish cooked with mustard seeds, garlic, and turmeric.
• Traditionally served with steamed rice and fried vegetables.
• A staple in coastal Odia households.

 Where to Try? Seafood restaurants in Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack.

5. Gupchup – Odisha’s Pani Puri

✅ Why Try It? Odisha’s crispy, tangy, and spicy street snack, similar to golgappa/puchka.

Highlights:

• Hollow puris filled with spicy tamarind water, mashed potatoes, and chickpeas.
• Cuttack-style Gupchup is smaller and crispier.
• Best enjoyed fresh on the streets!

 Where to Try? Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Berhampur.

6. Chhena Jhili – The Soft & Syrupy Sweet

✅ Why Try It? A melt-in-the-mouth dessert made from fresh chhena (cottage cheese).

Highlights:

• Deep-fried chhena balls soaked in sugar syrup.
• Originated from Nimapara (near Puri).
• A perfect sweet ending to any Odia meal.

 Where to Try? Nimapara sweet shops, Puri, Bhubaneswar.

7. Khaja – The Flaky Sweet from Jagannath Temple

✅ Why Try It? A crunchy, layered sweet, offered as Mahaprasad at Jagannath Temple.

Highlights:

• Made of wheat flour, ghee, and sugar syrup.
• Deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.
• One of the main sweets of Puri’s temple rituals.

 Where to Try? Jagannath Temple (Puri), sweet shops across Odisha.

8. Kanika – The Sweet & Fragrant Temple Rice

✅ Why Try It? A fragrant rice dish, served as Mahaprasad in Jagannath Temple.

Highlights:

• Made with basmati rice, ghee, sugar, cardamom, and nuts.
• A must-try for those who love lightly sweet, festive rice dishes.

 Where to Try? Puri Jagannath Temple, Odia households during festivals.

9. Mudhi Mansa – The Ultimate Crispy Meat Dish

✅ Why Try It? A unique dish combining mutton curry with puffed rice (Mudhi).

Highlights:

• A famous dish in Baripada, the cultural capital of North Odisha.
• Perfectly spiced mutton curry paired with crunchy puffed rice.
• A staple during feasts and special occasions.

 Where to Try? Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack.

10. Rasabali – The Creamy Sweet from Kendrapara

✅ Why Try It? A deep-fried chhena dessert, soaked in thickened milk.

Highlights:

• Soft chhena patties deep-fried and dipped in cardamom-flavored condensed milk.
• A favorite offering at Baladevjew Temple in Kendrapara.

 Where to Try? Kendrapara, Puri, Bhubaneswar.

Other Must-Try Odia Dishes:

 Santula – A light, boiled vegetable dish, perfect for health-conscious eaters.
 Kakharu Phula Bhaja – Deep-fried pumpkin flowers, a crunchy delicacy.
 Enduri Pitha – A steamed rice cake stuffed with coconut and jaggery, prepared during festivals.
 Mansa Tarkari – A spicy goat meat curry, slow-cooked to perfection.
 Poda Pitha – A slow-roasted rice cake, a must-eat during Raja Parba festival.