Odisha reflects the heritage, culture, and traditions through its tourist destinations, religious and cultural centres, people, customs, rituals and last but not the least food. Traditional recipes of mouth-watering Odisha food not only allure the locals but attracts the tourists, especially culinary enthusiasts, and food lovers. From non-vegetarian curries, lentils to wholesome vegetarian dishes and finger-licking desserts; everything is sumptuous, super tasty and compels everyone to drool over.
24 Best Odisha Food
For those who wish to taste the authentic local recipes; here are the recommendations for Odisha famous food. Relish them and pamper your taste buds like never before.
- Khicede – The Best Healthful Odisha Food
- Chungdi Malai – A Flavoursome Recipe
- Dalma – A Legendary Traditional Dish
- Chhena Podo – Heads Up All Dessert Lovers
- Pakhala Bhata – Soothes Mind & Soul
- Macha Ghanta – With Unmatched Taste
- Kanika – Swear By Its Taste
- Podo Pitha – Best Local Food Of Odisha
- Pilaf – Most Favorite Of All Rice Lovers
- Saaga Moonga – Best For Weight Checkers
- Santula – Lip Smacking Dish
- Kadali Manja Rai – A Healthy Variant
- Dahi Maacha – Finger Licking Taste
- Khata – The Best Accompaniment For Every Meal
- Rasabali – A Flavoursome Dessert
- Gupchup – A Cheap & Light Snack
- Chaatu Rai – A Traditional Dish
- Aloo Potala Rasa – A Dish Offered To Gods
- Besara – The Most Simple & Authentic Dish
- Chakuli Pitha – A Softer Version Of Dosa
- Chaula Bara – Light, Fluffy & Crispy Balls
- Palua Ladu – A Sweet Item
- Khaja – Crispy & Golden Sweet Dish
- Odisha Rasgulla – Traditional Food Of Odisha
1. Khicede – The Best Healthful Odisha Food
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Khicede is the most significant traditional food of Odisha, which is offered as the main ‘prasad’ to Lord Jagannatha at the Holy Puri Temple. This nourishing wholesome meal is cooked with equal proportions of rice and lentil, with ghee being the primary cooking medium. Light spices and seasoning is added hence this is one of the most soothing dishes for the stomach. This is lightly spiced and is one of the best comforting foods not only in Odisha but also in other states of India.
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2. Chungdi Malai – A Flavoursome Recipe
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This delicious Odisha food is cooked with prawns and coconut milk which turns out to be a creamy gravy. The taste of this creamy gravy is enhanced by adding light local spices. This is a super delicious item, especially garnished with sprinkled coriander on top and goes best with steaming hot basmati rice. Don’t miss tasting this delicious dish on your holiday to Odisha.
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3. Dalma – A Legendary Traditional Dish
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If we are discussing Odisha food, the first name that strikes our mind is none other than Dalam. This iconic cuisine of Odisha cooked with roasted moong dal and a generous amount of vegetables like pumpkin, yam, papaya, etc is not only famous amongst local people but also tourists. This lip-smacking dish is cooked without any onion or garlic and best enjoyed with piping hot rice.
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4. Chhena Podo – Heads Up All Dessert Lovers
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Odisha is popular for its variety of sweets. In the league of popular Odisha sweets, Chhena Podo is the most popular name. Locally translated as ‘burnt cheese’, it is prepared with well-kneaded cottage cheese or chhana, sugar, and nuts. This sweet dish is baked for a prolonged time to give the best of the brownish texture and heavenly taste. If you are in Odisha and have a sweet tooth you know what to try.
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5. Pakhala Bhata – Soothes Mind & Soul
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Popular as a summer food of Odisha, Pakhala Bhata is prepared as lunch in almost every household in Odisha. It is uniquely cooked with leftover rice, soaked overnight with the sour card. The soaked rice gets fermented the next day enhancing the taste and when served with potato, fried fish and papad and badi choora taste outstanding making it one of the best Odisha dishes. The recipe of Pakhala Bhat originated in the holy temple of Lord Jagannath and has many variations such as Basi Pakhala, Jeera Pakhala and Dahi Pakhala. Every year 20th day of March is celebrated as Pakhala Dibasa (Universal Pakhala Day) by all local people to welcome the summer season with Odisha’s best traditional dish.
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6. Macha Ghanta – With Unmatched Taste
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Odisha is a coastal state and fish is one of the main staples there. Macha Ghanta is one of the most noteworthy traditional food of Odisha, served to Goddess Durga on Dussehra. This is prepared fried head of the fish cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, and other spices. Served with hot rice and salad, Macha Ghanta tickles your taste buds like never before.
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7. Kanika – Swear By Its Taste
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Kanika is a traditional sweet pulao recipe cooked with aromatic basmati rice, cashew, raisins, and ghee. This is an age-old dish and the fine texture, fragrance and supreme taste can give biryani and fried rice a run for their money. It is offered as one of the 56 items in Lord Jagannath’s ‘Chappan Bhog.’ Kanika is counted as a famous dish of Odisha. When prepared in the household, Kanika is usually served with chicken and mutton gravy items.
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8. Podo Pitha – Best Local Food Of Odisha
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Generally prepared during Raja Festival or Swing Festival of Odisha, Podo Pitha is another popular sweet dish of Odisha. Slowly cooked in clay ovens, this has fermented rice, black gram, coconut and cardamom as main ingredients. The burnt texture resulting from caramelized jaggery enhances the supreme taste of this local food of Odisha.
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9. Pilaf – Most Favorite Of All Rice Lovers
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Just like Kanika, Pilaf is another Odisha famous food made with rice. Cooked with seasoned broth by adding dry fruits, spices, vegetables, and meat Pilaf is a hot favourite among all. The stir-fried accompaniments when mixed with rice gives an awesome flavour when served hot. Pilaf is a delicacy in Odisha and mostly served with fish fry and chicken or mutton gravy recipes.
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10. Saaga Moonga – Best For Weight Checkers
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Saaga Moonga is a healthy and super nutritious vegetarian cuisine of Odisha. Made by cooking leafy vegetables and lentils together, this not only enhances the taste but augments the nutritious value to a large extent.
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11. Kadali Manja Rai – Lip Smacking Dish
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When you talk of Odisha food, Kadali Manja Rai is one of the most popular dishes which tops the list. This lip-smacking dish is cooked with banana stem, cardamom, cumin, and garlic cloves and the resulting aroma makes everyone drool instantly. Kadali Manja Rai is served as a side dish with rice with coriander and red chili sprinkled on it.
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12. Santula – A Healthy Variant
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This is an authentic vegetarian dish of Odisha cooked with fried or boiled vegetables. Blending raw papaya, brinjal, potato, and tomato; this dish turns out to be one of the best healthy Odisha dishes. Soothing to stomach and soul; Santula is low on spices and high nutritional value. This dish is light and easy to digest and popular in every household of Odisha.
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13. Dahi Maacha – Finger Licking Taste
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States like West Bengal and Bihar are famous for this fish recipe prepared in curd gravy- so is Odisha. This is a classic recipe where the rich creamy textured gravy is prepared with the perfect blending of mustard paste and yogurt. With minimum spices in it; Dahi Maacha is a special cuisine of Odisha that every non-vegetarian foodie will relish.
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14. Khata – The Best Accompaniment For Every Meal
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The list of popular Odisha food is largely incomplete without Khata-the sweet and tangy chutney of Odisha. Mostly consumed during lunch as an accompaniment, Khata works best in balancing the heavy meal with its sweet and tangy taste. With a lot of varieties like tomato khata, aamba (raw mango) khata and oou (Elephant Apple) khata; this is an integral part of every meal but goes best with rice and dalma combination.
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15. Rasabali – A Flavoursome Dessert
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Like every wholesome meal, let us end the list of Odisha dishes with a mouth-watering sweet dish- Rasabali. This is a flavoursome dessert prepared with deep-fried compressed reddish-brown patties of chhena that are soaked in condensed and sweetened milk. Cardamom flavour is added to chhena which enhances the taste manifold. The recipe of Rasabali originated in Baladevjew Temple of Kendrapara and now counted as one of the 56 dishes of Chhappan Bhog, offered to Lord Jagannath.
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16. Gupchup – A Cheap & Light Snack
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It is a crime to miss out on Gupchup, also known as pani puri, puchka or gol gappa, while on your tour to Odisha. It is a quick snack that is made from sooji or maida and it is fried that results into small crisp puris. The puri is filled with a mixture of aloo, namkeen, and other things that you might want to include. It is then dipped in sweet and sour water that is made from pudina and chaat masala. They are light, cheap, and easy to eat which is why it is one of the famous Odisha foods.
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17. Chaatu Rai – A Traditional Dish
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Also known as Chaatu Besara, it is a healthy dish that is full of vegetables and has a high nutritional value. This traditional food of Odisha is made with tomatoes and mushrooms with a hint of turmeric and mustard paste. This dish is mostly prepared during special occasions and it is not only enjoyed in just Odisha but also all over India. If you are planning to explore Odisha any time soon then make sure that you at least taste this traditional dish.
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18. Aloo Potala Rasa – A Dish Offered To Gods
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Next on the list of famous Odisha foods is Aloo Potala Rasa which is a special dish made with potatoes and pointed gourd. Known as parwal in North India, it is a traditional food of Odisha which is why you might find this dish being cooked in every other home. A few recipes also include a bit of onion and ginger garlic paste of cashew paste to enrich the taste of the dish. A fact about this dish is that it is offered to gods in Puri Jagannath Temple.
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19. Besara – The Most Simple & Authentic Dish
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Besara is one of the most simple dishes that is included in the cuisine of Odisha. It is prepared with pumpkin, potato, papaya, and banana. To add richness in this dish, people add garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dry chili which gives the authentic taste of Oriya food. The vegetables along with onions are cut and sauteed in the pan till they turn golden brown, following which all the other ingredients are added to complete the dish.
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20. Chakuli Pitha – A Softer Version Of Dosa
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Considered as a traditional food of Odisha, Chakuli Pitha looks similar to dosa but it is different in several ways. The batter is prepared with lentils and rice that are grounded to make a thick paste. Then, it is poured on a hot pan with little oil on the surface and is cooked from both the sides. The resulting food is a softer and thicker version of dosa which is served with aloo bhuja or jaggery. As it is a gluten-free recipe, several locals opt to prepare this dish frequently.
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21. Chaula Bara – Light, Fluffy & Crispy Balls
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Another dish that forms a part of the cuisine of Odisha is Chaula Bara that are small delicious crispy balls made with rice and urad dal. 1 part of dal and 4 parts of rice are soaked overnight followed by a blending of the ingredients into a coarse paste. Other ingredients that are added to this paste are carom seeds, cumin seeds, salt, pepper, coriander leaves, and a hint of baking soda that gives a rise to the batter. It is served with a tangy chutney and the combination of these two leaves you craving for more light and fluffy Chaula Bara.
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22. Palua Ladu – A Sweet Item
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Palua Ladu is a sweet dish that is one of the famous Odisha foods and is relished by the locals. This dish is believed to have originated from the Bhadrak District. The traditional recipe of this dish includes refined flour, paula (arrowroot powder), semolina (sooji), water, oil, sugar, and a pinch of baking soda. With time, people have played around with the recipe and created innovative ways to make Paula Ladu. The dish received its name due to the involvement of paula in the recipe that adds a different texture to it.
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23. Khaja – Crispy & Golden Sweet Dish
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If you are in search of a sweet dish in Odisha that is full of flavors and different textures then you must try Khaja. Prepared with very few ingredients, a mouthful of this sweet and you will get a burst of flavors. It includes refined flour, butter, water, rose water, cardamom, and sugar. First, the dough is kneaded to prepare thin tortillas which are kept one above the other to give layers and then they are cut into pieces. They are deep fried until golden and then coated with flavored sugar syrup that adds to the sweetness and crunchiness. The taste of this dish has made it an important part of the cuisine of Odisha.
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24. Odisha Rasgulla – Traditional Food Of Odisha
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A trip to Odisha remains incomplete if you haven’t tried rasgulla that are not only popular among the locals but also all over the world. It is a sweet dish that is immersed in a sugar syrup and is full of flavors. These soft balls are mainly prepared with chhena along with other basic ingredients. After preparing the balls, they are dipped in a pot full of sugar syrup so that the balls soak in the water. This dish is also offered in Puri Jagannath Temple. One must definitely try rasagulla as it is a famous Odisha food.
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So, which of these awesome Odisha food varieties are you going to try first? Food lovers around, get this list of best of food in Odisha and savour their authentic taste. Plan your next trip to Odisha to enjoy its delicious culinary delights. Let us know below in the comments which one you liked the most!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Odisha Food
What is Orissa famous for?
Orissa is famous for its temples, beaches, culture, and traditions. Name the popular sweet dishes of Odisha?
Popular sweet dishes of Odisha are: – Chhena poda – Chhena gaja – Chhena jhilli – Rasabali – Poda Pitha How can I reach Orissa?
If one is traveling by air, then Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar is the best way to reach Orissa. Otherwise, the state is well connected via a rail network and roads to other parts of the country. What is Odisha’s famous food?
Chhena Podo or Milk Cake is a famous food of Odisha. What is the best time to visit Odisha?
October to March is the best time to visit Odisha. Name the places in Odisha to try authentic Odiya food?
The best restaurants in Odisha to try authentic local food are: – Dalma Restaurant – Odishi Restaurant – Nakli Dhaba – Truptee – Chhappan Bhog – Lingaraj Lassi Name the famous non-vegetarian Odisha dishes?
The mouth-watering non-vegetarian Odisha dishes are Chungdi Malai, Macha Ghanta, Meat Pilaf, Kankada Jhola, Mansa Tarkari, Kukuda Tarkari and Chingudi Chhencheda.
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A book lover and fun-loving, overtly emotional mom with a wanderlust soul, Sukanya has completed her Master Degree in Geography and currently perusing her passion for writing as a profession. Nothing detoxes her more than trying new recipes and travelling to offbeat places is ultimate Therapy for her.
