Taste of Odisha: Exploring Traditional Food of Odisha
Last updated on June 7th, 2025
Oh! A single blog post will not do justice to the fascinating history of Odisha’s food culture. However, I will do my best to quickly and swiftly lead you through the backstreets of the traditional food of Odisha. Once you step into this vibrant world of Odisha cuisine, you will realise that every spice tells a tale here, and every dish is a canvas painted with flavours that dance on your palate.
The traditional food of this state is a feast for your senses, a playground where age-old recipes meet contemporary twists, offering a delightful fusion of flavours that beckons both the nostalgic and the adventurous eater.
Here every meal tells a story, blending tastes rooted in tradition. The Odia special foods embrace minimalism as an artistic expression, skilfully showcasing the elegance of simplicity.
Table of Contents
The Speciality Of Odia Food
The traditional food of Odisha brim with exquisite flavours, embodying the underlying principle of minimalism – savouring what is at hand, with any further additions. Odia cuisine is characterised by dishes that are often humble yet need a refined expertise acquired through dedicated practice. The simple items in an Odia pantry, when combined with their distinct pairings and uses, possess a certain character like a ‘somewhere-ness’.
Mastering the art of extracting maximum taste from little resources is a true testament to Odisha’s culinary prowess. A deeper exploration into Odia kitchens reveals the remarkable ingenuity of the local people, particularly the marginalised populations, in skillfully curating their meals. Whatever our Budhi-Maa or Bou has been preparing for generations is the quintessential traditional food of Odisha!
The Vastness & Reach Of Odia Culinary Delights
From the bustling streets of Bhubaneswar to the serene villages of Puri, the reach of Odia culinary delights knows no bounds. Like a colourful mosaic, traditional food of Odisha weaves together tales of tradition, history, and innovation, inviting you on a delectable expedition. Whether it’s the sizzle of Chingudi Tarkari or the comforting embrace of Pakhala Bhata, these dishes hold the essence of generations, transcending geographical borders to tantalise palates around the globe.
With each bite, you’re not just tasting food; you’re savouring a cultural journey steeped in simplicity, intricate flavours, and the warmth of Odisha’s culinary heritage. From the streets bustling with Chaat delights to the serene corners serving soul-soothing Tarkaris to mouth-watering Pithas & Mithas to Lord Jagannath’s Chappan Bhoga Pasara, Odisha’s food narrative unfolds as a tantalising story which you can experience only by flavourful bite. Get ready to embark on a flavorful rollercoaster ride, where the iconic Bara Ghuguni meets the irresistible allure of Macha Munda Chencheda.
Come along with me as we explore the uncharted realms of Odia kitchens, where the artful combination of simple ingredients gives rise to extraordinary culinary creations. We’ll peel back the layers of these delectable dishes, exploring them, and the vibrant tapestry of flavours that make them a quintessential part of Odia culture.
Get ready to experience a journey of flavours in Odisha. You will be delighted, curious, and fascinated by the indescribable essence that characterises Odisha’s culinary tradition. The harmonious blend of tastes reflects its rich cultural legacy and invites food enthusiasts to appreciate the unique flavours of Odia cuisine.
Let’s begin our journey by starting with some of the most popular Vegetarian Odia dishes.
Vegetarian Delights
Dalma
Dalma is among the most popular and traditional food of Odisha made primarily with lentils (usually pigeon peas) and assorted vegetables like raw banana, papaya, pumpkin, etc. People often season it with mustard seeds, cumin, or panch phoran and garnish with coconut. Dalma is a staple food in Odia households and temples.
Santula
Santula is a simple and nutritious vegetable curry made with a mix of chopped vegetables like potatoes, pumpkin, beans, and spinach or other seasonal greens. People lightly season this dish with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and sometimes grated coconut. It’s a staple traditional food of Odisha and known for its healthy and simple preparation.
Saga Badi Bhaja
Saga Badi Bhaja consists of leafy greens (Saga) and lentil or gram flour fritters (Badi) fried together. The fritters add a crunchy texture to the greens, creating a flavourful dish often served as a side dish. It’s a popular dish in Odia cuisine and widely appreciated for its taste and simplicity.
Temple Besara
The Puri temple style Besara is a very authentic and traditional food of Odisha that showcases the delightful combination of mixed vegetables cooked in Orissa’s renowned mustard paste. It is one of the components of Chhappan Bhog of 56 dishes, presented as Mahaprasad at Puri Shree Jagannath Temple.
Temple Mahura
This is another one of the components of Chhappan Bhog. Temple Mahura is a preparation similar to Mahura but specifically made in temple kitchens. This delightful dish has a medley of various veggies, a touch of ghee, a hint of coconut, and just the right amount of spices. There is no usage of tomatoes, garlic, or onion.
Kakharu Phula Bhaja
Kakharu Phula Bhaja translates to fried pumpkin flowers. The delicate flowers coated in a mixture of gram & rice flour batter with spices are deep or shallow fried until crispy. People enjoy this seasonal delicacy as a snack or side dish, for its unique taste and texture.
Manja Rai
Manja Rai, a delightful traditional food of Odisha, showcases the ingenious utilisation of the inner stem of the plantain tree. The stem, often referred to as Manja by the locals, is a wonderfully fibrous delight that boasts several health benefits. Quite technical to clean and prepare, this dish uses a mustard-infused masala paste along with other minimal spices.
Ghanta Tarkari
Ghanta Tarkari is a mixed vegetable curry where a variety of vegetables are cooked together with dal, legumes or lentils. People season it with spices like cumin, red chillies, mustard seeds, and it usually has a slightly thick consistency. Topped with a roasted jeera-lanka powder, this is a popular, nutritious traditional food of Odisha, commonly prepared in households.
Ambila/Dahi Tarkari
Ambila or Dahi Tarkari is a tangy curry of vegetables like pumpkin, brinjal, or lady’s finger cooked in a yogurt-based gravy. It has a distinctive sourness and people often relish this with rice. It’s a part of the traditional food of Odisha particularly in the southern part.
Baunsa Karadi Bhaja
Bamboo shoots, also known as “Baunsa karadi,” are a popular native food in Western and South Odisha. It’s quite the rage in the Berhampur and Sambalpur regions, and even in places near lush forests. You may find it in the marketplaces when bamboo is in full bloom.
Non-Vegetarian Delights
Maccha Munda Chencheda
A traditional Odia dish prepared with fish head (typically Rohu or Katla) cooked with a variety of veggies.
Every region has its own variation. Some use cabbage whereas others a variety of vegetables like pumpkin, potato and so on.
This dish has some distinctive flavours owing to the use of onion garlic paste & minimal spices.
Kankada Tarkari
Kankada refers to crab in Odia cuisine. And Kankada Tarkari is a flavourful crab curry cooked with masala paste, spices, tomatoes, onions, and sometimes potatoes.
Odisha being a coastal state has some great seafood options and this particular dish highlights the freshness of the crab as well as the aromatic spices of Odia cooking.
Sukhua Bhaja
Sukhua or dried fish is a common ingredient in Odia cuisine. This particular traditional recipe involves marinating dried fish with spices and then frying until crispy. It’s a crunchy, savoury dish often enjoyed as a side dish with rice or pakhala.
Maccha Besara
This dish features fish (usually Rohu or Katla) cooked in a mustard paste along with garlic, cumin and chilli. The use of mustard imparts a distinct tangy flavour to the dish.
Chicken Kassa
A spicy and flavourful chicken dish cooked in a thick gravy made with onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and an assortment of aromatic spices. It’s a popular chicken preparation in Odia households. Another distinct feature of this curry is the use of potatoes.
Baunsa Poda Mansa
Baunsa Poda Mansa translates to roasted bamboo chicken. The dish involves marinating chicken with spices and cooking it inside bamboo stems over an open fire, imparting a unique smoky flavour to the chicken.
Patra Poda Maccha
This dish involves wrapping fish (commonly Rohu or Katla) in a banana leaf along with spices and slow-cooking it, often in a charcoal fire. The banana leaf infuses the fish with a distinct aroma and flavour. This is among the popular traditional foods of Odisha.
Mati Handi Mansa
Mati Handi refers to cooking in earthen pots. And this is a preparation of mutton or lamb cooked with local spices and herbs in an earthen pot, enhancing the flavours due to slow cooking.
Odisha Special Sweets
Chenna Poda
Chenna Poda is among the traditional, iconic sweet dish & food items of Odisha made by roasting a mixture of chenna (cottage cheese), sugar, and cardamom. The dessert attains a caramelised crust due to baking, giving it a slightly smoky flavour. It’s known for its brownish hue and delightful caramelised texture.
Rasabali
Rasabali is a delectable sweet dish made with deep-fried flattened patties of chenna (cottage cheese), soaked in thickened sweetened milk flavoured with cardamom and saffron. The patties absorb the creamy milk, creating a heavenly dessert with a rich, creamy texture. In fact, Kendrapada’s Rasabali has got GI tag. Its origin from Kendrapara district may be traced back to the Shree Baladevjew temple, which has a rich history spanning 262 years
Chenna Jhilli
This is a sweet dish made by deep-frying chenna (cottage cheese) in ghee (clarified butter) and then soaking it in sugar syrup. It’s known for its cylindrical or cylindrical-conical shape, golden-brown colour, and a delightful syrupy sweetness.
Khaja
Khaja is a crispy, layered sweet pastry made from refined flour dough, which is rolled, layered, and then deep-fried until golden and crisp. It’s then dipped in sugar syrup, resulting in a crunchy yet syrupy dessert, often enjoyed during festivals or special occasions.
Rasagola
Rasagola is perhaps one of the most famous and beloved sweets not just in Odisha but across India. It’s made from chenna (cottage cheese) balls cooked in sugar syrup. These soft, spongy cheese balls soaked in syrup are immensely popular for their melt-in-the-mouth texture and subtle sweetness. “Odisha Rasagola” earned the GI Tag in 2019.
Malpua
Malpua is a traditional sweet pancake made from a batter of flour, milk, and sugar, which is deep-fried until golden and then soaked in sugar syrup or drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. It’s often flavoured with cardamom or fennel seeds, giving it a fragrant and irresistible taste.
Snacks
Dahi Bara Aludum
This Odisha famous food needs no introduction. Renowned culinary expert Chef Vikas Khanna himself has openly acknowledged the delectable nature and awe-inspiring fusion of flavours in this particular snack. Dahi Bara Aludum is a combination dish featuring soft lentil-based dumplings (vadas or baras) soaked in yogurt (dahi) and served with spicy potato curry (aludum) & ghuguni. The combo is then topped with many spices and condiments like black salt, roasted jeera and chilli powder, dahi pani etc. Every seller has his own combo and secret! It’s among the most popular, flavorful and satisfying street food snacks in Odisha.
Odisha Special Chaat
This is a popular street food in Odisha, featuring a combination of various ingredients like boiled potatoes, boiled legumes, sprouts, chopped onions, tomatoes, crispy fried puris, and sev (crunchy chickpea noodles). It’s typically served with tangy tamarind and green chutneys, yoghurt, and chaat masala. Each vendor has their own variation, making it a versatile and flavoursome snack!
Bara Ghuguni
Bara Ghuguni is another traditional & famous food items of Odisha made of lentil-based fritters (Bara) served with a spicy yellow peas curry (Ghuguni). The fritters are made from soaked and ground black gram dal. They are deep-fried until golden brown, and served with a flavourful curry made from dried yellow peas cooked with spices. Yum!
Gulugula
Gulugula is a crispy and crunchy snack made from a dough of rice flour, black gram flour, and spices. The dough is shaped into small balls or discs and then deep-fried until they turn golden brown. It’s a popular savoury snack often enjoyed with tea or as a munching option
Mudhi Mansha
Mudhi Mansha is a snack made from puffed rice (Mudhi) mixed with Mutton Jhola and served with chopped onions and sometimes green chilies. It’s a quick but delicious snack, enjoyed especially during evenings, and is popular in Baripada and Balasore areas.
Chandi Maccha (Pomfret) Fry
Chandi Maccha Fry is a true culinary masterpiece from the coastal cuisine of Odisha. This delightful dish showcases the exquisite Pomfret fish, seasoned with a medley of fragrant spices and skilfully fried to achieve a delectably golden perfection. The Pomfret, famous for its exquisite flavour and soft meat, harmonises with the spices to provide a crispy coating that perfectly complements the juicy, flaky texture within.
Odisha Pitha
Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha is a type of savoury pancake made from fermented rice and black gram batter. It’s similar to dosa but with a slightly thicker texture. It’s usually crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and is a popular breakfast or snack item in Odisha. It can be enjoyed plain or with accompaniments like chutney or ghuguni.
Kakara
This is a traditional Odia sweet dish made by deep-frying wheat flour or semolina dough filled with a sweet mixture of grated coconut jaggery, and sometimes cardamom powder or other spices. It’s shaped into a semi-circular or crescent shape before frying and is enjoyed as a sweet snack or dessert.
Poda Pitha
Poda Pitha is a unique and flavorful dish made by baking or roasting a mixture of rice, lentils, and grated coconut in a special manner, often wrapped in banana leaves. This dish has a smoky flavour due to the roasting process and is slightly sweetened with jaggery or sugar.
Chitau Pitha
Chitau Pitha is a rice & coconut based pancake made from a fermented batter and is often offered to deities as a part of rituals during specific festivals. It’s characterised by its soft and spongy texture and is usually served with jaggery syrup or grated coconut.
Arisa Pitha
Arisa Pitha is a deep-fried rice cake made with soaked rice, jaggery, and sometimes black sesame seeds. The dough is shaped into flat discs and then fried until crispy.
Manda Pitha
Manda Pitha is a steamed dumpling made from a mixture of rice flour, cardamom, and jaggery or sugar. The dough is shaped into dumplings and steamed, resulting in a soft and slightly sweet treat. It is filled with a variety of stuffings before steaming. Some of them are sweet whereas others savoury.
Pakhala Thali
While Pakhala (fermented rice) itself is a staple dish in Odisha, a Pakhala Thali typically includes fermented rice soaked in water (called Pakhala), along with side dishes such as fried or curried fish, pickles, greens, and other accompaniments. It’s a cooling and refreshing meal especially popular during hot summers.
Beverages
Tanka Torani
Tanka Torani is a traditional Odia drink, served to Mahaprabhu Jagannath himself, made from water, fermented rice, and spices. It’s often served as a refreshing drink, especially during hot summer days. This beverage is known for its slightly sour taste due to fermentation and has digestive properties.
Bela Pana
Bela Pana is a traditional drink consumed during the Odia festival of “Pana Sankranti” or “Maha Vishuba Sankranti”, which marks the “Odia New Year”. It is made from ripe wood apple pulp (Bael fruit). It also includes the use of different fruits like banana, apple, grapes and sometimes flavoured with sugar, jaggery or cardamom. This cools down your body and keeps you satiated for long!
Kanji
Kanji is a traditional culinary delight from Odisha that has stood the test of time. It combines the nutritional benefits of veggies with the liquid component of the meal. Kanjis are crafted using either Dahi as the foundation or Torani (water from soaked rice or Pakhala) or Peja (the water from boiled rice). Adding a small amount of dried mango or mango powder gives it a subtly tangy flavour. Kanji is often prepared throughout the winter months, as the fermentation process tends to be lengthier at this time.
Sarabat
Sarabat is a sweet and tangy drink made from the extract of ripe fruits. The fruits can be lemon, mango or pineapple, mixed with sugar, water, and sometimes spices. It’s a refreshing beverage, especially popular during the summer months for its cooling effect.
Chutneys and Condiments
Ambula Rai
Ambula Rai is a traditional Odia dish prepared using sun-dried mango slices (Ambula) cooked in a mustard, coconut-based gravy. The tangy flavour of dried mangoes combined with the mustard paste gives this dish its distinctive taste. It’s usually accompanied with rice and is known for its tangy-sweet-sour profile.
Tomato Khajuri Khata
This is a chutney-like dish made with tomatoes, dates (khajuri), sugar & tamarind. It’s typically sweet and tangy in taste, owing to the combination of ripe tomatoes and the sweetness of dates. This dish serves as a delightful accompaniment to main courses or as a condiment.
Amba Khatta
Amba Khatta is a sweet and sour chutney made from raw mangoes, jaggery, and spices. It strikes a balance between tanginess from the raw mangoes and sweetness from the jaggery. It’s a popular accompaniment in Odia cuisine, adding a burst of flavours to the meal.
Summary
As our culinary journey through the vibrant cuisines of Odisha draws to a close, we bid adieu to a world teeming with flavours. Here simplicity meets sophistication and every dish is a story waiting to be savoured. Every dish has a cultural embrace. This is due to the mastery of minimalism, the symphony of spices, and the heritage-rich recipes, which have revealed a tapestry of flavours that go beyond simple food.
The special food of Odisha isn’t just about the melt-in-mouth Rasagolas or the comforting Chenna Poda. It is a celebration of culinary heritage, an ode to the skilled hands that craft these delectable delights, and an invitation to explore the uncharted territories of taste. So, whether you’re drawn to the savoury Chaats or the divine Pithas, let the essence of Odia cuisine linger on your taste buds. And remind you of the vibrant flavours and the delightful simplicity that define this “Food Paradise”.
Here’s to the magic of Odisha’s culinary treasures. May your kitchen echo with the whispers of its recipes and your heart be forever filled with the warmth of its flavours!
About the Author
A voracious reader and enthusiastic writer, I have a knack for concocting a plethora of creative write-ups. I'm a trend-savvy researcher, always on the hunt for inspiration to create unique and captivating content. I fancy myself a genre chameleon, flitting from intellectually stimulating pieces to captivating works of fiction. Whenever not weaving my thoughts into words, I indulge in my love of painting, cooking, dancing and some good old Netflix binge!
