20 Top Cuisines of Bhubaneswar ❤️

Odisha (Orissa), the land of Lord Jagannath, has a very rich religious culture and this is reflected in the food as well.

When you are in Bhubaneswar you must travel to different odia resturants to try authentic mouth watering odia food dishes.

Odia cuisine is a very simple yet delicious cuisine which is healthy at the same time.

Both vegetarians and non vegetarians have different different kinds of cuisines which are oil free.

Below you will get an idea about the different dishes which you much try once you visit Bhubaneswar.

1.Milk Cake- Chhena Poda
Chhena poda in Odia mean burnt cheese. It is prepared with well-kneaded chhena or fresh cottage cheese, sugar and nuts and baked for hours till the aroma fills the air and it browns completely.
You will get the best Chenna podas while going from Bhubaneshwar to Cuttack in the highways.

2.Spiced,Rice and Coconut Cake- Poda Pitha
The present generation of Odia children are perhaps deprived of enjoying a bite of Poda Pitha on the occasion of the Raja Festival, which the elders were privileged with especially in the rural Odisha. The traditional way of making Poda Pitha in a make-shift Chullah which uses charcoal and cow-dung cakes for fuel, is now a thing of the past. Modern day households would now rather use a pressure cooker and the gas chullah, even though it means being deprived of the unique feel of the traditional kind of taste and flavor that Poda Pitha is associated with.

3.Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha  is a flat Odia rice-based fried cake traditionally made in the state of Odisha.
It is prepared using rice flour, black gram, refined edible oil (preferably ghee or mustard oil), and salt.
It is best served with Mutton Curry.

4.Lentil cooked with veges-dalma
Dalma is a traditional dish of Orissa. It is a kind of dal which contains nutritious vegetables like papaya, brinjal and some others. If you do not know how to cook, then venturing out with Dalma would be great. It is easy to prepare and at the same time consists of essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals present in vegetables.

5.Water Rice- Pakhala Bhata
For Odias who believe that both the world wars could have been avoided with good food, this problem of summer is no big deal. We have the exact dish that can help you rejuvenate after the energy is sucked out of you by the scorching sun.
We call it Pakhala bhata or the fermented rice. It’s hard to imagine a household in Odisha where you won’t see a ‘kansa’ (large bowl) with pakhala in it during the summers.

6.Mixed Vegetable-Ghanta
Ghanta Tarkari is a signature Odia recipe where variety of vegetables are cooked with soaked pulses and legumes in huge quantities and distributed among neighbors.

7.Crab Curry- Kankada Jhola
Crab curry is best enjoyed at the lunch table, sitting for hours and relishing the crab meat along with family and friends

8.Prawns Curry- Chingudi Jhola
Chingudi (Prawns), mostly eaten by people residing in the coastal region of Odisha is a hit and a must try if you love sea food. Since it is a sea food you will get it in Puri which is 52 kms away from Bhubaneshwar.

9.Dahi Vada With Curries- Dahi Bara- Aaloo Dum-Ghuguni
One of the most famous street foods of Orissa, Dahi Bara -Aaloo Dum-Ghuguni just can’t stay away from the list. You ask any Oriya and they will swear by this. The taste is so authentic that you will not mind the strange combinations of Dahi Vadas with curries. This unique dish can be had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. People there just don’t mind eating it any time of the day. Sold in every nook and corner mostly in Cuttack and Puri by cyclewallahs, you have to stand in a queue to taste this delicacy. Dahi Bara Aaloo Dum-Ghuguni, highly recommended!

10.The Odia Rasmalai-Rasabali
Rasabali, a part of the mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath is nothing but deep friend cheese balls floating in thickened sweetened milk. Slightly seasoned with crushed cardamom, this is a must try. If you are a sweet lover then you must try this.

11.The Twisted Sweet- Khasta khaja
Also known as Pheni, this sweet is Lord Jagannath’s favorite. If you are in Puri, you are sure to find this in every nook and corner. A must try thing for all the bhakts.

12.Arisa Pitha/Ghee Pitha
Pitha’s are a must in Bhubaneshwar. Whatever be the occasion you are sure to bit into a pitha at every house hold there. Arisa and Ghee pithas are prepared occasionally or from time to time with little variations. The main ingredient here is rice which is used in grounded form and mixed along with jaggery and other condiments, which is then deep fried, just perfect for snacking at tea time. The best part, a few of them can be stored for many days and relished.

13.Manda Pitha/Enduri Pitha
This is the steamed version of the Pitha. While Manda Pitha is prepared mostly during festivals, Enduri Pitha is reserved for Prathamashtami, a festival celebrated to pray for long life and well being of the first child in a family. Manda pitha is basically made up of semolina stuffed with sweet filling. Enduri is made up of rice flour filled with sweet filling and steamed within turmeric leaves. A must have for the health conscious people.

14.Fish Cooked In Curd-Dahi Maacha
This one is one of the classic curies which any Odia would be proud to be associated with. This mustard gravy along with the perfect blend of yogurt is hard to resist and the mere mention or sight of this dish is enough to keep one salivating. Dahi Maccha is must have for all the sea food lovers.

15.Dried Lentil Mixture-Badi Chura
This is again a must have dish and is a constant fixture in any meal, mostly with pakhala. Anyone can cook this in minutes with the help of fried and crushed badis along with chopped chills, garlic and onion. The aromatic smell of the garlic and onion along with crunch of the fried badis is therapeutic. You taste it once and you are sure to return to it again and again. The all time favourite dish of Bhubaneswariyas.

16.Kheersagar
This sweet dish has small chhena /cottage cheese balls dipped in thickened and sweetened milk seasoned with cardamom and saffron for that awesome flavor. Slightly chill it and it tastes divine.

17.Cheena Gaja
This sweet syrupy dish is made from cottage cheese and semolina. You can also find a drier version of the same with sugar crystals on the surface. This one tastes heavenly.

18.The Sweet and Tangy Chutney-Khata
Khatta is an integral part of Odia cuisine and it is mostly eaten as a side dish. Mostly preferred for lunch, khatta balances a meal with its nice sweet and sour flavor. Any meal is incomplete without this. There are many variations to this dish like tomato khatta, oou (Elephant Apple) khatta and aamba (raw mango) khatta. It goes best with dalma and steam rice. Khatta is prepared along with jaggery and other condiments to make it lip smacking.

19.Dishes cooked in mustard- Besara
Mustard seed in widely used in Odia cuisine and this dish is also a part of the prasada offered to Lord Jagannath as a part of the midday meal. There are many variation of besara where the main ingredient, mustard is grinded and made into a fine paste and then cooked along with veggies (fish as well). The mild mustard flavor and the little tanginess that comes by adding dried mangoes or tamarind is to die for.

20.Leafy Vegetable Cooked With Lentil-Saaga Moonga
It is made of spinach or any other leafy vegetables and moong dal.
This tastes best with water rice or sometimes goes well with rice and dal too.