Odia eats: Five exquisite recipes

Editor’s note: Discover the joys of Odia cuisine, so often overlooked in the conversation about Indian food, through Odia Byanjana, a fantastic cookbook by entrepreneur and champion of Odia food, Debasish Patanaik. Here, we feature recipes of five essential Odia dishes—from the iconic Dalma and Maachha Besara, to a jaggery-based dessert and a delectable tomato-and-dates chutney. It’s an amazing spread, and we urge you to try all these dishes.

The following recipes from Odia Byanjana by Debasish Patanaik have been published with permission from Aleph Book Company.

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Dalma

Dalma is one of Odisha’s most iconic and comforting dishes, cherished across and even outside the state, by all generations. Dalma reflects Odia cuisine’s philosophy of simple, wholesome eating. The original version features boiled lentils and seasonal vegetables, gently seasoned with Pancha Phutana and Jeera Lankaa Gunda, highlighting the authentic flavours of the ingredients. With the addition of aromatic spices, ginger, and a touch of ghee, Dalma turns into a nourishing delight that graces daily meals and festive feasts alike. It remains a staple in Odia homes and temples, celebrated not just for its taste but also for its nutritional value. Packed with protein, fibre, and essential nutrients, Dalma is a perfect example of balance in Odia cuisine.

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Time: 35 mins (+10 mins preparation)

Makes: 4 servings

Recipe: Ritu Pattanaik

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Ingredients

Arhar dal: 300 gms

Red pumpkin: 100 gms

Yam: 50 gms

Eggplant: 1 no

Turmeric: 0.5 gm

Ginger: 2 gms

Radish: 2 nos

Sweet potato: 1 no

Grated coconut: 20 gms

Pure ghee: 25 gms

Water: 500 ml

Whole cumin: 25 gms

Red chillies: 5 nos

Salt: As per taste

For the tempering

Dry red chillies: 2 nos

Cumin seeds: 5 gms

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Method

Preparation:

Cut the vegetables into cubes.
Dry-roast 20 gms of cumin and 3 dry red chillies. Grind them into a coarse powder (Jeera Lankaa Gunda).

Cooking instructions:

Place the vessel on the fire.
Add washed dal, vegetables, water, crushed ginger, salt, and turmeric.
Cover and cook on low–medium heat until the dal and vegetables are cooked properly.
Remove from the flame.

Tempering:

In a wok, heat ghee.
Add Pancha Phutana and whole dry red chillies and let them splutter.
Pour the tempering to the cooked dal and vegetable mixture. Cover immediately to retain the aroma.
Add the Jeera Lankaa Gunda and grated coconut. Mix well and serve.

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Maachha Besara

Maachha Besara is a classic Odia fish curry, celebrated for its bold mustard flavours. Considering the state’s deep love for fresh fish, this dish features fish simmered in a robust paste of ground mustard seeds, garlic, and green chillies. Often, a piece of Aambula (sun-dried mango) is added, lending a subtle tang that balances the pungency of the mustard. Tomatoes, slit green chillies, and turmeric enhance the curry without overshadowing the delicate flavour of the fish. Cooked in mustard oil, the dish carries an aroma that is unique to Odia kitchens and traditional spice mixes. Maachha Besara is mostly served with steamed rice, making it a comforting regular staple in Odia meals.

Time: 35 mins (+30 mins soaking time)

Makes: 4 servings

Recipe: Sweta Biswal

Ingredients

Fish (Rohu/bhakura): 500 gms

Potato (cut into chunks): 150 gms

Tomato (finely chopped): 100 gms

Mustard seeds: 1 gm

Green chillies: 1–2 nos

Red chilli powder: 2 gms

Turmeric powder: 2 gms

Salt: As per taste

Mustard oil: 60 ml

Fresh coriander (optional, for garnish)

For the mustard paste:

Mustard seeds: 20 gms

Cumin seeds: 10 gms

Garlic cloves: 10 gms

Dry red chillies: 2 nos

Salt: As per taste

Note: A piece of Aambula can also be added for flavour.

Method

Soak mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, and dry red chillies for 15–30 minutes and make a smooth paste.
Marinate fish (cleaned and cut) with salt and turmeric for 10–15 minutes.
Heat mustard oil until it smokes slightly, lower the heat, and fry fish pieces till golden on both sides. Set aside.
In the same oil (add more if needed), add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add potatoes, sprinkle a little salt and turmeric. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until the potatoes start to brown a bit.
Add chopped tomatoes and turn up the flame for 1–2 minutes while sautéing.
Add the ground mustard paste, stir gently, and let it cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Add chilli powder if desired.
Add half a cup of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Add the fried fish pieces.
Cook covered for 8–10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the gravy thickens.
Adjust salt, add slit green chillies, and drizzle a bit of raw mustard oil for flavour. Switch off the flame.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

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Chhenaa Tarkari

Chhenaa Tarkari is made with soft Chhenaa (cottage cheese) dumplings simmered in a rich onion tomato gravy. The process begins with curdling milk to prepare fresh Chhenaa, which is then shaped into small fritters and deep-fried before being added to the aromatic curry. Savoured with rice, paratha, or poori, this wholesome dish is an underrated Odia delicacy and a must in most community feasts. It takes on special significance during Bali Jatra, the grand annual festival of maritime glory in Cuttack, where it is famously paired with Thunkaa Poori, deep-fried large bread, similar to a poori. This popular combination is the cornerstone of Bali Jatra’s culinary attraction, where millions throng to taste this exquisite dish.

Time: 35 mins (+30 mins Chhenaa preparation time)

Makes: 4 servings

Recipe: Ritu Pattanaik

Ingredients

Full-fat milk: 1.5 ltr

Lemon juice: 60 ml

Potato: 20 gms

Bay leaf: 1 no

Garam masala: 1 gm

Onion: 10 gms

Garlic: 5 gms

Ginger: 1 gm

Red chilli powder: 1 gm

Refined oil: 50 ml

Turmeric powder: 1 gm

Cumin: 2 gms

Tomato: 100 gms

Refined flour: 25 gms

Salt: As per taste

Method

Making the Chhenaa fritters:

Curdle the milk with lemon.
Separate the Chhenaa (milk solids) and whey (liquid).
Put the Chhenaa in a clean cloth and squeeze out the excess water.
Remove the Chhenaa from the cloth, add refined flour, and a little salt, and knead well for a couple of minutes.
Make small balls from the Chhenaa and flatten them on your palm.
Heat oil on a tawa/griddle. Fry the Chhenaa fritters (Baraas) on the tawa until both sides turn brown.
Take the fried fritters off the tawa and set aside.

Making the curry:

Make a paste of onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, red chillies, and tomato.
Heat the remaining oil in a wok. Add the masala paste, along with salt, turmeric, and bay leaf. Sauté the masala until the oil separates.
Add sliced potatoes to the wok. Mix well until the potatoes are coated with the masala.
Add water to the wok, cover it, and wait for it to boil. Then, reduce the flame to medium and cook until the potatoes are cooked.
Add the Chhenaa fritters to the curry. Boil for another 2 to 3 minutes on high flame.
Remove from the flame and add garam masala powder. Serve hot.

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Tomato Khajuri Khataa

Tomato Khajuri Khataa is a frequently cooked accompaniment in Odia households, known for its sweet and tangy taste. It is made by cooking ripe tomatoes with soft dates, and then seasoning them with Pancha Phutana, cumin seeds, and dry red chillies. Shredded coconut is often added to give it a richer texture and flavour. This chutney is commonly enjoyed with Dalma and rice and is a must-have during festive meals and family feasts. It brings together the perfect mix of flavours—sour, sweet, and mildly spicy. Easy to cook, Tomato Khajuri Khataa has been a family-favourite across the ages.

Time: 35 mins

Makes: 4 servings

Recipe: Chef Abinas Nayak

Ingredients

Tomato: 500 gms

Oil: 15 ml

Pancha Phutana: 5 gms

Ginger (crushed): 5 gms

Curry leaves: 6–7 nos Khajuri (dates): 30 gms

Sugar: 25 gms

Shredded coconut: 25 gms

Cumin seeds: 5 gms

Dry red chillies: 2 nos

Salt: As per taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add Pancha Phutana seeds and fry until they start to crackle.
Add dry red chillies, crushed ginger, and curry leaves to the pan. Sauté for a minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, Khajuri, sugar, and salt to the pan. Mix well and cook covered on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and well cooked.
In a pan dry-roast cumin and red chillies on low flame, until the cumin is lightly roasted and red chillies are lightly charred.
Coarsely grind cumin and red chillies and add 1 tsp of the powder to the curry.
Add the shredded coconut. Mix well and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.

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Aarisa Pithaa

Aarisa Pithaa is a popular festive sweet made in many Odia homes during Manabasaa Gurubaara (Thursdays in the month of Maargashira). It is a thin, round rice cake made from rice ground into a dough with warm jaggery syrup and sesame seeds. Small balls of this dough, called Jantuni, are flattened, rolled in sesame, and deep-fried until brown and crispy on the outside but soft inside. Aarisa Pithaas is not just a tasty snack but also an offering to Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth, worshipped in every Odia household during this time. Though earlier made only for the festival, Aarisa Pithaa is now sold in shops and enjoyed throughout the year

Time: 45 mins (+15 mins preparation)

Makes: 4 servings

Recipe: Abinas Nayak

Ingredients

Short-grain rice: 750 gms

Jaggery: 450 gms

White sesame seeds: 100 gms

Refined oil: 500 ml

Method

Wash and soak the rice for a minimum of 4 hours.
Drain well, let it dry, and pound to a fine powder.
Then, sieve the rice and keep aside.
In a kadai, melt the jaggery and cook until it reaches the one-string consistency. Turn off the heat.
Add the rice ladle by ladle and mix vigorously.
Once the ladle you were mixing the Jantuni (dough) with stands firm in the dough, it’s time to get started.
Heat oil in a kadai and take a small portion (measure of a small roti ball) of the dough.
Spread it flat with your fingers on an oiled surface that has sesame seeds spread on it. Flip and ensure both sides are coated with sesame seeds.
Once the oil is medium hot, start frying them one by one.
Ensure you pull out the Aarisa two shades before the desired browning you like. It continues to cook off the heat.
Let the excess oil drip off and cool.