A culinary map of Odisha: The best things to eat in the state

The foods that emerge from the vast kitchens at the Puri Jagannath Temple, an array of luscious sweets crafted from chhena, fish dishes that share a heritage with Bengal – all of these punctuate the food trail of Odisha. Hop on for a delicious ride.

Rosogolla of Puri

The 56-item Chapana Bhoga, offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri’s main temple, is the stuff of myth and culinary legend. Even if you don’t wade through all of it, you should eat the Rosogolla of Puri. It may occupy pride of place in the Bengali sweet repertoire today, but the Rosogolla actually originated in Puri, where it is offered to the Goddess Lakshmi the day after the Rath Yathra; it is a tradition that goes back several centuries. Legend has it that the Lord Jagannath himself served the sweet to his consort. The Puri rosogolla is creamy in colour, rather than white and denser than the Bengali variant.

Chhena Poda in Nayagarh

Chhena, or rich paneer, goes into the making of several Odisha sweets. This ingredient is the star of the Chhena Poda – or burnt chhena – which has a gorgeous caramelized finish.  It’s available in many places, but connoisseurs will tell you the best is in its birthplace, Nayagargh.

Thunka Puri in Cuttack

Many of Odisha’s speciality foods are intertwined with religious festivals. The Thunka Puri is one such. It is made during Cuttack’s Bali Yatra and is very much part of the festivities. This large-sized puri is eaten with traditional accompaniments such as Chhena Tarkari.

Dahibara Aloodum in Cuttack

Who would think of combining a dahi vada with aloodum? The streetfood-loving people of Cuttack, that’s who. This unlikely combination is what gets the residents of Cuttack drooling and it’s also what they yearn for when they are away from home.

Kora Khai in Bhubaneswar

Sweets are much-loved in this part of the state with Chhena Jalebi, Rasabali and Pitha being eaten through the seasons. No wonder then that the Prasad at the Lingaraj Temple is also a sweet – Kora Khai, made of puffed rice and jaggery and studded with coconut chips. It’s a scrumptious treat.

Chhena Gaja in Pahala

As the name suggests this is another sweet that uses Chhena and sugar. But if you’re expecting another type of rosogolla you’re in for a sweet surprise. Here the Chhena is kneaded with sugar and semolina, then dried and fried before being immersed in sugar syrup. Pahala’s Chhena Gaja has quite a reputation.

Palua Ladu Bhadrak

Everyone who comes to Bhadrak gets a taste of this delightful sweet and most people carry some back with them, too. Some of the best is available at Sai Sweet Stall, where the recipe has been a closely guarded secret for several decades.

Crab Kalia Chilika

Spicy, rich dishes are a speciality of this region. The crab kalia is redolent with spices and has a luscious sauce that clings to the fresh crabs. A must-try for crab lovers.

Bara in Dhenkanal

The Bara is Dhenkanal’s favourite snack and there are shops devoted to selling just this. These deep-fried morsels are made of urad dal and rice and mildly spiced and make for a great in-between nibble.

Gulgula in Balangir

The Gulgula, also known as Gaham Bara in these parts, is a deep-fried snack of wheat flour and semolina, sweetened with jaggery and studded with fennel and cardamom. It can also be served with gugni for a hearty breakfast.

Pakhala in Phulbani

It does not get any simpler than this. But to eat a bowl of Pakhala, rice left to ferment just a little in water, is a wonderful summer treat. In this part of the country it’s served with fried vegetables known as Bhaja.

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