We are in the throes of the Durga puja festival. Who doesn’t love this time of the year? Children or adults, we all look forward to the fun and festivities of Durga Puja and Dusshera season.
In Odisha, the air is already filled with the aromas of a variety of mouth watering dishes which reflect our unique heritage and culture. Since festivals in Odisha are incomplete without special food preparations, we are sharing today some traditional delicacies cooked and relished during this time of the year.
Macha Jhola
People of Odisha are ardent fish lovers. On the 8th day of the Puja (Maha Ashtami), the famous ‘rohu’ fish along with Khichdi is offered to Goddess Durga as a tradition. The ‘rohu’ fish are first fried and then cooked in a lip-smacking fish curry that’s prepared with a paste of onion, ginger and garlic, tomatoes and coriander leaves, chunks of boiled potatoes and some spices.
There are some other versions of this fish curry like ‘Macha Besara’ or ‘Besara Jhola’ which is a little tangy and spicy for the taste buds. Using a heavenly paste of garlic, mustard and red chillies and ‘ambula’(dried mango), the unique curry is made and savoured with plain rice.
Macha Ghanta or Mudhi Ghanta
Macha Ghanta or Mudhi Ghanta is a prominent traditional delicacy of Odisha which is a must-serve for Goddess Durga on Dussehra. The head of the fish is fried, mashed and cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, and other spices. It is a hot favourite dish and served with rice and salad. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself licking your fingers while relishing Mudhi Ghanta!
Chinchada
Chinchada is a traditional Odia delicacy. Poi Chinchada is typically cooked from fried fish heads and tail pieces with a leafy vegetable called “Poi”. Generally, Rohu or Bhakura fish is favoured for this dish. Another variant is Bandhakobi Chinchada which is made from cabbage and fried fish with a blend of piquant spices. Both of the dishes are quite popular and add a zingy and spicy flavour to the celebrations of Dussehra.
Aloo Posto
Aloo Posto is an iconic dish that is made by using potatoes, mustard oil in a paste of poppy seeds. The magic of few ingredients yields a delectable taste that one cannot easily forget.
Dahi Pakhala
Dahi Pakhala is the staple lunch for Odias during summer. The cooked rice is soaked in water and sour curd and left overnight. Later, grated mango ginger, cumin, green chillies and curry leaves are sautéed and added to the rice, producing an appealing aroma. This fermented dish is offered to the Goddess as “Sankhudi Bhoga’. Enjoy Dahi Pakhala with fried potatoes, fried fish, badi choora and papad.
Khichdi
Khichdi is a traditional dish prepared during the auspicious Durga Puja. With the main ingredients of moong dal and rice, this wholesome-soothing dish is easily prepared and appeals to everyone owing to its light seasoning and spice. It is often served with curd, papad and even pickles. Khichdi is the most important dish served in pandals for Devi maa’s Bhog.
Malpua
Malpua is also a quintessential sweet dish of Odisha. It mostly comes out as a sweet pancake and is savoured after soaking it in sugary syrup that enhances its taste.
Kakara & Manda
Kakara is a local sweet pan cake (pitha) of Odisha. It is made with semolina, grated coconut, jaggery, black pepper and cardamom. The outer cover is made up of semolina; it can also be made from all-purpose flour (maida). It is deep-fried with coconut stuffing which leads to a crispy outer layer with juicy sweetness inside.
Manda pitha is a sweet steamed dish savoured on festive occasions across Odisha. It is shaped like a modak. The outer layer is made of steamed rice flour and the inner stuffing is of coconut, jaggery, black pepper and cottage cheese and flavoured with cardamom.
With another year of stay-at-home celebrations, this Dussehra, hone your cooking skills and prepare these mouth-watering delightful delicacies for the festive occasion.
Do share in the comment section below, as to what delicacies did you cook to make your Durga Puja and Dusshera celebrations more memorable and yummy.
We are in the throes of the Durga puja festival. Who doesn’t love this time of the year? Children or adults, we all look forward to the fun and festivities of Durga Puja and Dusshera season.
