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Odisha occupies a very strategic geographical location and is surrounded by culturally rich states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. You can see a direct influence of these states on the food culture of Odisha. Other than this, Odisha also has very distinct food and cultural practices of its own. Contrary to popular opinion, Odisha has a lot of authentic desserts that have been made in the area for hundreds of years. Today we will take you through the myriad of special desserts that are made in Odisha all of which are mouthwatering.
Also Read: The diversity of harvest recipes in Odisha
* Kheer Sagar
The direct translation of Kheer Sagar is an ocean of milk and it looks very similar usually. At first glance, you might mistake it for Rasmalai but it has a very different taste and texture from Rasmalai. Small balls made out of chhena are soaked in dense, sweetened milk flavoured with hints of cardamom and saffron. This is a very milky and light dessert that you can eat in large proportions without feeling heavy.
* Kheera Gaja
Kheera Gaja is another very delicious dessert from Odisha and is made with lots of khoya. The khoya is deep-fried using ghee and then drenched in lots of sugar syrup. It is crunchy and flaky on the outside and very creamy on the inside. Due to the sugar syrup, this dessert has a very moist texture and you will fall in love from the first bite that you take.
Image Credits- Instagram
* Chhena Jhili
Chhena Jili as you can understand by the name is made primarily out of using chhena. Chhena means paneer or Indian cottage cheese. This is a delicious sweet that originates from a village in Odisha called Nimapada. This village is located near the Puri district, which is a very famous pilgrimage. The original recipe of this dessert is still a family secret and nobody has been able to crack it as of yet. As per the current recipe that is used by different chefs, the preparation is very much like Rasgulla but it still somehow tastes very different.
* Rasabali
A lot of sweet desserts made in Odisha use chhena as a primary ingredient. Rasabali is also one of those desserts that are made out of cottage cheese. To make this dessert, small balls made out of cottage cheese are deep fried. These are then dissolved in creamy rabri and have a very dominant flavour of saffron in the dish. This is also a very delicious and subtle dessert that you can enjoy after your meal.
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* Khajaa
Khajaa is a very popular prasad and is a part of Lord Jagannath’s food culture and heritage. It is served as Sukhila Prasad, which is a dry prasad in the chappan bhog that is served inside the Puri temple. These are sweet and crispy sugar-coated pubs that are served along with evening tea. They are crunchy and also have a very light sweet flavour. You can easily eat 2 to 3 of these with your evening tea.
* Malpua
The list of special deserts belonging to Odisha is incomplete without the special mention of the Mall police. Just like Khajaa, malpua is also one of the chappan bhog served in the Puri temple. Malpua is prepared in different parts of the country and the people in Odisha have their special way. In Odisha, people make malpua by mashing bananas, flour, cardamom, milk, sugar and fennel. These are then rolled into small roti-like shapes and deep-fried in Desi ghee. After that, they are drenched in sugar syrup and served with dry fruit garnishing.
Image Credits- Instagram
* Chhena Jalebi
Another addition to the special chhena dessert menu of Odisha is the Chhena Jalebi. Chhena Jalebi is the modified version of the north Indian version of Jalebi. The only difference between these two variants is that Chhena Jalebi as the name suggests is made by using cottage cheese and has a softer texture as compared to the traditional Jalebi. This Jalebi is also heavier than your normal Jalebi because of the use of cottage cheese.
* Pitha
Last, but not least is probably the most famous authentic and famous dessert of Odisha which is Pitha. It is made by using hand-ground rice flour, jaggery and some sesame seeds. It has a traditional pancake-like shape and is a very important part of almost every festival in Odisha. It is crispy and sweet in taste.
These are some of the top authentic and scrumptious desserts from Odisha that you can try while you visit the state.
