From Dalma To Kanika: Dive Into Odisha’s Top 7 Dishes

By Shreya Sarpal

March 28, 2025

Odisha cuisine, or Odia cuisine, is a treasure trove of flavours and traditions. It offers a delightful combination of sweet, savoury, and tangy dishes. The state is renowned for its unique dishes, like the mutanjan, dalma, and kanika.

Mutanjan

The mutanjan recipe is a multicoloured rice dish created by combining rice, sugar, ghee, and aromatic spices and topping it with dry fruits.

Dalma

A unique, traditional and famous delicacy, this vegetable curry is flavoured with ghee and spices and served with steamed rice.

Kanika

A mildly sweet and extremely flavorful pulao made with ghee, turmeric, and sugar and garnished with dry fruits. The kanika recipe holds a special significance and is traditionally offered in temples.

Pakhala Bhata

The dish is made by fermenting rice and is served with curd, fried vegetables, and fish or pappad.

Chhena Poda

A baked dessert made from fresh cottage cheese, sugar and semolina and caramelised for a smoky flavour.

Rasagola

Spongy cottage cheese balls soaked in syrup, a timeless delicacy loved by all generations.

Enduri Pitha

Steamed rice dumplings stuffed with jaggery and coconut and delicately wrapped in aromatic turmeric leaves.