Important Oriya Festivals & Special Recipes

Each festival/celebration/occasion calls for a special recipe/dish. While some of these are traditional in nature and have been handed down from generation to generation, we all do have some family favorites. Staying in nuclear families and away from Orissa makes it difficult for many of us to stick to the traditional recipes as either the awareness/recipe/ingredient eludes us. While the last one is beyond our reach, this list is an attempt on my part to create awareness about such traditional recipes. The list is not comprehensive and i would appreciate any useful inputs/additions. Read on for the list:

Makar Sankranti (January) - Makara Chaula (makara-chaula)
Samba Dasami (January) - Ghadaghadiya Tarkari
Saraswati Puja (January) - Chuda Ghasa(chuda ghasa)
Shivratri (March) - Panchamrita(panchamrit)
Dola Jatra (March) - Amba panna
Mahabisuba/Panaa Sankranti - Bela Panaa/Chattua Panna(bela panaa)
Ram Nabami (April) - Chaula Kheeri (chaulaa kheeri)
Rajaa (June)- Janta Poda pitha(janta poda pitha), Budha chakuli (buddha chakuli), Saru chakuli(saru chakuli
Ratha Jatra (June-July) - Poda pitha (Poda pitha)
Bahuda Jatra (July) - Chakuli (Leuta pitha)
Jyesta Purnima - Chaula Kheeri
Ganesh Puja - Rasi ladoo, Chuda ghasa
Dwitibahana Osa - Pariba Ghanta(pariba ghanta)
Durgasthami - Kanika (kanika)/Khechudi (khichudi)
Kumar Purnima - Khaee Chanda
Kartika Somabar - Muga Dalma/Habisa Dalma, Aau khatta
Prathamasthami - Enduri Pitha (enduri pitha)
Manabasa Gurubar (November - December)- Gaintha/Attakali, Kakara, chakuli, Dahi Pakala, Sagaa, Khechudi
Dhanu Sankranti (December-January) - Dhanu Muaa

Biri Poda Pitha ( Sweetened Rice cake from Odisha )

Ratha jatra or the Car festival is one of the most important and eagerly awaited festivals in the Odiya calendar. It marks the annual trip made by Lord Jagannath to his mausi's abode. It is being celebrated on 10th of July this year.

Among the famous offerings being made to the Lord during his visit the one that stands out most is the 'Poda pitha'. This slowly baked cake made by using firewood and an earthern hearth is an intrinsic part of many odiya folklores.

Not to be confused with the 'Raja poda pitha', this one  has it own unique flavour. While the 'poda' prepared during Raja has 'chaula chuna' or rice flour as its main ingredient, Lord Jagannath's favorite makes use of 'biri chaula pithau' or black lentil and rice batter. Enriched with many aromatic ingredients like desi ghee, crushed ginger, crushed peppercorns, cardamom powder, jaggery, freshly grated coconut and coconut slices, this 'desi' cake can easily give the imported variants a run for their money.

I have given a slight twist to this traditional recipe by substituting the freshly grated coconut with a roasted and slightly caramelized version. Also, adding a tiny bit of baking powder helps with the leavening ( as fermentation takes longer in the cool climate of Bangalore ).

Here's the recipe :

Ingredients:

• 1 cup skinless black lentil ( chopa chada biri )
• 2 cups rice  ( arua chaula )
• 3-4 tbsp sugar/Jaggery ( adjust as per requirement )
• a handful of dry fruits ( raisins and chopped cashews )
• 1/2 cup chenna ( ricotta cheese ) 'Optional'
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 cup thin coconut slices
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1/3 cardamom powder
• 1 tsp coarsely ground peppercorn
• 1 1/2 inch ginger ( finely crushed )
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• salt to taste

Preparation: Soak the rice and lentil overnight. Wash and grind into a fine paste the next morning. Allow to ferment for 10-20 hours depending on the climate.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a frying pan. Add the grated coconut and roast on a low flame till it starts turning brown. Add 2 tsp sugar and cook till the sugar melts and coats the coconut evenly giving it a beautiful brown hue. Allow this mixture to cool down.

Mix the salt, remaining sugar/jaggery , dry fruits, cardamom powder, pepper, ginger, ghee, coconut slices and also the caramelized coconut into the batter. Finally add the baking powder and give it a good whisk. Let it stand for 5 mins before popping into the pre-heated oven.

Cooking: Preheat an oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

Take a good quality ovenproof dish which is about 2 inches deep. Grease the container with a good quantity of ghee.

Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Put in the oven and cook at 180 degrees for 30 mins. Then lower the temperature to about 150 degrees and bake for another 30 mins. Insert a toothpick to check if it comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let it cool down completely . Cut into pieces and serve with ghuguni and kheeri.

Have a great time enjoying the Poda pitha !!

Chittau Pitha

Made with rice and coconut, the Chittau pitha is a beautifully perforated dish from Odisha that reminds one of the appams. The usage of black lentil is optional though with some people avoiding it altogether. If black lentil is added it is called ' Biri Chittau'.  Addition of black lentil can also be avoided during the summers or in a hot climate as itcauses rapid fermentation and makes the batter sour.

Cooking Time Required: 30-35 mins

Ingredients: Raw rice/ arua ( 4 cups ), coconut ( 1 no ), salt to taste, oil for cooking.


Preparation: Wash and soak the rice for 4-5 hours. Drain and transfer to the mixie jar.

Break the coconut and cut into small pieces.

Add the coconut pieces to the same mixie jar. Grind into a fine and watery paste.


Keep aside for 2-3 hours to allow for fermentation in hot weather. 5-6 hours is needed for cold weather.


Cooking: Heat a thick bottomed wok ( kadai ). Add a little oil .


Add salt to the batter and mix well. Pour sufficient batter into the wok to form a

thick pancake.

Cover with a lid. Take a wet cloth and put around the rim of the lid.( OR sprinkle

water along the sides of the wok )

Allow to cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes ( Do not flip over ).

Remove from the wok.


Note: Chitta pitha is cooked on one side only and remains soft on the other side. Its

distinguishing feature is the presence of tiny holes all over its surface.

Any guesses as to the best way of devouring these piping hot beauties ???

Manda Pitha ( also known as Modak in Maharashtra)

Cooking Time Required: 1 hour
Cost of Preparation: 60-70 Rupees


Ingredients: Broken Basmati rice ( 1 1/2 cups ), milk ( 2 cups ), water ( 2 cups ), pepper powder ( 1/5 tsp ), cardamon powder ( 1/4 tsp ), salt ( 1/4 tsp or to taste).

For the pura : Coconut ( finely grated, 1 no ), small lumps of jaggery ( 6-7 tsp ), raisins ( 1/2 cup ), ghee ( 1 tbsp ).

Preparation: Soak the rice for 10-15 mins. Wash and drain all the water ( Use a colander, do not dry under the fan or the sun ). Put in a grinder and grind into a fine powder.











































Grate the coconut or grind the pieces in a mixer-grinder.

Cooking: Bring the milk and water to boil. Add salt, cardamon and pepper powder. Add the rice flour in small batches and mix continuously so that no lumps are formed.

Stir the mixture on a low flame for about 15 minutes till it takes on a softer consistency than the dough used for making rotis . Switch off the flame at this stage.

Allow the dough to cool down a few degrees till it is tolerable. Rub ghee all over your hands and knead the dough for 5 mins to make it smoother.





























Heat a pan. Add ghee followed by the raisins and stir fry for 1 minute. Add grated coconut and jaggery at this stage. Fry for 5-6 minutes and remove from the stove.















Rub some more oil over your hands. Break small balls out of the dough. Flatten out and put some of the coconut stuffing on it. Close and mould into balls.



























Boil water in a idli maker. Spread some banana leaves over the idli plates. Put the balls over it. Close the lid and steam 20 mins. Allow to stand with lid covered for 5 mins.





























Take out of the idli vessel and serve hot.

Note: When adding the rice flour to milk and water, pass it through a seive to avoid any lumps.

Also try to make the balls when the dough is hot else it loses its elasticity.

Saru Chakuli

The Raja celebrations have come to an end and i still had some of the batter sitting in the fridge. After gorging on all sorts of stuffed pithas, i felt like making something light.

The first thing which came to my mind was the 'Saru Chakuli' or thin pancakes. However the batter was prepared for Buddha Chakuli( thick pancakes ) which has a higher proportion of black lentil. So, i decided to convert it into Saru chakuli batter (which has black lentil & rice in 1:2 proportion ) by adding a portion of whole wheat flour which also made it healthier.

The chakulis turned out to be delicious. Here's the recipe:

Cost of Preparation: 15-20 Rupees
Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins

Ingredients: Urad dal ( 1/3 cup ), rice ( 1/3 cup ), whole wheat atta ( 1/2 cup ), ripe banana ( 1 no, small ), salt to taste, sugar ( 1 tsp ), oil for cooking.

Preparation: Soak the urad dal for 4-5 hours.

Wash and soak the broken rice for 10 mins. Drain all the water and ground into a fine powder.

Ground the urad dal with the rice flour and banana to get a smooth paste. Add wheat
flour, salt to taste and 1 tsp sugar , mix well and keep aside for 1-2 hours.

Cooking: Heat a non-stick pan. Take sufficient batter and spread into a layer about 3-4 mm thick. Sprinkle some oil on the sides.

Allow to cook on one side and then turn it over. Let it cook on the other side. Will
take about 4-5 minutes for a single chakuli.

Serve with milk or kheer.

Celebrating Raja Day 3 : (with) Buddha Chakuli

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Urad dal ( dehusked, 1 cup ), broken basmati rice ( 1 cup ), ripe banana ( 1 no ), freshly grated coconut ( 1 cup ), chenna or ricotta cheese ( 1 cup ), sugar ( 6 tsp ), cardamon ( 3-4 nos ), peppercorn ( 6-7 nos ), salt, baking powder ( 1 pinch, not required if given 3-4 hours to ferment ), raisins ( 1/3 cup ), ghee.

Preparation: Soak the urad dal for 4-5 hours.

Wash and soak the broken rice for 10 mins. Drain all the water and ground into a fine powder.

Ground the urad dal with the rice flour, banana, 2 cardamons & the peppercorns to get a smooth paste. Add salt to taste and 1 tsp sugar , mix well and keep aside. Add the baking powder if you do not have time to ferment the batter.

Mash the chenna with 2 tsp sugar and cardamon powder ( 1 no ).

Cooking: Heat 1 tsp ghee on a pan. Add the raisins and fry till they swell up. Add the sugar ( 3 tsp ) & coconut at this stage. Fry for 5 min and sprinkle some cardamom powder ( 1 no ). Remove from the pan.

Heat 1/2 of ghee on the pan. Spread a layer of batter. Sprinkle the mashed chenna all over the pitha. Spread another layer of batter over it. Sprinkle the fried coconut over the batter. Top it with a final layer of batter.

Cover with a lid and cook on a low flame.















Turn it over to the other side when one side is done and cook it on both sides to a reddish color.















Serve it hot.

Celebrating Raja Day 1 : (with) Janta Poda Pitha

Raja Sankranti ( or Swing festival) or "Mithuna Sankranti" is the first day of the month of 'Asadha' from which the season of rains starts. It augurs the start of the rains which brings joy to the farmers.The first day is called "Pahili Raja" , second is "Raja" (Raja Sankranti) and third is "Basi Raja" or "Raja basi" (Basumati Snana). It is more popularly celebrated in the Coastal districts of Orissa.

As per the popular legend, all three days of the festival are considered to be the
menstruating period of Mother Earth. During this festival all agricultural operations remain suspended. It is a festival mainly for the unmarried girls. They observe all the restrictions prescribed for a menstruating woman as in olden times. They take a oil-bath on the first day and wear new clothes. For the rest 2 days bathing or combing the hair is a taboo. Married women also observe the same rules for Raja during the first year of their marriage.

Swing are put up on Mango & Banyan trees at different places in the villages and cities. These days one can see the swings being put up in different clubs or colonies in BBSR or cuttack. 'Poda pitha' is the main delicacy prepared during Raja . Other varieties of pithas are also prepared and distributed among relatives and friends.

This year Raja is being celebrated from 14th to 16th June. Please do visit this space for a new pitha recipe everyday.

Here goes my delicacy for day 1 :

Janta Poda pitha

Cooking Time Required: 1 hour
Cost of Preparation: 60-70 Rupees


Ingredients: Broken Basmati rice ( 1 1/2 cups ), 1/2 cup thinly sliced coconut, milk ( 3 cups ), water ( 1 cup ),
pepper powder ( 1/5 tsp ), cardamon powder ( 1/4 tsp ), sugar ( 4-5 tsp ), salt ( 1/4 tsp ).

For the pura : Coconut ( finely grated, 1 no ), fresh chenna ( 1 cup ), sugar ( 3 tsp ), raisins ( 1/2 cup ), ghee ( 1 tsp ).

Preparation: Soak the rice for 10-15 mins. Wash and drain all the water ( Use a
colander, do not dry under the fan or the sun ). Put in a grinder and grind into a fine powder.

Grate the coconut.

Cooking: Bring the milk and water to boil. Add salt, sugar, cardamon and pepper powder. Add the rice flour in small batches and mix continuously so that no lumps are formed. Finally add the coconut slices.

Stir the mixture on a low flame for about 10 minutes till it takes on a softer
consistency than the dough used for making rotis . Switch off the flame at this stage.
















Allow the dough to cool down a few degrees till it is tolerable. Rub ghee all over your hands and knead the still warm dough for 5 mins to make it smoother.

Heat a pan. Add ghee followed by the raisins and stir fry for 1 minute. Add grated
coconut and sugar at this stage. Fry for 5-6 minutes and remove from the stove.
















Line a baking tray with foil. Spread a little ghee on the foil and add a layer of the dough about 1.5 cm thick. Spread a layer of the pura or coconut stuffing over it ( 0.5 cm thick ). Cover it with another layer of the dough ( 1 cm thick ). Spread about 1/3 tsp of ghee over it.
















Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees. Put in the baking tray and bake at a temperature of 150 degrees for 40 minutes. Do not overdo it as the pitha should remain soft and should not harden .















Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for 1 hour.

Serve with kheer or alu dum/ghuguni/dalma. ( The poda pitha is not overly sweet and
hence it goes well with the curries.)

Note: The rice flour should be used within 2-3 days.

Lau ( Lauki ) Pitha

Cooking Time Required: 30-35 mins
Cost of preparation: 25-30 rupees

Ingredients: Rawa ( 2 cups ), lau/lauki/ridge gourd ( cut into large pieces, 2 cups ), freshly grated coconut ( 1 cup ), ghee ( 2 tbs ), sugar ( 1-2 tbs ), cardamon ( 2 nos ), salt ( 1/5 tsp ).

Preparation: Put the lau pieces in a pressure cooker. Cook for 1-2 whistles. Drain excess water if any. Grind to a fine paste.

Wash the rawa and drain excess water. Add the lau paste and the coconut ( cut into small pieces ). Also add sugar, salt, cardamon powder and ghee. Mix well.

Cooking: Grease a baking tray with ghee. Sprinkle some flour to prevent the pitha from sticking to the sides and bottom.

Pour the batter into the baking tray forming a 1-2 inch thick layer. Sprinkle ghee on top of the batter.

Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees. Place the baking tray and cook for 35-40 mins . Remove from oven and allow to cool down completely.

Cut into small squares and serve.

This pitha is very wobbly and sticky when hot. It becomes firm after cooling down.


Bottle Gourd

Enduri Pitha ( Haldi Patra pitha )

Enduri Pitha is traditionally prepared during Prathamastami or Padhuanstami, a festival during which mothers offer prayers for their firstborn. Enduri pitha is also called 'Haldi patra pitha' in Western parts of orissa, especially in Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh districts. Prathamastami also marks the day when people first start making 'Badis' . The first batch of 'Badi' is worshipped with 'Doob' grass and vermilion (sindoor). Usually, people lay badi in these winter months (November-January) and store it for usage during the entire year. This is because the low temperature and mild sun ensure that the badi dries up evenly without cracking up at places.

In some parts of Orissa, like Cuttack or the nearby areas, seven pieces of Enduri pitha are offered to the God while other areas offer seven pieces of Chakuli as the prasad. The firstborn child is decked up in new clothes, Chandan/sindoor is applied on his/her forehead and 'Aarti' is done with raw rice, doob grass, flowers and a Deepam (lamp) in our place. However other parts of the state use about five to seven leafy greens to complete this ritual.

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Makes 8-10 pithas.

Ingredients: Black gram ( beeri dali, 1 cup ), rice rawa 3 cups or rice 2 cups, coconut ( 1 no. ), sugar ( 5-6 tsp ), ghee ( 1 tsp ), cardamom ( 1-2 nos ), turmeric leaves ( 8-10 nos ), salt, refine oil for greasing the leaves.

Preparation: Soak the black gram for 5-6 hours. Grind into a fine paste.

Soak the rawa for 1 hour. Squeeze out excess water. Add to the gram paste along with 1/2 tsp salt. Keep overnight or 10-11 hours.

Grate the coconut or cut into big pieces and grind into a coarse paste in a grinder.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add 1 tsp ghee. Add the cardamon powder, grated coconut and sugar. Stir fry for 5-6 mins. Remove from the wok and keep aside to cool.

Heat water in a idli maker/pressure cooker. Bring to a boil.

Wash the turmeric leaves. Add 2-3 drops of oil and smear it all over each leaf. Take a blob of the batter and spread evenly on the leaf.

Spread 2-3 tsp of the coconut over the batter.
















Fold the leaf carefully and place on the idli stand.
















Repeat the process for the remaining batter/leaves. The leaves can be stacked one over the other for 2-3 layers. Close the lid and steam for 15-20 mins. Remove from the stove.

















Remove the turmeric leaves. Serve the pitha with ghee/sugar or dalma. Sada enduri ( without the sweet stuffing ) is very popular with Mutton Jholo or Mutton Kasa.

NOTE: Usually raw rice (aruwa) is used instead of rice rawa but I sometimes use rice rawa as it is cuts down soaking time and the subsequent grinding effort. The rice to black gram proportion is kept 2:1 . Rawa is used to cut down on the overall preparation time and simplify the dish without compromising on the taste.

Arissa Pitha

Cooking time Required: 30 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-40 rupees

Ingredients: Rice ( raw rice , 2 cups ), sugar ( 1 1/2 cup ), water ( 3/4 cup ), ghee/oil for frying.

Preparation: Soak the rice for 2 hours. Drain all the water and spread on a cloth. Air dry for 4-5 hours till the wetness disappears. Do not dry under the sun .

Grind in a mixer grinder to a coarse powder . If a grinding stone can be used, it is preferable.

Cooking: Heat the water in a wok. Add the sugar and allow to dissolve. Bring to a boil . When it is sufficiently thickened and sticky , add the rice in small amounts and mix well.

Allow to cook, stirring at intervals till the mixture is firm enough to take a shape. As it quite tough to judge when the mixture is done, one can take out a small spoonful at intervals, allow to cool for a minute or two; and try to shape into a small disc.

Put aside the mixture to cool down a bit before shaping into small tikkis ( abt 4-5 mm thick). Put some ghee/oil on the hands when trying to shape the mixture.(My grand-mother always shaped the pitha when the mixture was still quite hot as the pithas do not turn brittle. God knows how she managed it.)

Heat oil in a wok for deep frying . Put in the pitha ( one at a time ) and cook for 2-3 min.
Remove and allow to cool down.

Arisa pitha can be stored in air-tight containers for upto a month.

Note - Arisa pitha is traditionally prepared with jaggery instead of sugar.

Kadai Pitha

Cooking Time Required : 20-25 mins
Cost of Preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: raw rice, urad dal, pancha phutana, red chilli/green chillis, onion ( 1 small ), finely cut vegetables ( optional, (carrot, beans, cauliflower, potatoes) ), curry leaves, salt, oil ( 2 tsp ).

Preparation: Soak the rice and urad dal in 2:1 proportion. Allow to soak for 8-10 hours. Grind into a smooth paste. Allow to stand overnight.

Cooking: Heat oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana, curry leaves and chillis. Once the seeds start spluttering, add onions. stir fry till golden and then add vegetables. stir fry till it is cooked.

Add 4-5 spoonfuls of the batter into the wok till it forms a 1-2 cm thick layer in the middle .

Cook on low flame till it is cooked to a lovely reddish brown on one side. It will take 5-6 mins for each side.

Toss over and allow the other side to cook.

Remove from wok and serve with dalma. It can also be served with ghee and sugar.

Kakara Pitha

Cooking Time Required: 30-40 mins
Cost of preparation: 70-80 rupees

Ingredients: Suji ( 250 gm ), maida ( 1 cup ), coconut ( grated, 2 cups ), chenna ( cottage cheese, 1 cup ), sugar ( 3-4 tsp ), raisins ( optional, 1 cup ), fennel ( saunf, pana mahuri, 1 tsp ), cardamon ( 1-2 nos ), ghee ( 1 tbs ), oil for frying, salt.

Preparation: Boil water in a wok ( Use water twice the volume of suji ). Add the suji, maida, fennel and salt to the boiling water and keep stirring continously to avoid formation of lumps.

Remove from fire once the water is completely absorbed and the mixture forms a solid lump.

Allow to cool down a bit. Add the ghee. Knead the mixture into a smooth dough. The kneading should be done when the dough is still hot ( should have a tolearble temperature ).

Add sugar, raisins, cashews, chenna and cardamon powder to the grated coconut.Mix well.

Break the dough into small balls. Flatten the balls into small rotis. Stuff with the
coconut-chenna mixture. Shape into small balls.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add sufficient oil for frying. When the oil is sufficiently hot, add the stuffed balls. Fry till the balls are cooked and turn golden brown.

Remove from the wok and serve hot.

Tip to avoid lumps in the dough - Dissolve 1 tsp maida in cold water and add to the boiling water before adding the rest of the maida and suji.

Note - This Pitha can be made entirely with Suji which makes it very crispy. Or with maida with just a hint of suji for that melt in touch texture without the crispy feel.

Suji Manda

Cooking Time Required: 30-40 mins
Cost of preparation: 50-60 rupees

Ingredients: Suji ( 500 gm ), coconut ( grated, 2 cups ), sugar ( 3-4 tsp ), cardamon ( 1-2 nos ), salt.

Preparation: Boil water in a wok ( Use water twice the volume of suji ). Add the suji and salt to the boiling water and keep stirring continously to avoid formation of lumps. Remove from fire once the water is completely absorbed and the suji forms a solid lump.

Allow to cool down a bit. Knead the suji into a smooth dough. The kneading should be done when the suji is still hot ( should have a tolearble temperature ).

Add sugar and cardamon powder to the grated coconut.Mix well.

Break the dough into small balls. Flatten the balls into small rotis. Stuff with the coconut mixture. Shape into small balls.

Boil water in a deep vessel. Place the suji balls on an idli stand. Put inside the vessel and cover tightly with a lid. Allow to steam for 10-12 mins.

Remove from the vessel and serve hot.

It can also be served as low calorie snack as it does not use any oil.