As the summer sets in, a typical dish that makes rounds in Odia households is pakhala. This staple rice dish has been a part of Odia culinary fares since time immemorial and is known for its cooling effects. Despite the foray of numerous modern recipes, the Odia pakhala has retained its prominence among the natives. It is more than a comfort food; it is an emotion. The popularity of this humble dish is immense, so much so that there is a dedicated day, i.e., World Pakhala Dibasa, which falls on March 20 and is celebrated by Odias across the globe. Do you know that Kapalata (1520-1530 AD), a collection of poetry written in the Odia language by Arjuna Das, contains the term pakhala? Apart from the pakhala itself, the array of accompaniments served along makes it more interesting. So, this summer, if you are excited to try Odia pakhala, include a few popular Odia side dishes.
What is Odia pakhala?
Mildly fermented rice is known as pakhala. Many still use the time-honoured technique of soaking cooked rice in water in a pot with a bit of old pakhala. Others prefer to let the cooked rice ferment in water for 8-12 hours or the whole night. There is no need to season the rice with any stale pakhala here. After being submerged in water for around 6 hours, rice often undergoes fermentation. This method gives pakhala its characteristic sour flavour. Curd, lemon juice, or fresh mango are popular additions for those who want a tangier taste.
What to pair with Odia pakhala?
The options are plenty, and it depends on personal taste preference and the availability of ingredients. Nevertheless, a few hit items include an array of fries, mashed vegetables, chutneys and fish items.
Aloo chakata
This an Odia rendition of English mashed potato. In this preparation, the potatoes are boiled, peeled, and mashed. It gets a tempering with cumin seeds, red chilli and chopped onions. Seasoning with salt to taste and mixing everything thoroughly completes the aloo chakata. Round fist size balls are made from it and served with pakhala.
Badi chura
Badi in Odia stands for sun-dried lentils, tiny dumplings. They come as plain and flavoured versions. The recipe for bari chura calls for deep frying the pieces of bari in mustard oil and coarsely pounding them in a mortar and pestle. The pounded baris are blended with chopped onion and green chillies and seasoned with salt to taste.
Baigana bhaja
Baigana bhaja is nothing but deep or shallow-fried brinjal slices. It is a simple recipe in which the brinjal is cut round or length-wise, rubbed with salt, turmeric powder, and chilli powder, and fried in mustard oil.
Fritters
Odia pakhala would be incomplete if there were no servings of fritters. One of the most popular choices is kakharu phula bhaja or pumpkin flower fritters. To make it, pumpkin flowers are cleaned carefully. They are dipped in gram flour batter seasoned with salt, chilli powder, baking powder and deep fried.
Chhuin aloo bhaja
Chhuin or moringa, or drumsticks, are one of the favourite vegetables of Odia people. A summer lunch spread of pakhala must include chhuin aloo (potato) bhaja (fry). A few also like to make chhuin aloo rai cooked with par-boiled drumsticks and potatoes with mustard paste. Usually, it gets a tart flavour with the use of tomatoes and ambula or dried mango.
Saga bhaja
Odia cuisine gives a lot of importance to including saga or leafy vegetables. The everyday meal in this state remains incomplete without a serving of culinary fares made with green vegetables. The spread of pakhala invariable includes saga bhaja, which is a stir fry of leafy veggies such as palanga or spinach, kosala or Amarnath, pui or Malabar spinach and a few other seasonal varieties.
Saga bhaja, macha bhaja and aloo chakata, Image Credit: Hungryforever7@Instagram
Macha bhaja
Odia cuisine has a significant segment dedicated to fish delicacies. A simple rendition often served alongside pakhala is macha bhaja. The natives include both big and small variants of fish types, which are fried in oil with some spices and seasonings.
Ambula
A staple ingredient in Odia kitchen in ambula, which is sun-dried raw mango pieces. These are used as souring agents in various curries and dal. Meanwhile, an array of tart side dishes such as madhuruchi, ambula khata, ambula chakata completes an Odia meal. A serving of pakhala is unimaginable without ambula.
Chingudi chhecha
One of the most distinctive dishes from Odisha that you may serve is called chingudi chhecha. Combine cleaned chingudi (prawn) with turmeric powder and salt. Fry them in mustard oil until they're golden brown. Mix red chilli powder and cumin into crushed fried chingudi and serve.
Tomato chakata
Roasted tomatoes are mashed and seasoned with minced onion and green chilies for this dish. Mustard oil is liberally drizzled over the dish to add taste. Some folks additionally add over some mixture or chenachura for extra crunch.
Conclusion:
Odia pakhala is one of the ancient dishes of this region. It has mentions in various classic literatures. Despite the advent of modernism, the charm of pakhala remains unaltered for Odia people and they devour it with love when served along with an array of traditional side dishes.