Present your sweet tooth with the most delicious meetha (sweets) from one of the states of India that is known for its presentation of food to its God Lord Jagannath. Food is the most essential substance for living, and it is said that Odia's have mastered the art of cooking, serving, and eating. Dessert is regarded as the cherry on the cake of a good meal, and for this apparent reason, Odia's do not compromise with the taste of their sweets. While most people are not aware of the sweet dishes relished by Odias, here are the top five picks from the very long list of sweet dishes from this state-
1- Rasagola: After a prolonged rift between Odisha and West Bengal over Rasagola's origin, Odisha got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for this sweet dish. Every year after the Rath Yatra is about to end, Lord Jagannath presents Rasagola to Goddess Laksmi to re-enter the temple with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. It is ritually practised to date. The Rasagola in Odisha comprises Cottage cheese (Chenna) cooked in sugar syrup for a soft and juicy consistency. It has a unique colour because of the caramelized sugar and distinct cooking techniques.
2- Rasabali: It is specially made and relished in the district of Kendrapada of Odisha. It is offered to Baladevjew and originated in the Baladevjew Temple of Kendrapara. Rasabali is one of the Chapana bhoga of Puri's Jagannath temple. These are deep-fried chenna pancakes, soaked inside the creamy rabri with a hint of saffron.
3- Chenna Poda: Chenna means cheese while Poda means burnt. Traditionally this dessert is prepared using the traditional baking method of sal leaves to enhance its flavour. Cottage cheese with cottage cheese, jaggery, rice flour, milk, ghee and lots of dry fruits is baked for hours until it turns brown though nowadays, people make it in less time in the oven. As the entire dish is baked, it is often referred to as a traditional cake dish of Odisha.
4- Chenna Jhilli: The dish originated in the Nimapada village in the district Of Puri. It is made from fresh Chenna or cottage cheese and then fried in ghee and soaked in cardamon flavoured light sugar syrup. Though the working recipe of the dish is similar to that of Rasagola, still it tastes different. According to some folklores, the original recipe is still a family secret and has yet not been cracked by anyone.
5- Kheera Gaja: Gaja is a deep-fried sweet typical in its taste. It can be prepared with paneer, khoya or maida and with the difference in the ingredients, the name changes. In Kheera Gaja, the key component includes khoya, which is deep-fried using ghee and then drenched in sugar syrup. The texture of the sweet is moist and crunchy.
Celebrate your special days and festivals with these tempting Odia sweet dishes, and do not forget to try the authentic taste of these sweets on your next visit to Odisha.