This Diwali Try These Odia Sweets

It's claimed that Chenna Poda hails from the Nayagarh region of Odisha. The ingredients for this classic dish include dried fruits and chenna, or cottage cheese. It is immersed in sugar syrup until it is fully sweetened. Odia people generally consider this a cake and slice it when serving it because of its shape.

In Odisha, one of the well-liked sweets is the chhena gaja. Farmer's cheese and semolina are combined to form a dough that is then shaped into palm-sized cubes and deep-fried. It is then cooked in a sugar syrup. Pahala is a popular destination for these sweets.

Khira Sagara, which in Odia means "ocean of milk". In Hindu mythology, Lakshmi is shown serving dessert to Vishnu and Madhusudana. Khira Sagara is made by rolling chhena, or farmer's cheese, into marble-sized balls and soaking them in sweetened condensed milk. Cardamom and saffron are common seasonings to add aroma.

Its birthplace is Nimapada in the Puri district. Fresh chhena and semolina are thoroughly kneaded to form a soft dough. It is then carefully folded into little 'U' shape pieces, with both top ends attached and deep fried. They are then soaked in sugar syrup. After absorbing the syrup, they swell up and are either served warm or cold.

This juicy sweetmeat has its roots in the Baladevjew Temple in Kendrapara. It is offered to Baladevjew. In Jagannath's Chapana Bhoga, Rasabali is included. Farmer cheese, also known as chhena, is hand-flatten and deep-fried into reddish-brown patties. These patties are then steeped in rabri. Cardamom adds to its aroma.