By Ujjainee Roy
January 1, 2023
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Makar Sankranti in Odisha, is marked with sweets made with seasonal produce alongside an array of temple food. It is a significant harvest festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and some of the dishes even have interesting histories. Let's have a look at some of them:
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Makara Chaula is a special dish prepared with a mix of newly harvested rice or Nabanna, yoghurt, chhena, fruits, and jaggery. This dish symbolizes the first taste of the new harvest and is often offered as prasad
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Kakara Pitha is a deep-fried sweet dish made with a wheat flour dough filled with a mixture of jaggery, grated coconut, and a filling of khoya.
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Manda Pitha is a soft, steamed dumpling filled with a mixture of coconut and jaggery. The outer layer is often made with rice flour or sooji
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Chenna Poda is a traditional baked dessert made with chhena, sugar, and cardamom. Though it is more commonly associated with other festivals, Chenna Poda is made in and around Odisha on Sankranti as well
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Khichdi made with newly harvested rice, lentils, and various seasonal vegetables is a simple and wholesome dish prepared during Makar Sankranti. It symbolizes the spirit of the harvest season and is often offered to deities as bhog
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Til Barfi is a sweet fudge-like dessert made with sesame seeds, jaggery, and ghee. The combination of roasted sesame seeds and jaggery creates a rich and flavorful barfi
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Biri Bara is a savoury vada made with urad dal, sooji, rice powder and chillies. It's a tin dish that's fermented and then fried
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Dalma is a traditional Odia dish made with lentils, vegetables, and spices. It's a curry that is made with seasonal veggies and cooked in a flavourful broth
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