By Shreya Goswami
September 18, 2023
The harvest festival of Nuakhai in Odisha is all about celebrating fresh crops of rice, vegetables and even lentils. Here are a few traditional Odia dishes that are prepared to celebrate this harvest festival.
The Odia version of Kheer highlights the freshness of the new rice crops and is made with sugar, milk, cardamom and dry fruits.
This vegetable-loaded dish from Odia cuisine has a sweet-and-sour flavour thanks to tamarind and jaggery.
A dry and savoury mixed vegetables dish, Ghanta Tarkari is usually enjoyed with steamed rice and other sides.
A sweeter version of Dahi Vada, this one is made with deep-fried moong dal fritters soaked in a sugar syrup.
Made with new rice flour, jaggery, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cardamom and water, these deep-fried goodies are a Nuakhai-special delicacy.
Made with pumpkin leaves, pumpkin and ridge gourd, this mildly spiced curry is best eaten with steamed rice.
Image Credit: Freepik
Made with a shell of new rice flour and a stuffing of coconut, sugar and cardamom, this is one of the prominent Pithas of Odisha.
Arhar dal, plenty of vegetables like drumstick and ash gourd, and mild spices make Dalma a must-have on Nuakhai.
A golden-hued, sweet rice pulao from Odisha, Kanika is made with the new rice harvest, turmeric powder and sugar.
With okra and bamboo shoots coming in season, Nuakhai witnesses the preparation of this simple curry with a mustard-tomato gravy.