Is Odisha food the next big thing on India's dining scene?

India’s dining landscape is dominated by South and North Indian cuisine; it is as if a restaurant could go either the “dosas and idlis” or the “butter chicken and naan” way. But amid this culinary monotony, flavours of Odisha are quietly gaining traction.

Odisha is famous for its classical dance, “Odissi,” and maybe for its temple architecture, but its cuisine remains largely unknown, overshadowed by the familiar culinary narratives of the North and South. Yet Odisha is a state of quiet culinary brilliance, with food of such depth and distinction that it is remarkable the mainstream has yet to discover it.

Its cuisine is deeply layered with the contrasting tastes of sharp raw mango and briny dried fish; mustard seeds and panch phoran, which form the backbone of almost all its dishes; and the subtle presence of coconut and turmeric threading through it all. These flavours are foreign yet comforting, and this is exactly the push that is enabling Odisha to position itself as the next great culinary frontier – one that chefs and diners are only just beginning to explore.

For this purpose of exploration, the Cuisine India Society, headed by Anil Rajput, Secretary General, hosted a contemporary dining experience to celebrate the uniqueness and complexity of Odia cuisine at the luxury hotel ITC Maurya in Delhi.

The spread was extensive, with menus structured around traditional Odia meal conventions – eka-patra bhojana (meal in a bowl), mukhya khadya (main course), and mithana (desserts).

Each dish was created to preserve the “purity of Odia flavours” – a point emphasised by Chef Manisha Bhasin, Corporate Chef of ITC Hotels, while still reimagining it in a more contemporary manner. This can be observed in the slow-cooked kukuda kasa tacos or the ghugni croquettes (a beloved Odia curry made of peas) with mudhi crust.

Flavours of Odisha

A selection of classic Odia appetisers set the tone, such as the machha besara skewers, a traditional fish curry prepared in mustard, a defining flavour in Odia food, or the badi chura tartlet, a miniature dish packed with the robust flavours of a garlic-yogurt mousse and badi chura, a crunchy side dish made of sun-dried lentils.

Another popular seafood appetiser is the Chingudi kasa filo parcels, a signature Odia-style dish of coastal prawns cooked in a caramelised onion and ginger gravy, then wrapped in buttery, flaky filo sheets.

Dahi vada aloo dum, an iconic street food common on the pavements of Cuttack, was indulgent with its spicy potato curry toppings, and alongside it sat pakala bhath, a summer staple of Odisha, consisting of cooked rice and spicy side dishes.

A typical Odia main course is expansive, featuring ghee-roasted vegetables with a panch phoran glaze (literally meaning “five spices”) and dalma – an everyday staple in Odisha (it is to Odisha what dal tadka is to the North) known for its comforting and warm tastes of tur dal, boiled vegetables, cinnamon, and coconut, cenered around another traditional dish Kanika – a mildly sweet rice dish prepared during festivals and pujas.

Non-vegetarians have a similar plethora of options, one being the iconic chilika chingudi jhola, which features the finest prawns sourced from the brackish waters of Chilika Lake with a classically spicy Odia-style gravy. For those who prefer other meats, there is the Cuttacki mutton biryani, a minimalistic regional variation of biriyani made with a signature soft potato, and tacos made with country-style chicken, served in tortillas that taste and feel almost like appam.

The dessert section followed suit, allowing Odia flavours to take centre stage while the contemporary elements served as the backdrop.

The ultimate time-honoured dessert of Odisha, chenna poda (said to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite), a decadent, caramalised “cheesecake” made with cottage cheese. The enduri pitha, a culturally significant dish offered to deities during the Prathamastami festival, also stands out for its coconut and guda flavours stuffed into a soft rice cake.

Beyond the plate

When asked about the reasoning behind a menu based entirely on the flavours of Odisha, Chef Bhasin emphasised the importance of “exploring and experimenting with India’s less-known regional cuisines” to bring them into mainstream consciousness and educate diners about their relevance and heritage.

Moreover, she believes that blending traditional flavours with modern techniques and styles acts as a bridge, connecting younger generations to cuisines that are part of India’s rich culinary fabric. “Young people often turn to the West for food, like burgers and so on. It is important they look towards India and see the various types of cuisines India offers,” she said.

As diners look for something more adventurous, more authentic, the obscure and extraordinary culinary tradition of Odisha is finally stepping into the light. It could be the next big thing.