A Simple Odia Thali

Weekend 1: We started our Weekend Thali Project with a simple Odia Thali. Since Vikram’s family is from Odisha, we tend to make most of the dishes included in this Thali regularly. We did not prepare this meal by looking at recipes or youtube videos, instead these dishes have been taught to us by Maa - Vikram’s mom. Having said that, I have added link’s to videos\recipes that come closest to how we have learnt to cook them from Maa.

Dalma - This dish is the hallmark of Odia food. It’s an extremely tasty and nutritious lentil dish that is made with a variety of dals and vegetables. I have learnt that Odia families tend to make this dish in different ways with the ultimate version made at the Jagannath temple in Puri for MahaPrasad. This dish truly deserves an entire article all to itself and I will definitely share the recipe that Maa taught me, eventually.

Bhendi Bhaja - A simple and easy dish to make, this is an Okra and Potato fry that is lightly spiced with chilli powder and cumin powder.

Baigana Poda - This is the Odia version of Bhaigan Bharta. The pungent taste of mustard oil truly complements the roasted flavor of the eggplant and the kick from the raw onions and the green chillies elevates this dish to an entirely new level.

Nulkol Fry - Kohlrabi fry is a low-carb replacement for Potato fry. It’s as simple as chopping the vegetable, frying it with a little bit of oil, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Bapa (my father in law) loves this vegetable and we tend to make this whenever he visits us from India.

Gobi Tarkari - This is a Cauliflower and Potato curry dish that we spice with nigella (kalonji) and green chillies. I couldn’t quite find a recipe to match the way we make this dish, but I recommend starting this dish by adding kalonji and sliced green chillies to the oil and then finishing the dish as any normal Indian curry. Trust me, this completely changes the taste of the dish for the better.

Machha Bhaja - No traditional Odia meal is complete without amisha (non-veg). This fish fry has been made by first marinating the fish with salt, turmeric, mustard oil, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste and then pan-frying it on a cast-iron skillet. Easy and tasty, this dish brings out the flavor of the fish without overpowering it with the masala.

And there you have it folks. A simple Odia meal that satisfies your hunger and soul.