Bhubaneswar, April 7: ‘Pakhala’, the traditional Odia dish comprising cooked rice
washed or lightly fermented in water, will be the centre of attraction at the five-day
‘Pakhala Festival’ being organised by the School of Hotel Management (SHM), faculty
of hospitality and tourism management of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be
University (SOA) here from April 9.
Known as one of the most popular dishes across the state for ages, ‘Pakhala’ is
traditionally consumed in Odisha through the year though the demand for the iconic dish
goes up during summer for its myriad health benefits.
‘Pakhala’, known in other names or its variants, is also popular in eastern India
and several other neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of
Myanmar. It is also offered to the deities at the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri.
The dish, which has since found its way to high-end restaurants, will be served at
SHM with a variety of accompanying dishes between 12 noon and 3 pm everyday
between April 9 and 13. “The main objective of organizing the event is to popularize the
delectable traditional and unique Odisha cuisine among the food lovers of the capital
city,” Prof. Susant Ranjan Chaini, Dean of SHM, said.
Visitors will be served the dish, said to be a cooling probiotic, in an ambience of
an Odisha village highlighting the state’s culture and lifestyle.
Students, guided by Prof. Chaini and other faculty members, will be organizing
the festival, which has become an annual feature of the institute.
Several variants of ‘Pakhala’ like ‘Usuna Pakhala’, ‘Arua Pakhala’, ‘Dahi
Pakhala’, ‘Lembu Pakhala’ and ‘Adrak Pakhala’ would be served to the guests with
accompanying dishes which include ‘Fish Patrapoda’, ‘Chingudi Chhecha’, ‘Machha
Kalia’, ‘Chhatu Patrapoda’, ‘Alu Kalara Batti Tarkari’, ‘Alu Baigana’, ‘Nadia Bhaja’, ‘Saga
Badi Bhaja’, ‘Kancha Amba’, ‘Tomato Chhecha’ and ‘Badi Chura’.
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