Pakhal Dibas, Odisha: Beat The Heat With Odia Food

BHUBANESWAR: Odia people on Sunday celebrated Pakhal Dibas showing their love for their traditional and staple food. March 20 is celebrated as Pakhal Dibas.

While people in Odisha made a beeline at several hotels and restaurants to relish Pakhal, Odias across the globe took to Twitter to show their affinity to the dish.

Odia’s worldwide have been observing Pakhal Dibas on March 20 consecutively for the last five years.
Pakhal or watered rice is an Odia term for an Indian food consisting of cooked rice washed or little fermented in water. The liquid part is known as Toraṇi.

Pakhala is best served with badi chura, macha bhaja (fried fish), saga, baigana tamata poda, alu bharta, amba chatani, onion and cucumber is every Odia’s favourite food.

“Pakhala is a traditional Odia dish prepared with rice, curd, cucumber, cumin seeds, fried onions and mint leaves. Pakhala is not just staple food for the common man, it is also part of food for Lord Jagannath (in Puri),” tweeted famous Indian Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

With the beginning of summer, it has become the first choice of Odia people to beat the heat with Pakhal.

Types of Pakhal
• Jeera Pakhaḷa is made by adding fried cumin with curry leaves with Pakhaḷa

• Dahi Pakhaḷa is made by adding curd with pakhaḷa. Badi Chura is taken as a side dish with Pakhala

• Garama Pakhaḷa (Hot Pakhaḷa) is generally made by adding water instantly after making rice or with warm rice

• Basi pakhaḷa is made by fermenting rice by adding water which is generally kept overnight and eaten in the next day