My Odia Kitchen: A book for preparing 100 recipes

Bhubaneswar: A  book titled ‘My Odia Kitchen’ written by  Usharani Tripathy was released at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here.

The book has more than 100 recipes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, with detailed instructions and photographs. They comprise of old and new recipes, classical elaborate preparations as well as simple everyday fare.

Maj. General  L.K.Gupta, Chairman of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Dr. Priyamvada Mohanty Hejmadi were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Maj. Gen Gupta said that the intangible heritage too was something which should be recorded for posterity.

The book has details of many traditional recipes which are fast disappearing.

He said that timeless recipes are becoming extinct and new fusion cookery is replacing it. Food habits are fast changing, ever evolving and are influenced by trade, travel, and technology, he added.

Dr. Priyamvada said that Odia cuisine is undergoing rapid changes.

“The healthy and nutritious cooking styles are being replaced by newfangled recipes.  Odisha has a wide range of fruits and vegetables besides a variety of fish. Cooking methods too were varied, some of them unique,” she said.

The hallmark of traditional Odia cuisine is that the dishes are prepared to preserve their natural flavors, the subtle use of spices and the minimal use of oil and reliance on seasonal and local produce, she added.

The author, who had earlier written a book “A Taste of Odisha” which was well appreciated, spoke on why she wrote the book.

It will be a boon to the younger generation of Odias, especially those who stay away from the state, said the author.

The book has been published by Amadeus Press, Bhubaneswar.