Oriya cuisine

Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine(Odia: ) uses less oil and is less spicy, but very flavourful.Rice is the staple food of this region. Mustard oil is used in several dishes as the cooking medium, but ghee is preferred in temples. In old times food was traditionally served on Banana leaves or disposable plates made of sal leaves.

Odia cooks, particularly from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to cook food in accordance with Hindu scriptures. During the 19th century, many Odia cooks were employed in Bengal and they took several dishes with them.

Yoghurt is used in dishes. Many sweets of the region are based on Chhena (cheese). The period saw a heavy demand for Brahmin cooks, leading many Odia cooks to fake their castes.

The ingredients used in Odia cuisine are plantains, jackfruit, and papaya. The curries are garnished with dried raw mango (ambula) and tamarind. Coconut is used in several dishes.

Panch phutana is a blend of five spices that is widely used in Odia cuisine. It contains mustard, cumin, fenugreek, aniseed and kalonji. Garlic, onion ginger are used in most of the food. Temple food preparation doesn't allow use of garlic or onion. Turmeric and red chillies are commonly used.

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