An Ode to Pakhala: Soul of Odia Cuisine!
Pakhala is
for Odias what Pizza is for the Italians, Doner Kebab for the Turkish,
Hamburger for the Americans, Falafel and Hummus for the Middle Easterners,
Beluga Caviar for the Russians, Wagyu Beef for the Japanese, and Peking Duck
for the Chinese. To take examples from closer home, Pakhala is to Odisha what
Butter Chicken Masala is to Punjab, Hilsa Curry to Bengal, Sattu Paratha with
Chokha to Bihar, Dal Bati with Churma to Rajasthan, and Dosa and Idli to the
South. Each region has its most favoured food; and Pakhala is that dish for
Odisha, the eastern State with a population of about 4.75 crore.
Pakhala Dibasa
Odias are
passionate and proud Pakhala eaters. This author is an Odia, and has been
nourished by this simple but nutritious meal during his early years, but had
not heard of a Pakhala Day, since every day was a pakhala day at home. Social
media now tells us that March 20 is designated (by Odisha Culture or Tourism
department?) as Pakhala Dibasa, and some have gone a little over the top to
name it Vishwa Pakhala Dibasa. No matter if non-Odias are unfamiliar with
pakhala; it is hoped that prabasi Odias all over the country and the world
would be overcome with nostalgia for their unforgettable love affair with
pakhala, and improvise to cook and serve a pakhala meal to their family, at
least on this special day.
A friend forwarded an image of Lord Jagannatha savouring pakhala:
Another
friend sent a video of his mouth-watering Pakhala meal — a bowl of pakhala with
several accompanying dishes of saag, fish-fry, chingudi besar, badi, and fritters. Pakhala
Dibasa is a good occasion to promote Odisha tourism, culture and cuisine.
What is Pakhala?
Simply put,
Pakhala is ‘rice in water,’ but far from a humdrum serving of savourless
starch; it is a culinary delight with excellent nutrition; a wholesome meal
with several mouth-watering accompaniments and seasonings. A pakhala meal is a
simple yet elaborate affair where the ingredients must be right and the
seasoning perfect. While the meal is partaken round the year by many, it is
best enjoyed in summer. A soul-satisfying meal for a scorching summer, and a
welcome defence against dehydration and fatigue.
Pakhala
derives from the Sanskrit word ‘prakshyalana’ and means cooked rice washed with
water after draining the thick gruel, and thereafter allowed to sit in water
till it is served. It is best cooked in an earthen handi over a slow fire to
allow each grain to turn over for even cooking. Alas, the village potters are
now out of business, and modern Odia households cook rice in a pressure cooker
or an aluminium cooking pot; the old-world taste of pakhala from an earthen
handi is perhaps lost forever.
Pakhala and Poetry
I guess that
pakhala is somehow responsible for poetry and creative writing. Why else does
Odisha have more poets and writers per square km (including this humble author)
than other parts of India or the world?
An old Odia
semi-classical song, Asa Jibana Dhana Mora Pakhala Kansa (“Come, my
Love, alluring and irresistible as a bowl of rice in water”), sung by Late Bala
Krushna Das, likens the beloved to a pakhala kansa, a delectable meal. The
lyric extols pakhala as a life-saving meal, and in a little hyperbole, asserts
that the life of a person who has never savoured this heavenly meal is
thoroughly wasted. Odias may listen to this song, uploaded on YouTube by Sujit
Madhual; for non-Odia readers, I may someday translate the cute song.
International Day of Happiness
Since 2013,
the UN has celebrated March 20 as the International Day of Happiness. The 11th
World Happiness Report, 2025 was released on 20 March 2025. Sadly, India ranked
116th among 147 countries of the world. But that is another story.
It may not
be a mere coincidence that Odias have chosen to celebrate March 20 as Pakhala
Dibasa. A pakhala meal is guaranteed to make an Odia very, very HAPPY. So, the
choice of date is most apt.
Pakhala: Cuisine Fit for God
Of the
Chhappan Bhog (56 dishes) served to Lord Jagannatha daily, nine are rice
preparations of which four are pakhalas — Dahi pakhala (curd rice and water),
Mitha pakhala (rice, sugar, and water), Ada pakhala (rice, grated ginger and
water), and Arua pakhala (sun-dried and de-husked white rice, ghee, lemon, and
salt).
The nine
varieties of rice are served to the Lord with an accompaniment of fourteen
different curries. Odias are not only rice eaters but also consume prodigious
amounts of dal, green vegetables and saag. Man has made God in his own image,
and serves those dishes which he finds most delicious, not unlike Shabari who
tasted each fruit before offering it to Rama.
Odisha
Tourism’s Twitter handle mentions Subasa Pakhala (Fragrant Rice in Water),
which gets its aroma and unique taste from grated ginger and roasted cumin
seeds, and claims that this dish is part of the Chhappan Bhog recipes for
Jagannatha. Possibly, it is another name for Ada Pakhala.
A happy
diner at Bhubaneswar tweeted his immense satisfaction when served a whole
Pakhala meal for lunch in his office.
Odia Chhappan Bhog Eateries
I wonder why
no Odia entrepreneur has taken Odia cuisine to the rest of India and the world.
How about a chain of Odia Chhappan Bhog Eateries, different from the sweetmeat
shops of that name, offering the dishes served daily to Lord Jagannatha? Of
course, the cooking method in the Lord’s own kitchen at Puri is so unique, no
replication would taste as divine. But those who have never visited Puri could
get an idea of the variety of dishes served to Jagannatha.
A Typical Pakhala Meal
A typical
pakhala meal comprises:
- Rice in water
- Fish — fried or curried, big or
small
- Sour dish — tomato khata or
similar
- Saag
- Tawa-fried pointed gourd
(potala/parwal), potato or brinjal slices, drumsticks, badi, chickpea
- Curd
- A few pods of fresh tamarind or
sun-dried mango slice (ambula), with salt, green chillies, spring onions,
a few cloves of garlic; may be embellished with lightly roasted, pickled, and diced bamboo shoots
- In summer, a few drops of the
juice from the stem of a freshly plucked raw mango to season the pakhala
for an amazing aroma
Pakhala Varieties: Fresh or Fermented
Jagannatha
is served only fresh or Garama pakhala, and only very fine arua (also called
alua) rice (sun-dried and de-husked) is used; but many of his devotees are
partial to ushuna (par-boiled rice lightly de-husked), which is tastier and
healthier. Many also prefer basi, which is fermented rice, with the degree of
fermentation being an individual choice.
In the past,
joint families in the villages cooked only one major meal a day — a big handi
of rice — to serve at least two meals to the entire family, and yet another
serving the next day. Rice cooked in the morning is mildly fermented in summer
by the evening, decently fermented by the next noon, and strongly fermented
thereafter. Some also eat tiasi, which is the third day of fermentation.
In summer,
every house in the village is a micro-brewery, and the torani, the starchy rice
gruel of the pakhala serving, is indeed a naturally fermented rice drink; a
perfect antidote to the harsh summer. Basi is sour, and tastes better with
dollops of salt, much needed to restore the electrolyte balance after profuse
sweating.
Summer is Here
Even though
we are prabasi Odias, we often have pakhala for lunch in summer. Our cook is
very confused when my spouse pours water on top of cooked rice! Spouse prefers
fresh pakhala with curd; my preference is for the mildly fermented; both of us
are guaranteed satisfaction and a relaxing siesta.
Should you
visit our home in summer at lunch, we would be happy to give you a taste of
Pakhala and the unique Taste of Odisha!
***
Post-script
Vikas Khanna
Vikas
Khanna, celebrity chef, says that Odia cuisine is India's most underrated.
Pakhala is the first of the five must-try Odia dishes he recommends.
Link:
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