India is known for its food and cultural diversity. Odisha is one of the iconic states with beaches, famous temples, tribal cultures, a tropical climate and mouth-watering food. If one is a foodie and a traveller, Odisha is the perfect destination. The state offers an array of food varieties that not only get love from locals but also wins the heart of travellers. Passengers can order Odisha famous food on train to satiate their hunger and tastebuds.
Odisha Food: A Distinct Culinary Recipe
The culinary culture of Odisha reflects the state’s rich tradition and culture. Being a coastal state, you can experience the dominance of seafood in its food preparation. Moreover, you can also find rice as a staple food. In addition, cheese or chhena gets widely used in Odisha food.
Here, we have curated a list of some of the most iconic Odia dishes to relish while travelling through the state.
Top Odisha Food For Your Best Meal Experience on Train
Odisha has a scrumptious taste of lentil dishes, the finest desserts, traditional foods, vegetarian dishes, nonveg food and much more to explore. Relish them and delight your train trip.
Pakhala- A Summer Dish
Pakhala, a refreshing and cooling rice dish enjoyed in Odisha for generations, has become a significant part of the state’s cultural heritage. It is prepared in two types – Basi Pakhala and Pakhala Bhat. Basi Pakhala is made by soaking cooked rice in water overnight and letting it ferment until the next day. Pakhala Bhat is made by adding water to freshly cooked rice, along with some buttermilk, salt, and spices. The traditional dish is usually served with side dishes like fried fish, roasted vegetables, and pickles.
Rasabali- Popular Sweet Dish
Rasabali is a similar sweet dish like Rasgulla, prepared by deep-frying flattened balls of chenna (cottage cheese) and soaking them in thickened sweetened milk flavoured with cardamom and saffron. The dish is usually served chilled and garnished with chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios. It has a rich, creamy texture and sweet, aromatic flavour that can surely make your train trip meal a happy delight.
Dalma- Nutritious Dal
Dalma is an Odia-style dal, full of nutrition. It is prepared with roasted moong dal, ginger, green chillies, and chopped veggies such as onions, pumpkin, raw papaya, carrots, etc. After the preparation, the dish is tempered with ghee and various spices, such as cumin seeds, bay leaf, dry red chillies and Panch Phoran, and later garnished with shaved coconut and chopped coconut coriander leaves. You can relish the mouth-watering dal with plain rice, jeera rice, or traditional Odisha delicacies, Kanika or Pakhala.
Kanika- Sweet Pulao
The state’s culinary culture allows you to embrace one of the epic tastes of pulao. Kanika is a traditional pulao recipe of Odisha, offered at the Jagannath Temple along with 56 bhog. You can pair the dish with traditional Dalma. Moreover, you can also relish Kanika with Mutton or chicken curry.
Khicede- Main Bhog of Lord Jagannath
Called Kichadi in other states, Khicede in Odisha is a main Prasad of Lord Jagannath. It is a flavourful combination of rice, lentils, veggies, spices, and ghee, full of nutrition and health benefits. In Odisha, you can taste authentic Khicede. The dish in the state is served with papad, pickles, raita, curd, and chutney.
Rasgulla- A Traditional Dessert
You must have heard about the famous Rashogulla of West Bengal. But do you know the Rasgulla from Odisha also has its own identity? It has received a GI tag for its unique taste and texture. The Odisha Rasgulla is very soft, juicy and non-chewy in consistency, unlike the other Rasgulla varieties from across the country. You must have this Rasgulla on your Odisha special platter to make it a complete meal.
Machha Besara- Seafood
Popular seafood from the eastern Indian state of Odisha, Machha Besara is made with fish (usually Rohu or Catla) cooked in spicy mustard gravy. The fish is first marinated in turmeric and salt to prepare the authentic dish and then fried in mustard oil until golden brown. The gravy is made separately by grinding mustard seeds, garlic, ginger, and green chillies into a fine paste and then adding it to the fried fish with water. The dish is then simmered until the fish is cooked and the gravy thickens. Machha Besara is usually served with steamed rice. You can get the special Odia combo food delivery in train to soothe your belly during the trip.
Bara Ghugni – Odisha Street Food
The Odia Snack Bara Ghugni is a delicious munchie. It is a combo dish of deep-fried muffins of Urad dal and spicy chickpea curry, garnished with chopped onions, coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The popular street food is enjoyed hot as a light dish. You can find the kiosk of Bara Ghugni almost at each corner of the state.
Pitha- Sweet or Savoury Dish
Pitha, also known as Pithe, is a popular Sweet or Savoury dish in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar. Typically, the dish is made from rice flour or wheat flour and filled with a variety of sweet or savoury fillings. Different types of savoury pithas include Chakuli Pitha and Manda Pitha, whereas Kakra Pitha is a Sweet Pitha. The savoury pithas are served with tomato chutney or aloo curry. You can enjoy this traditional cuisine on train with the help of online e-catering.
Chungdi Malai- Prawn Curry
Are you a non-veg food lover? Don’t forget to try the savoury taste of delicious prawn curry while travelling through the major railway stations of Odisha. Chungdi Malai is a rich and creamy delicacy prepared by cooking prawns in coconut milk. The dish with a silky texture is worth having on your train trip.
Major Railway Stations to Order Odisha Special Food on Train
While travelling through the state, you can eat Odisha food at numerous railway stations of Odisha by ordering it from the train food app RailRestro. Here, we have curated the list of top railway stations to relish Odisha’s famous food on train.
Puri Railway Station, PURI
Puri is a coastal city of Odisha, known for the world-famous Shree Jagannath ji temple (One of Major Char Dham Yatra). Several people come to the city for the Darshan. Handling over 50 trains, Puri railway station is the busiest railway station in the state.
Bhubaneswar Railway Station, BBS
The major station of the state capital, Bhubaneswar railway station, is known for serving the best Odia food. RailRestro e-catering’s partner restaurants allow you to order several food items for your train trip, including regional Odisha thali, Khacide, Rasgulla, and more. You can order famous Odisha food in train at Bhubaneswar Railway station and enjoy a special treat.
Cuttack Junction, CTC
Another important railway station in Odisha is Cuttack. Major long-route trains such as Neelachal Express, Howrah SF Express, and Falaknuma Express stop here. If you’re travelling by these trains, you can get Odisha-specialised dishes by placing an online food order on train.
Rourkela Junction, ROU
Located in the Sundargarh district, Rourkela is Odisha’s third-largest urban region. The junction station is among the top 100 hundred booking railway stations in India. It is connected to various important cities of India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Asansol, Ranchi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur etc.
Sambalpur Junction, SBP
Sambalpur railway station is the cleanest railway station in the East Coast Railway zone. It is located as a prominent station at Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line and Cuttack–Sambalpur line.
What is the popular food of Odisha?
The traditional food of Odisha, such as Dalma, Chhena Poda, Pakhala, Rasabali, Machha Besara etc., and street foods, including Bara Ghuguni, Chuda Ghasa, Dahi Bara, and Aloo Dum, are popular dishes of Odisha.
What is the speciality of Odisha food?
A unique blend of flavours and the use of local ingredients like Panch Phoran, a spice mix made with cumin, mustard, fennel, fenugreek, and nigella seeds, make Odia cuisine special.
How can I get Odia Food on Train?
With e-catering services, getting regional food on train is not difficult. Just get your back on RailRestro. The train food app will help you order regional foods on train, including Odia, Punjabi, Awadi, and more.
To do Online food order for train journey, visit the RailRestro train food app or website, enter your train ticket PNR number or train number, select your train en-route station at which you want your train food to be delivered, select your preferred Odisha special food, process with payment methods and place the order.
With RailRestro business number 8102888999, You can now even order food in train on WhatsApp chat more conveniently.