Bhubaneswar, April 7: ‘Pakhala’, the traditional Odia dish comprising cooked rice washed or lightly fermented in water, will be the centre of attraction at the five-day ‘Pakhala Festival’ being organised by the School of Hotel Management (SHM), faculty of hospitality and tourism management of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here from April 9.
Known as one of the most popular dishes across the state for ages, ‘Pakhala’ is traditionally consumed in Odisha through the year though the demand for the iconic dish goes up during summer for its myriad health benefits.
‘Pakhala’, known in other names or its variants, is also popular in eastern India and several other neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of Myanmar. It is also offered to the deities at the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri.
The dish, which has since found its way to high-end restaurants, will be served at SHM with a variety of accompanying dishes between 12 noon and 3 pm everyday between April 9 and 13.
“The main objective of organizing the event is to popularize the delectable traditional and unique Odisha cuisine among the food lovers of the capital city,” Prof. Susant Ranjan Chaini, Dean of SHM, said.
Visitors will be served the dish, said to be a cooling probiotic, in an ambience of an Odisha village highlighting the state’s culture and lifestyle.
Students, guided by Prof. Chaini and other faculty members, will be organizing the festival, which has become an annual feature of the institute.
Several variants of ‘Pakhala’ like ‘Usuna Pakhala’, ‘Arua Pakhala’, ‘Dahi Pakhala’, ‘Lembu Pakhala’ and ‘Adrak Pakhala’ would be served to the guests with accompanying dishes which include ‘Fish Patrapoda’, ‘Chingudi Chhecha’, ‘Machha Kalia’, ‘Chhatu Patrapoda’, ‘Alu Kalara Batti Tarkari’, ‘Alu Baigana’, ‘Nadia Bhaja’, ‘Saga Badi Bhaja’, ‘Kancha Amba’, ‘Tomato Chhecha’ and ‘Badi Chura’.
