Pakhala

20 March is celebrated as Pakhala Dibasa around the world in honour of the humble pakhala, a beloved Odia dish. In fact, pakhala is an important naivedhya offered to Bhagawan Jagannath during the Sakala Dhupa, Madhyana Dhupa and Sandhya Dhupa, a tradition that has been followed since the 10th century as per locals.

 

The priests say that Bhagawan Jagannath relishes the different types of the pakhala offered by His devotees with shraddha and bhakti. Pakhala is essentially fermented rice gruel enjoyed with an assortment of accompaniments like pumpkin flower fritters, raw jackfruit coated in rice batter and deep – fried, stir – fried amaranth leaves, potato and drumsticks cooked in mustard gravy, tomato chutney, fresh ridge gourd peel chutney, boiled taro, aloo chutney, bhaigan bharta and others.

 

This unique preparation is an integral part of the Odia cuisine and is ideal to beat the summer heat. The simplest pakhala is the basi pakhala wherein a portion of cooked indigenous rice (like usna rice or any other parboiled rice variety) is soaked in water and allowed to ferment overnight in an earthen pot. It is partaken with a pinch of salt, green chilli, diced onions and lemon and sometimes with badi chura.

 

The other common variations are saja pakhala (prepared by adding water to the freshly cooked rice and a few drops of lemon juice), dahi pakhala (beaten curd and salt are added to the fermented rice), sughandi pakhala (chopped or grated ginger and roasted cumin seeds are added to the salted cooked rice), chupada pakhala (cooked rice in water is squeezed out and served with curd, roasted cumin seeds and salt), mitha pakhala (sugar or jaggery and even oranges are added to the cooked rice with a garnish of roasted cumin seeds) and tabha pakhala (lemon juice and freshly grated ginger are added to the cooked rice and seasoned with cumin seeds and ghee).

 

This versatile local delicacy is packed with vitamins and nutrients and improves digestion, promotes good sleep and hydration, boosts immunity and is a natural coolant.

 

Written by Lakshmi Subramanian