Odisha Food Festival at The Stadel, 12th-14th July

I love the food from Odisha, and partly to blame is my father’s obsession with Puri. At one point of time, we would go to Puri virtually every month, and I loved the people, the beach, and the food. My father had this obsession of getting fish, vegetables and chicken from the market and giving it to the cook for lunch, and the result would be amazing. It was with a good deal of anticipation I went to the Odisha food festival at The Stadel (sadly, its over now) and I wasn’t disappointed.

odisha food festival in Kolkata
Odisha food festival in Kolkata

A large platter filled with white rice, served with an assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian sides, and a big bowl filled with pariba khechuri, soft vegetables cooked with rice and mung beans, laden with ghee, which is exactly what you might fall in love with on a cold, rainy day, with an assortment of fried goodies lacing the plate.

pariba khechuri - Khichuri with vegetables
pariba khechuri – Khichuri with vegetables

Among the vegetarian items what makes me happy is the perfectly cooked cabbage – Bandhakopir Santula, served with perfectly fried, puffed up luchi, and the hit from freshly pounded garam masala, especially cardamom reminds me of lazy Sunday afternoons and consuming more than I could.

luchi torkari
luchi torkari

My other favourite was the Badi tarkari. I rarely see Badi (sun-dried lentil dumplings) on the menu, and this version was spicy, with a runny gravy which is great for mixing in with white rice.

badi tarkari
badi tarkari

And for the people who love their fish and meat, Odisha has much to offer. From a plethora of fish dishes to chicken and meat, the platters kept on coming.

Chuna Machh Bhaja
Chuna Machh Bhaja

Little fishes, deep fried till crunchy, served with a wedge of lime. With rice and dal, or consumed solo – a whole plate disappeared before my eyes.

kukuda aloo jhol
kukuda aloo jhol

 The chicken curry with potatoes was simply cooked, hints of tomatoes and onions and cinnamon, with soft chunks of potato which went rather nicely with both luchi and rice. With some chillies and a lemon wedge squeezed in, I sank into my seat and ate my weight in it. I also had some of the mutton – Mangsher Tarkari – which was nice, but nothing to write home about.

malpua and chhanar jilipi
malpua and chhanar jilipi

Desserts were simple – the Malpua was thin, crisp on the edges, saturated with sugar. The other favourite from the platter for me was the Chhanar Jilipi, soft, sweet, and rather delicate. I do hope the Odisha food festival returns to The Stadel soon, because I loved the comfort the food offered.

Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited to The Stadel by the management.

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2 Responses

  1. Dear Poorna,

    Greetings from The Stadel Team!

    It is through valuable feedback like yours that we strive to improve
    service standards and guest expectations.

    We do look forward to the pleasure of welcoming you again.

    Regards,

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About Me

Hi, I’m Panushwari

Welcome to my blog which is mostly about Food, Travel, Lifestyle and Beauty. I generally review restaurants and hotels in Kolkata and my work as a Restaurant Consultant and Food Critic in Kolkata allows me to maintain this blog as a showcase of my work. I am also a published author and have been a panelist at many events.

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