The food, culture, tastes and palates differ greatly across our diverse nation. So having lived in the western part of India all my life, living in the east for two years, was a welcome change in terms of food experimentation. Here in Orissa, the flavours and spices used are very different; usually mild and delicately spiced; unlike the rest of India. Also since vegetarianism is low here, it is a little difficult to find traditional Odiya cuisine cooked with vegetables. But thankfully, places like Sola Ana Odiya, are some of the very few that specialize in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian traditional Odiya food. And to complete the experience the place is replete with traditional Odiya-art inspired interiors to create a wonderful mood that blends in with the aromatic steam coming out of the kitchen. Non-vegetarians will laugh if you tell them that you got out of the place without having a fish curry or chicken. But trust me, the vegetarian food, though a little bland for spice-lovers’ taste, is authentic and does justice to the traditional menu of the state.
The traditional
luchi (flour bread deep fried in oil) is light and tastes great. For non-calorie-conscious food lovers like me, it can be a perfect combination with
aloo poshto or
bhaja. The
ghee rice n
yellow dal is sinfully rich and yet homely to let you experience the flavour of
ghar-ka-dal-chawal with a yummy Odiya twist. All the
chhena (ricotta cheese) dishes are great too and so are the
chhenna sweets. The simple yet sumptuous meals can be concluded with a delightfully ghee-laden
Malpua (sweetened deep-fried mixture of flour and bananas) or the traditional
Rosogullas (cheese dumplings dipped in sugar syrup) to bring a grand end to the typically Odiya indulgence!
A must-try-out restaurant if you visit Bhubaneswar or if you already live there and haven’t yet been to the place. Enjoy the food and live life king-size...A royal thumps-up from us XIMBians!!
