Pakhaḷa is an Odia cuisine, consisting of cooked rice washed or lightly fermented in water. The liquid part of the dish is known as Toraṇi. It is popular in the state of Odisha and its similar variants in the eastern regions like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, and the northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.
It is a preparation that is consumed during summer, although many people eat it throughout the year, especially for lunch. It is popular among the public as it provides a refreshing food source during the hot climate and replenishes the nutrients in the body. A traditional Odia dish, it is prepared with rice, curd, cucumber, cumin seeds, fried onions and mint leaves. It is popularly served with dry roasted vegetables—such as potato, brinjal, badi and saga bhaja or fried fish.
The term "pakhala" is derived from Pali word "pakhāḷitā" as well as Sanskrit word "Prakshāḷaṇa" which means "washed/to wash.
It is unknown when pakhaḷa was first included in the daily diet of Eastern India, but it was included in the recipe of Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri circa 10th cen. It seems that Pakhala is first introduced in Odisha. A special day, March 20, is celebrated in Odisha as Pakhala Dibasa every year. All Odia people celebrate this day. The Pakhaḷa is eaten in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent (including Nepal and some parts of Myanmar). The word pakhaḷa was used in the Odia poems of Arjuna Das in his literary work Kaḷpalata (1520-1530 AD).
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Pakhala Bhata
Course : Breakfast
Cuisine : Indian
Prep time : 5 minutes
Process time : 5 minutes
Total time : 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Cooked rice soaked in water overnight - 1 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Green chili - 1
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Instructions:
Soak the cooked rice in water overnight, next day it wil be fermented
To the fermented rice, add onion, ginger, green chili and curd, mix
Then add lemon juice,salt as per taste and mix again
Serve cool
Pictorial:
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