Come, Binge On Pakhala at SOA

Bhubaneswar: If you missed having Pakhala on Pakhala Divas (March 20), then you can binge on it at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA).

Faculty at the deemed university’s School of Hotel Management (SHM) are organising a “Pakhala Festival” that kicked off on April 1 (Utkal Diwas) and will be on till April 7. It is open to the public

The festival was inaugurated by SOA’s vice-president Ms Saswati Das, who described Pakhala as principle food in any Odia home.

Pakhala, consumed in several eastern Indian states though known by different names, consists of cooked rice washed or slightly fermented in water.

The spread at the institute consists of Herbal Pakhala, Lembu Pakhala, Dahi Pakhala, Chhunka Pakhala, Ada Pakhala, Amba Pakhala and Pudina Pakhala.

Herbal Pakhala is prepared with brown rice, tulsi leaf and onion shoots.

At the institute one can have a range of accompaniments with one’s Pakhala. Vegetarian accompaniments include Saga Badi Bhaja, Alu Bharta, Badi Chura, mixed vegetable fry, Bhindi Alu Bhaja, Amba Chhecha, Paneer Bharta and Chhatu Patrapoda.

Non-vegetarian items on offer include Chingudi Chhecha, Maccha Patrapoda and Sukhua Besara, or Mutton tuktuka, Keema Kalija Kasha, Achari Kukuda, Chingudi Jharjhari and Chuna Macchha Bhaja.

For dessert, the institute is offering Chhena Gaja, Kakara and Nodia (coconut) ice cream.
“This is an attempt to familiarise our students with traditional Odia cuisine and rural culture,” said Prof Sitikantha Mishra, adviser and dean of SHM.

Adding a rural tinge to the occasion, students who were serving the guests wore traditional village attire.