Cuttack: It is Dahibara Aloodum Dibasa and Odisha is celebrating and savouring the street food that originated in Odisha’s Cuttack and has received pan-India recognition since being selected for an award at National Street Food Festival held in New Delhi in 2020.
It is being observed every year on March 1 since 2019 when a bunch of young foodies from the state floated this idea to make it a popular snack.
A healthy and sumptuous snack, dahibaraa aloodam was first made and sold at Bidanasi in old Cuttack city and Mahalpara in Athagarh, the twin destinations on either side of the Mahanadi. Subsequently, in the early 1960s, it was popularised by the vendors near Killa Padia adjacent to Barabati Fort.
Unique to Odisha, though the ingredients are similar to dahi bhalle of the north or thayir vadai of the south, dahibara aloomdum has a distinct taste. And what differentiates it from others is the distinctive combination dahibara and aloodum.
It is a spicy combination of soft spongy dahibara (deep-fried balls of thick batter of black gram flour, soaked in thin watery dahi and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves) with aloodum (masala-rich potato curry) and ghuguni (peas curry) added to it and garnished with chopped onion, coriander leaves, cucumber, chutney and sev.
For people of Odisha, irrespective of age, dahibara aloodum has always been an emotion. But with recent recognition from businessman Harsh Goenka and internationally acclaimed chef Vikas Khanna, it is creating a thrill among people outside the state too.
