Pakhala

Pakhala or water rice is a humble Indian dish that combines cooked rice with water and a variety of spices. There are numerous variations on the dish, including dahi pakhala (pakhala with curd), basi pakhala (fermented pakhala), saja pakhala (fresh pakhala), and chupuda pakhala (squeezed pakhala) among others. It is typically flavored with roasted cumin seeds, ginger, sugar, salt, or sliced oranges, while some versions call for the addition of curd or lime juice to induce a fermentation process of the rice. Considered to be a signature specialty and a symbol of the cultural identity of the Indian state of Odisha, this dish used to be dismissed as a poor man’s staple with tamasic qualities. It wasn’t until the 1970s that pakhala consumption started to gain popularity, which culminated in a major breakthrough of the dish in 1998, the year when Odisha witnessed one of its worst summers. People began to embrace the rice specialty as the perfect summer food, and doctors recommended its consumption due to its excellent cooling qualities. Thanks to its rise in popularity, the dish even made its debut on the menus of Bhubaneswar's best hotels, and it has since remained a summer staple in Odisha and beyond. Traditionally, this rice specialty is served in a kansa (a bell metal bowl), and it is usually enjoyed with accompaniments such as sukhua (dry fish), sukhua rai (dried fish fried in mustard paste), macha bhaja (fish fries), badi chura (sundried lentil dumpling crumble), saga (leafy greens), pickles, and roasted vegetable curries. In Odisha, the dish has its own day called Pakhala Diabasa (Universal Pakhala Day), which is celebrated on March 20, each year.