Manda pitha (ମଣ୍ଡା ପିଠା) is a soft, steamed dumpling of rice flour with a sweet filling — most often coconut and jaggery with cardamom and a little black pepper. The name is linked to the Odia mandeiba, "to place or put". It is a festival pitha, made for Manabasa Gurubara, Durga Puja, Kumar Purnima, Rakhi Purnima and Raja, and is a cousin of Maharashtra's modak and South India's kozhukattai. Western Odisha also has a fried version with a semolina shell.

The filling

Coconut and jaggery are cooked together until thick; cardamom and black pepper are the traditional seasonings. Some families add moong dal or crumbled chhena, and savoury mandas use a spiced lentil or vegetable filling.