Pitha (ପିଠା) is the Odia word for a large family of traditional cakes and dumplings, most of them made from rice, often with coconut, jaggery, black gram or chhena. Odia pithas are steamed, fried, cooked on a griddle or slowly baked. Many are tied to particular festivals, so the pitha cooked in an Odia kitchen often tells you what day of the year it is. This guide covers six of the best-known: arisa, kakara, manda, enduri, chakuli and poda pitha.
Pithas and the Odia calendar
Pithas are usually cooked at home and offered to deities before being shared. Some festivals are unthinkable without a particular pitha. Raja Parba is linked to poda pitha, and Prathamastami to enduri pitha. Others, such as manda and kakara, appear at most festivals.
| Pitha | Cooking method | Main ingredients | Festivals and occasions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arisa | Deep-fried | Rice flour, jaggery, sesame seeds | Manabasa Gurubara (Margasira), Raja |
| Kakara | Deep-fried | Semolina, wheat or rice flour; coconut filling | Raja, many other festivals |
| Manda | Steamed | Rice flour dough; coconut and jaggery or chhena filling | Raja, Kumar Purnima, Manabasa Gurubara |
| Enduri | Steamed in turmeric leaves | Rice and black gram batter; coconut, jaggery, chhena filling | Prathamastami |
| Chakuli | Griddle-cooked | Fermented rice and black gram batter | Everyday; also made during Raja |
| Poda | Slow-baked | Rice and black gram batter, coconut, jaggery | Raja; Makar Sankranti; Rath Yatra (Mausima offering) |
Arisa pitha
Arisa pitha (ଆରିସା ପିଠା) is a flat, round, deep-fried cake of rice flour and jaggery, usually sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is made by cooking jaggery syrup, mixing in rice flour to form a dough, pressing the dough into discs on sesame seeds and frying them slowly. Wikipedia describes arisa as a pitha ritually prepared in the month of Margasira during Manabasa Gurubara, the Thursday worship of Goddess Lakshmi. OdishaBytes also names it among the Raja pithas. Because it is fried and dry, arisa keeps longer than most pithas.
Kakara pitha
Kakara pitha (କାକରା ପିଠା) is a sweet, deep-fried pitha. The outer dough is made from semolina, wheat flour or rice flour, and the filling is usually coconut cooked with jaggery or sugar, sometimes with chhena, cardamom and black pepper. Wikipedia describes kakara as the fried counterpart of manda. It is made for many festivals and offered to deities. It is especially common during Raja. A ragi (finger millet) version, mandia kakara, is also made.
Manda pitha
Manda pitha (ମଣ୍ଡା ପିଠା), also called sijha manda ("steamed manda"), is a soft, round dumpling of rice-flour dough stuffed with coconut and jaggery, or with chhena, and steamed. It resembles the modak of western India. Manda is prepared for many festivals, including Raja, Kumar Purnima and Manabasa Gurubara, when OdishaBytes notes it is among the foods prepared.
Enduri pitha
Enduri pitha (ଏଣ୍ଡୁରି ପିଠା) is a steamed cake wrapped in fresh turmeric leaves. A batter of soaked rice and black gram is spread on the leaf, filled with coconut, jaggery and sometimes chhena, folded and steamed. The turmeric leaf gives it a distinctive aroma. Enduri is the traditional food of Prathamastami, the festival honouring the eldest child, which falls on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of Margasira. Enduri is also among the items of the morning cooked offering at the Jagannath Temple (see Mahaprasad).
Chakuli pitha
Chakuli pitha (ଚକୁଳି ପିଠା) is a thin, round, savoury pancake made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram, cooked on a hot griddle. It is a cousin of the South Indian dosa and is one of the few non-sweet pithas. Chakuli is an everyday breakfast, eaten with dalma, santula, curries, milk or jaggery. It is also made during Raja. A related thin rice pancake, chitau pitha, is prepared on Chitalagi Amabasya.
Poda pitha
Poda pitha (ପୋଡ଼ ପିଠା), meaning "burnt cake", is a dense, slow-baked cake of rice and black gram batter mixed with coconut pieces, jaggery or sugar, ghee and spices such as ginger. Traditionally the batter was poured into an earthen or metal vessel lined with sal or banana leaves. It was then cooked overnight over a low fire, with embers above and below. The result has a dark, caramelised crust and a soft, moist inside. Today many households bake it in an oven.
Poda pitha is the signature dish of Raja Parba, the three-day festival in mid-June; Odisha TV notes the saying that Raja is tasteless without it. It is also a special dish of Makar Sankranti. According to tradition, during the Rath Yatra the chariots stop on the return journey (Bahuda Yatra) at the Mausima temple, where poda pitha is offered to Jagannath.
Typical ingredients for a basic poda pitha
Pithas have many household recipes. This table gives realistic proportions for one medium poda pitha as an example of the family.
| Ingredient | Typical quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rice (non-sticky, soaked 4 to 6 hours) | 2 cups | Ground coarsely |
| Split black gram (urad dal), soaked | 1/2 cup | Ground smooth |
| Jaggery or sugar | about 1 cup | To taste |
| Fresh coconut, grated and small pieces | 1 cup | |
| Ghee | 2 to 3 tablespoons | For the batter and greasing |
| Ginger, finely chopped | 1 tablespoon | |
| Cardamom and black pepper, crushed | a pinch each | |
| Salt | a pinch | |
| Sal or banana leaves | as needed | To line the pan |
General method: Grind the rice and black gram and mix them into a thick batter. Cook it briefly with jaggery and ghee, stirring until it thickens. Fold in coconut and spices. Pour into a leaf-lined greased pan. Bake slowly, in an oven at moderate heat for an hour or more, or over gentle coals, until the crust is dark brown.
Where to try Odia pithas
Pithas are above all home food, made fresh for festivals, so they are easiest to taste in Odia homes. Visitors can also find them:
- In Bhubaneswar, at pitha stalls and Odia restaurants, especially around Raja in June
- At sweet shops in Cuttack, Puri and other towns, which sell arisa, kakara and poda pitha, mainly around festivals
Odiapedia does not list or rate individual shops.
Nutrition notes
Most pithas are made from rice and black gram with coconut and jaggery. Fried pithas such as arisa and kakara absorb oil, while steamed pithas such as manda and enduri do not. Odiapedia has not found reliable published nutritional analyses for individual Odia pithas and does not give figures.