We speak to lots of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents about the Indian food tradition and some stories are simply nostalgic. All stories are special for us. They are raw, unfiltered, peculiarly nostalgic, and explain the contrast between traditional lifestyle/eating patterns and modern-day lifestyle/eating patterns in the most basic yet beautiful way. If you are a parent and this story took you down the memory lane, share with your friends and family.

Hello everyone, I am Sangitika patra shendre, born and brought up in an Odia family. My father belongs to Jajpur in Odisha and my mother belongs to Cuttack a beautiful city surrounded by rivers. But my grandparents from both sides, my nanaji and my dadaji both were serving in the railways in Bondhamunda (known for Asia’s biggest railway ward)near Rourkela (Odisha), so my maximum childhood time of summer vacation we spent in Bondhamunda. 

So when it comes to Indian food tradition, I can say Odisha has a lot of variety in food, and diversity in every district or borders.

Like we used to have these many varieties of breakfast: Suji upma, Dahibara(dahiwada), Aludum(small single potato curry), Chuda santula( includes sometime banana or mangoes), Bara(vada), Ghuguni(dry green peas curry), Chakuli pitha(plain dosa), Alu tarkari(potato curry). My dadi and nani both use to make all these dishes very delicious😋�.

People also ask: What is the traditional food of Orissa?

What is Odia food?

A typical Odia meal will comprise rice, dal, a vegetable dish or two, something fried, and a fish curry or even meat. There’s a lot of similarity between Odia and Bengali food – the two cuisines in fact use pretty much the same kind of spices and ingredients, but in the end they are quite distinct. However, unless you’re used to both the cuisines, you may not even be able to tell the difference. Mustard oil, besara (mustard seeds pounded with garlic), panch phutana (panch phoron) are three important ingredients in Odisha, with even curd being an occasional feature. Having said that, the cuisine has been influenced by its borders as well, with Andhra Pradesh adding its Telugu touches, and chillies and curry leaves, and tamarind, making an appearance in some of the dishes. The food in this Odisha-Andhra border in fact is high on the spice factor. And you’ll see the influence vividly if you make a trip to Berhampur during the festival of Pongal. And while coastal Odisha loves its fish, the cuisine is replete with vegetarian, and sattvik food, thanks to the Jagannath temple in Puri.

Rice is a staple in Odisha, with vegetables such as potatoes, yam, pumpkin, brinjal, ash gourd, drumstick, banana flower and stem, finding their way into different dishes. Then again there are some of the unusual ones, which are rarely talked about. Take the Hendua (from western Odisha) for example, dried bamboo shoot that is used to make pickle, or even a curry with ladies finger, panch phutana, mustard paste, tomatoes, and chillies. It’s a heady combination of aroma and flavour, with both trying to outdo each other. Then there is the famous dalma, a dish that the cuisine is most commonly known for. The dalma is a preparation where daal and vegetables are cooked together, and usually eaten with rice. One can use moong dal, toor dal, or even chana dal. Some of the vegetables added include yellow pumpkin, raw banana, brinjal, and raw papaya. The panch phutana is an important ingredient in the dalma, as are dry red chillies, ginger (chopped) turmeric, roasted cumin seeds, and some ghee. A simple and quick preparation, the dalma actually has plenty of variations, and the better the vegetables, the better the end result.

Meat is definitely important in an Odia meal, especially if it’s a special one. What’s quite curious is that in general a mutton curry is referred to as mansha tarkari, where tarkari is curry. A standard mutton curry recipe will include potatoes, garlic, onions, ginger, garam masala, whole black pepper and cardamom, cinnamon, and a pinch of sugar. Additionally, the mutton is marinated in turmeric, curd, and red chili powder. The dish is cooked in mustard oil. It takes a while to make this one.

The Dahi Baigana where slices of brinjal are first fried and then cooked in a curd based gravy too is a delicious preparation. 

The khechidi (or khichdi) is a very important dish in Odia cuisine. It’s served at the Jagannath Puri temple, and while that recipe is extremely simple (using only moong dal, rice, heeng, and basic ingredients such as salt, turmeric, dried bay leaf, cinnamon), there are other variations where one could add vegetables such as cauliflower florets, peas, and potatoes. It’s not only healthy, but tasty too.

Santula, One of the main food dishes of Odisha, Santula is a classic Odia delicacy that you can slurp and slurp even more on your trip. Made with raw papaya, brinjal, and tomato, the dish has more greens and fewer spices, thereby having all the makings for a healthy dish.

One can’t end an Odia meal without something sweet, and one of the most famous dishes to have out of that cuisine is the chhena poda (literally meaning burnt cheese). Cooked with chhena (curdled milk) the dessert can be either baked or even cooked in a pressure cooker. It requires some sooji (semolina), refined flour, and lots of sugar (to caramelize, and to sweeten). Some people also add some dry fruits such as pistachios, and cashew nuts, to add texture. A little bit of green cardamom (crushed) adds a lovely fragrance to the dish too. And ofcourse rice kheer is also a very important dish of Odisha.

From bhajas (fried food), dal, tarkari (vegetable preparations), to fish and meat curries – there are plenty of dishes in the cuisine experiment with. Odia food has its lovely nuances, a sense of rusticity that hasn’t withered with time, and that will always make it special.

So like this I grew up with traditional food of Odisha. Hope u all enjoyed reading my story, many more things are there to pen, but for now this is it.

Thanks to Iyurved for giving us this opportunity of sharing our different culture of food. I truly believe that nowadays children do not get the kind of nutrition and food that we used to get in childhood. It is great that Iyurved is making such nutritious food products for kids. This is the need of the hour.

I tried the chocolate spread. The taste is great but more than taste I like the ingredients and no preservative concept, Awesome, keep up the good work. 🙏🙏Jai jagannath 🙏🙏

Regards,

SANGITIKA PATRA SHENDRE

India’s First Tasty Kids Nutrition fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.

If your child is a picky eater or does not take enough nutrition for the day, you can give ‘5 Ayurvedic herbs and 7 Nuts’ chocolate or savoury spreads to meet daily Nutrition ORDER | 0% preservative

Daily Nutrition for: Immunity, Brain development, Bones and Overall growth

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Join 9000+ KIDS NUTRITION Community for Parents of small Kids & Teens.

Foods and Remedies recommended by a Nutritionist expert.

Read more blogs:

• Why Magnesium Deficiency Can Affect Your Child’s Behavior & Sleep.
• Why Kids with Sensory Issues Need Magnesium Support.
• Feet, Legs or Neck? Best Areas to Apply Magnesium Oil.
• Magnesium & Meltdowns: Can It Help with Emotional Regulation?
• The Hidden Link Between Gut Health, Magnesium & Brain Function.

We speak to lots of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents about Indian food tradition and some stories are simply nostalgic. All stories are special for us. They are raw, unfiltered, peculiarly nostalgic, and explain the contrast between traditional lifestyle/eating patterns and modern-day lifestyle/eating patterns in the most basic yet beautiful way. If you are a parent and this story took you down the memory lane, share with your friends and family.

Bengalis are known to be born foodies. I grew up in an environment where home-made food or Indian food tradition was considered far superior to restaurants. I always cherished eating Bhaja Muger Dal (Moong Dal fried and not boiled) and Aloo Bhaja (French Fries and not Julienne) with Gondhoraj Lebu (lemon with aroma). Dal is probably still the most uncomplicated dish ever discovered, simple yet tasty. 

Apart from a regular freshwater fish item like Rui, Katla, Tengra, Pabda, weekdays were allocated for veg items and weekends for non-veg so that the entire family can relish every bite. So, Sunday was D-Day for me. While Mushur Dal (Masoor Dal), Mug Dal (Moong Dal), Danta Chochori (Mixed veg with Drumsticks), Aloo Posto (Potatoes in a thick paste of Poppy Seeds), Begun Bhaja (Fried Eggplant), Mocha (Banana Flower) formed the veg line-up, the non-veg armoury was even more tempting with Kosha Mangsho (Mutton in thick paste), Bhetki Paturi (Bekti Fish coated with mustard paste, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed), Chingri Malai Curry (Prawns in Coconut Gravy) and Bhapa Ilish (Hilsa Fish with mustard paste, steamed). Being a food enthusiast, it was impossible to cover even 2 non-veg items in a single meal as back in those times the quantity overpowered variety. But I was blessed with the capacity to Eat-all Digest-all as I could never let go of any dish without gratifying my taste buds. My mom’s Kosha Mangsho is something which I cherish even today.

When I used to visit my maternal grandparents for summer vacation, the variety of pickles made by my grandmother was simply amazing. The Gur-Aam and Chiri-Aam were always on my list. The GurAam resembled Murabba but with the Bengali touch of spices. The name Chiri always intrigued me which basically was finely grated green mango. Nevertheless, they both tasted heavenly. I still miss them. Then competed the varieties of pickles with green mango, chilies, garlic and tomato. I often used to wonder why Grandmother took so much pain to make those pickles. Later, I realized that it is her love and emotions attached while preparing that made each one of them unique. I still believe, any food made by heart has a lot more to offer apart from its ingredients, process, pre-cooking and post cooking measures. Maybe this is the reason, the home-made Kosha Mangsho tasted much better compared to the restaurant. 

Unfortunately, now the trend has shifted to the other end of the spectrum with Eating-Out being the norm. The entry of junk food in our lives has added more pain than pleasure, which is realized in later stages. What was considered a luxury once, has now become a standard today, especially for kids. Last but not the least, a greater loss of emotional quotient attached to food, the feeling of “Cooking for My Family” is slowly diminishing only to reflect that times have indeed changed.

I am very grateful to Iyurved for sharing my childhood memories and giving me this platform. I truly believe that nowadays children do not get the kind of nutrition and food that we used to get in childhood. It is great that Iyurved is making such nutritious food products for kids. This is the need of the hour.

In today’s world of busy parents these spreads( chocolate and savoury) are life saving, especially when kids are fussy eaters. Just a spoon fulfills their daily nutrition needs. hats off to Iyurved for making such fabulous products.

Regards,

SUMANTRA BAGCHI

India’s First Tasty Kids Nutrition fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.

If your child is a picky eater or does not take enough nutrition for the day, you can give ‘5 Ayurvedic herbs and 7 Nuts’ chocolate or savoury spreads to meet daily Nutrition ORDER | 0% preservative

Daily Nutrition for: Immunity, Brain development, Bones and Overall growth

(shipping in India only)

Join 9000+ KIDS NUTRITION Community for Parents of small Kids & Teens.

Foods and Remedies recommended by a Nutritionist expert.

Read more blogs:

• Why Magnesium Deficiency Can Affect Your Child’s Behavior & Sleep.
• Why Kids with Sensory Issues Need Magnesium Support.
• Feet, Legs or Neck? Best Areas to Apply Magnesium Oil.
• Magnesium & Meltdowns: Can It Help with Emotional Regulation?
• The Hidden Link Between Gut Health, Magnesium & Brain Function.

We speak to lots of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents about food and tradition and some stories are simply nostalgic. All stories are special for us. They are raw, unfiltered, peculiarly nostalgic, and explain the contrast between traditional lifestyle/eating patterns and modern-day lifestyle/eating patterns in the most basic yet beautiful way. If you are a parent and this story took you down the memory lane, share with your friends and family.

As written by Geeta Tiwari- 65 years

With the arrival of Holi, many memories are refreshed. At this stage of life, it is the memories that keep the mind like a child. In our time, festival were the reason to celebrate. As soon as the march begins, papad chips started appearing on everyone’s roof. All of us friends used to decide the day on which we all go to each others house to help in making chips and papad, as we made this for the whole year. You must be thinking why for a year? In our time these Lays- Kurkure packets were not available, so when we wanted to eat something in the evening with tea, these chips and papad were an easy option. As far as gujiya is concerned there was no limit, nothing was more. The eating habits and foods those days were very simple, homemade food was preferred. Do not remember that we have ever gone outside to eat specially.

Then the second innings of age started, after marriage my lifestyle changed completely, my husband was in defense (IAF) and had to transfer after every three years. New place, new people, new culture. People from different states all used to live together. Everyone used to share recipes of special dishes of their states with each other, we were each other’s YouTube channel. Got to learn a lot.

Now looking at the children of today, it seems that even though we have come a long way in technology, the eating habits have become very bad. The value of home cooked food has come down. But I feel very happy when my grandson makes a list on the phone before coming and says that granny, I want to eat items made by your hands, when my daughter says mummy saw red chilies in the market today – put pickles for me too.

Iyurved is doing a fabulous job by making food nutritious for kids. Received the samples, outstanding products. My grandson loved the chocolate one and I liked the savoury as we can now add to everything that he eats without even making him realise.

Once again I would like to thank Iyurved for showcasing my story.

Regards,

Geeta Tiwari

गीता तिवारी- 65 वर्ष

होली के आने के साथ ही बहुत सारी यादें ताज़ा हो जाती हैं। उम्र के इस पड़ाव पे यादें ही तो हैं जो मन को बच्चों जैसा बनाए रखती हैं। हमारे समय में त्योहार तो बहना हो जाता था कुछ ख़ास बनाने का। मार्च शुरू होते ही सबकी छत पर पापड़ चिप्स दिखने लगते थे। हम सब friends दिन decide कर लेते थे कि किस दिन किसके घर जाना है help करवाने, साल भर के चिप्स पापड़ जो बनने होते थे एक साथ। आप सोच रहे होंगे साल भर के क्यों? अब हमारे समय में ये Lays- kurkure के packet तो मिलते नहीं थे तो शाम को जब कुछ खाने का मन करता तो चाय के साथ यही काम आते थे। ऊपर से होली की special गुझिया जितनी भी बनाओ कम ही पड़ जाती थी। तब का खान पान भी बहुत सादा हुआ करता था। घर की ही बनी चीजें खाई जाती थी। याद ही नहीं कि कभी बाहर specially खाने के लिए गये हों। 

फिर उम्र की दूसरी पारी शुरू हुई, शादी के बाद मेरी lifestyle एकदम से बदल गयी, मेरे husband defence में थे (IAF) हर तीन साल बाद transfer। नयी जगह नए लोग नया culture। अलग अलग states के लोग सब मिलजुल कर रहते थे। सब एक दूसरे के साथ अपने states की special dishes की recipe share करते थे, हम एक दूसरे के Youtube channel थे   . काफी कुछ सीखने को मिला। 

अब आज कल के बच्चों को देखती हु तो लगता है कि technology मे भले ही हम बहुत आगे निकल गए हैं पर eating habits तो बहुत ही ख़राब हो गयी हैं। घर के खाने की value कुछ कम हो गयी है। पर बहुत खुशी होती है जब मेरा नाती आने से पहले phone पर एक लिस्ट बनाता है और बोलता है कि नानी मुझे आपके हाथों के बने items खाने हैं, जब बेटी बोलती है mummy आज मार्केट में लाल मिर्च देखी- मेरे लिए भी अचार डाल देना।

बच्चों के लिए पौष्टिक खाद्य उत्पाद बनाकर Iyurved शानदार काम कर रहा है। मुझे sample बहुत पसंद आये, उत्कृष्ट उत्पाद। मेरे पोते को chocolate बहुत पसंद आया और मुझे savouryI क्योंकि अब हम उसे बिना बताए भी जो कुछ भी वो खाता हैं, उसमें मिला सकते हैं, और इसे और अधिक पौष्टिक बना सकते हैI

एक बार फिर मैं अपनी कहानी  साझा करने के लिए Iyurved को धन्यवाद देना चाहता हूं।

आपकी,

गीता तिवारी

. . .

India’s First Tasty Kids Nutrition fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.

If your child is a picky eater or does not take enough nutrition for the day, you can give ‘5 Ayurvedic herbs and 7 Nuts’ chocolate or savoury spreads to meet daily Nutrition ORDER | 0% preservative

Daily Nutrition for: Immunity, Brain development, Bones and Overall growth

(shipping in India only)

Join 9000+ KIDS NUTRITION Community for Parents of small Kids & Teens.

Foods and Remedies recommended by a Nutritionist expert.

Read more blogs:

• Why Magnesium Deficiency Can Affect Your Child’s Behavior & Sleep.
• Why Kids with Sensory Issues Need Magnesium Support.
• Feet, Legs or Neck? Best Areas to Apply Magnesium Oil.
• Magnesium & Meltdowns: Can It Help with Emotional Regulation?
• The Hidden Link Between Gut Health, Magnesium & Brain Function.

We speak to lots of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents about Indian food tradition and some stories are simply nostalgic. All stories are special for us. They are raw, unfiltered, peculiarly nostalgic, and explain the contrast between traditional lifestyle/eating patterns and modern-day lifestyle/eating patterns in the most basic yet beautiful way. If you are a parent and this story took you down the memory lane, share with your friends and family.

My Food Journey!

Hi, I am Deepa Chandra. I have spent more than 6 decades in this world and with my experience I can say Food is not only for survival  but it influences our emotional ,social and cultural life to a great extent and good food also nourishes our soul.

A life starts with two drops of milk and ends with two drops of Gangajal. Life and food are two sides of the same coin.

As I go down the memory lane, I see myself as a child in a happy family. We are three sisters and a brother. I can still feel the heavenly taste of food cooked by my mother whom we fondly called Amma. I don’t know why even a simple sabji made by her tasted so nice. Those days mostly food was prepared at home, dining out was rare. I remember every meal was made afresh and our house help used to grind fresh masala and chutneys on sil batta, Angithi and kerosene stoves were common during those days, and gas stove came much later.

All the snacks & sweets were freshly prepared at home and milk and fruits used to be a part of our daily diet .My father was fond of good food, so in the evenings when he came from the office, hot snacks were served with tea. Halwa and pakodi were most common.

During festivals, lots of dishes were prepared. Especially in Holi, gujiya,gulab jamun,samosa and a variety of papads,chips were made in large quantities. Friends and relatives visited us and we visited them.

As papa was in administrative services, he was posted in various parts of U.P. and we had the opportunity to taste some regional foods from different parts of the state. Food from every region has a tinge of its own.

We are non-vegetarians so every Sunday was a special day when we could relish the yummy non veg preparations by Amma. Those days mutton was more common than chicken. We also enjoyed eating kebabs and keema. We had Muslim friends and I remember Amma learning some tasty cuisines from them.

During our vacations we used to visit our Nani’s home in Allahabad. We eagerly looked forward to the train journey and enjoyed every moment of the journey along with the home packed food. Puri,sabji,achar and a surahi for water (earthen pot) with a steel glass on top of it was a common sight and that journey food tasted so delicious.

I loved food cooked by my Nani which had a native flavor and Nanaji used to bring small Allahabadi samosa and jalebis for us.

My real cooking started after marriage. When I got married, my husband was in the last stages of writing his Ph. D. thesis and we had a small apartment in the IIT Kanpur campus from where my cooking journey started and I tried my hands on my first few dishes. In the evenings we often ate in canteens or Red Rose (the one and only restaurant in the campus at that time). Most of the evenings, friends would visit us and there were joint cooking sessions which everyone enjoyed. Different cuisines like south Indian and Chinese were experimented. Chinese food was gradually gaining popularity in India at that time.                                                         

Every household in India has a different food culture and I learnt some different types of food in my new house. My father in law and other members were strictly vegetarians but my mother in law loved non veg. This common food interest made both of us happy and some evenings we both would enjoy eating fried fish or chicken curry.

Most of my life I lived in I.I.T campus and my children grew up there. With time my culinary skills improved and I enjoyed trying new recipes. Both my kids had different tastes and food choices and I ended up satisfying their likings by trying more varieties. Aloo (potato) used to be a common choice of both my husband and son, my son used to demand aloo-tamatar ki sabji almost every single day. My daughter was not so fond of aloo, so sometimes I would prepare aloo-mutter tamatar sabji, separate the mutters from my son’s bowl & serve it as aloo-tamatar for him and as mutter-tamatar for my daughter.(How creative right? )

aur aaj bhi aloo humare ghar par raaj kar raha hai . Sharing of food pots with friends and neighbors was very common. We enjoyed dining at each other’s place. People of different states mingled freely and many a time’s ladies would share food recipes with each other. Birthday parties were thrown with great zeal and in most of the parties menu was chhole, bhature, dahi vada, cake etc.

Visits to foreign countries widened my food vision and I realized that food affects all aspects of life and apart from Indian food tradition, every country has its own food traditions. It is a culture in itself including numerous varieties of dishes, methods of cooking, ways of serving and eating. How Japanese drink tea, how Germans greet before having food by saying “Guten appétit”, how Chinese eat with sticks and how Indians can manage with hand. “Food is a common ground which brings us together.” It unites nations and cultures across the Globe. Inviting someone for tea is not just about tea, It is about the warmth, affection and friendship that we share over a cup of tea.

I am very grateful to Iyurved for sharing my childhood memories and giving me this platform. I truly believe that nowadays children do not get the kind of nutrition and food that we used to get in childhood. It is great that Iyurved is making such nutritious food products for kids. This is the need of the hour.

I personally recommend all the parents to try both Iyurved’s DAILY NUTRITION Chocolate and Savoury spread for their kids.

Regards,

Deepa Chandra

India’s First ever Tasty Kids Nutrition fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.

If your child is a picky eater or does not take enough nutrition for the day, you can give ‘5 Ayurvedic herbs and 7 Nuts’ chocolate or savoury spreads ORDER | 0% preservative

Daily Nutrition for: Immunity, Brain development, Bones and Overall growth

(shipping in India only)

Join Fast-Growing KIDS NUTRITION & SKINCARE Community for Parents of small Kids & Teens.

Foods and Remedies recommended by a Nutritionist expert.

Read more blogs:

• Why Magnesium Deficiency Can Affect Your Child’s Behavior & Sleep.
• Why Kids with Sensory Issues Need Magnesium Support.
• Feet, Legs or Neck? Best Areas to Apply Magnesium Oil.
• Magnesium & Meltdowns: Can It Help with Emotional Regulation?
• The Hidden Link Between Gut Health, Magnesium & Brain Function.