Pakhala: nutritional value of the Odia cuisine

Bhubaneswar, April 1: The School of Hotel Management (SHM) of Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed University today launched “Pakhala Utsav” on the occasion of Utkal Diwas, the birth anniversary of the Eastern state. The event was inaugurated by SOA's vice president Smt Saswati Das. wp:gallery {"linkTo":"none"} /wp:gallery Pakhala was served along with saga bhaja, baigana, nadia bara, badi chura, gota kalara/bhendi bhaja, aloo and baigan bharta, aloo with sajana chhuin besara, poda tomato chutney, amba checha chutney, kakudi, chingudi checha, paneer bhujia, fish bhaja, chatu bhaja etc {"id":175042,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} Nutritional value of Pakhala People enjoyed Pakhala and the accompanying dishes. But very few know the nutritional value of Pakhala. Interacting with Prameya English, Dr Lalat Indu Misra, Assistant Professor of the School of Hotel Management said, " Eating Pakhala rice can help to eliminate heat in the day and provides sound sleep at night. It also helps on strengthening the digestive system by providing a good strain of beneficial bacteria in the gut. "The lactic acid bacteria isolated from Pakhala has the potential of removing anti-nutritional factors in fermented food. Moreover, the microbes present in water rice chew the complex carbohydrates and create end products like short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are present in rice water (torani),"Dr Mishra explained. "We always add salt that helps to energize the body, we add mash potato which rich in carbohydrates, sometimes we add fish that is rich in protein. Sometimes we add on food like 'Ambula' or tomato, lemon that gives us vitamin C. All these make a wholesome diet. ", he said. {"align":"center","id":175128,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Neighbouring states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhatisgarh have also added it to their diet. However, they all have different names for it. While in West Bengal it is called ‘Panta bhat,’ people in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh call it ‘Paani Bhat''.