Odisha celebrates Dahi Bara Aloo Dum Dibas

Cuttack: With the mercury soaring and locals looking forward to summer delicacies, people across Odisha  celebrated Dahi Bara Aloo Dum Dibas on March 1 by savouring the popular street food.

In Cuttack, which is touted to be the place of origin of this culinary favourite, locals today were seen thronging the roadside eateries near Barabati Stadium while vendors made a good business with soaring demand. “My family has not cooked meals today. We all will have Dahi Bara Aloo Dum for both lunch and dinner. I am very happy as I will make a lot of profit today. The item has been cooked just like any other day but the crowd is promising as its a happy occasion,” said one of the vendors.

Customers, too, were a happy lot. “Today may be a celebration of Dahi Bara Aloo Dum but the item is celebrated daily in Cuttack. We eat from many places but the tangy taste of Cuttack’s Dahu Bara Aloo Dum is distinct and has no match,” said Sampa Ghosh.

While this variant of ‘Dahi Vada/Bhalla’ is believed to have originated from Cuttack district in Odisha, its popularity today transcends borders across the country.

The dish, which is a kind of ‘chaat’ prepared by soaking vadas ( lentil fritters/dumplings) in yoghurt tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds and accompanied by a topping of potato and pea curry (Aloo Dum/Ghugni), is said to have been first made and sold in Bidanasi (old Cuttack) near Barabati Fort. As it spread in the district and later throughout the State and country, Cuttack’s Dahi Bara Aloo Dum achieved a cult status for its distinctive taste and formed a part of Odisha’s street food culture.

In 2020, Dahi Bara Aloo Dum received an award at National street food Festival held at New Delhi.