Pakhal Rice Beats The Heat. Poem by Nabakishore Dash
Pakhal Rice Beats The Heat.
Odisha's typical cuisine
with immense health benefits
and full of flavour.
Freshly cooked rice is slightly
fermented for a day by
adding enough cold clean water.
This rice contains iron, potassium,
calcium, sodium, calories
in varying extents.
The bacteria present in the syrup
(Torani) creates many types
of short chain fatty acids
that serve as antiviral and
anti-inflammatory agents.
It beats the scorching heat,
keeps the body cool in the
long summer season in
tropical countries like ours.
A healthy super food that
aids in better digestion,
increases immunity,
decreases tiredness, obesity,
cholesterol, fights dehydration,
prevents constipation and ulcers.
In nut shell, it regulates air movement in digestive tube,
metabolism and assimilation.
The accompanying items with
Pakhal are curd, fried fish and
green leaves, pickles, burnt potato
and tomato, crushed sun dried Badi
(Made from soaked and ground
Black grams) , onion and lemon.
My revered readers are requested requested to
prepare the item, eat the rice and
drink torani with some of the
above, only then you can enjoy
the amazing dish of our region.
Source: The Odiya daily, personal experience and
written for the observance
of World Pakhal Day on
20th April 2023.
This nutritious wholesome food has become unfashionable by the time I was born. So, I have never tasted it. But I have learned from elders who used to work in our fields that it was consumed with a green chilli and little curd or buttermilk. The food was in use in Tamilnad too
3) There, in Tamilnad, pakhal is called "Oorra veccha Choru". Dried salted fish cooked on fire or embers Is the essential accompaniment to the dish in TN, they say…
I love pakhal and all odiyas love this staple food of my state! Unfortunately Kumarmani G is not among us. Had he been there he would have loved to put a comment here.
I'm happy to be enlightened about this amazing food, which is healthy, delicious and nutritious. Healthy eating is so important.
5) Good and relevant writing. Congratulations
4) I think we need to give wide publicity to this healthy food-combination. And The World Pakhal Day" should be observed all over the country, to create awareness of its health and nutrition benefits.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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7/25/2025 10:42:10 AM # 1.0.0
That is great! A "WORLD PAKHAL DAY"? But what you have written about Pakhal, is doubly true about my native Kerala too. Cooked rice soaked in plain water overnight, was the staple food of agricultural workers and manual labour, but long back. It, sure, is a very healthy food.