Cuttack: Food stalls are doing brisk business in the ongoing Baliyatra, one of the biggest trade fairs in state.
Innovative and special dishes like fried ice cream, mushroom chilli roti, bamboo chicken, mudhi mutton and pineapple chicken have become the most sought after foods for visitors.
Fried ice cream
The dish is new to Baliyatra. Visitors are spending anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 150 to have a plate of fried ice cream. Cooks at the stall usually add cashew paste and cornflakes to ice cream and fry the mix for a few minutes to prepare the dish. “Fried ice cream is hot and yummy,” said Sunita Biswal, a vistor. The stall has vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and a few other flavoured fried ice creams for the customers.
Mushroom chilli roti
This is yet another new dish at this year’s Baliyatra. Stall owner Aniruddha Sahu of Salipur is charging around Rs 150 for a plate of mushroom chilli roti and paneer curry. Mushroom chilli mix is added to the dough and then baked to prepare the dish. “Mushroom chilli roti is more popular among vegetarian people,” Sahu said.
Bamboo chicken
There are also a few lip smacking dishes for non-vegetarian people at this year’s trade fair. A stall serving bamboo chicken has become popular for many. Stall owner Alok Sahu of Kendrapara puts chicken pieces in a bamboo stem and keeps it on the stove for at least 20 minutes to prepare the dish. He is charging around Rs 200 for a plate of bamboo chicken. “One can get several varieties of non-vegetarian food at Baliyatra but the taste of bamboo chicken is something different,” said Bikash Nayak, a foodie from Badambadi area.
Mudhi mutton
Despite the advent of innovative dishes some traditional ones have still managed to retain their popularity. One among them is mudhi mutton, a famous dish from Baripada. Visitors are spending around Rs 150 to have a plate of the traditional dish. “The combination of mutton with mudhi, a variety puffed rice, is unique one. People should taste the dish,” said A. Sahoo of CDA area.
Pineapple chicken
Pineapple chicken is also gaining popularity at the fair even though it is a new entrant. Chefs are adding special pineapple flavour to the chicken to prepare the dish. Visitors are seen spending around Rs 150 to taste a plate of pineapple chicken. “This is a new item. People have always the desire to eat something new,” said Mandakini Hota, a visitor. Stall owner Dipak Kumar Singh of Bhubaneswar claimed that the innovative dish had witnessed huge demand in last year’s Toshali festival.