Odia Aloo Bhaja

Thin potato strips fried in mustard oil until golden and slightly crisp, tempered with panch phoron, dried red chilli, and a pinch of turmeric — the simplest and most universally eaten side dish of the Odia thali. Every Odia home makes aloo bhaja at least twice a week; the mustard oil and panch phoron give the fried potato a nutty, spiced character quite different from any other region's fried potato preparation.