Odiya Kitchen Setup - Part 4 - Primary Proteins

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Proteins are an essential part of the Odiya kitchen. Now remember that the old style Odiya kitchen did not store protein in their kitchen, rather meat/chicken/fish & eggs were brought on the day that they were supposed to be cooked. 

Most Odiya households do not eat non-veg food on Mondays & Thursdays.
Some Odiya households do not eat non-veg food ever.
Some Odiya households do not eat meat or chicken but are ok with fish & eggs.

The variety of inclusions and exclusions are far too many. But to keep things simple, I have listed here what I have in my kitchen. My family eats all of these items on almost all days (Not every single day silly... just when we feel like).

Also, we don't buy these on the day when we want to cook it. We buy it beforehand & store in the freezer. It is not possible for us to go to the market every single day. So..here goes the list.


  • Chicken
    • Whole chicken 
    • Boneless-Skinless thighs
    • Wings or Drumsticks
    • Keema or Ground chicken
    • Storage Idea : Get the butcher to cut the chicken in desired pieces (Like medium for curry or slightly bigger for Biryani etc) and then store in multiple small bags - One bag for each time you cook the chicken. That way, when you defrost the chicken, you don't have to worry about left over chicken. In US the butchers are very good at that. I am sure in India also, you can do the same (Or just do the math yourself & store as per you convenience). 
  • Maccha or Fish
    • Salmon fillets
    • Tilapia fillets
    • Whole (Frozen) Rohu/Mirkali/Katla/Hilsa/Pabda
    • Whole Tilapia/Bass/Pomfret/Milk Fish
    • Storage Idea : Here in US, we get the fish market butcher guy to cut the fish (because it's too bug & you have to buy the whole fish) but not scale it. The fish stays good in the freezer longer if the scale stays on. Ask them to put 6 pieces in each bag (or 8 if you have a bigger family). When you defrost the fish you will be defrosting only what you need for one time & not worry about defrosting the whole fish. 
  • Chingudi or Prawns or Shrimp
    • Fresh or Frozen
    • With or Without skin
    • Always uncooked - Never that cooked kind which you put in salads.
    • Storage Idea : Frozen prawns always stay in freezer until ready to be cooked. Fresh shrimp can be stored in the refrigerator (Not freezer) until 3 days. If not using in 3 days, better freeze it. 
  • Mutton or Goat Meat
    • Usually back leg of the goat
    • Sometimes Keema or Ground Meat
    • Storage Idea : Get the butcher to cut the mutton in desired pieces (Like medium for curry or slightly bigger for Biryani etc) and then store in multiple small bags - One bag for each time you cook the mutton. That way, when you defrost the meat, you don't have to worry about left over.
  • Anda or Eggs
    • Storage Idea : Eggs always go into the refrigerator. Never freeze the eggs.

For vegetarian recipes which call for proteins, we prefer Chenna or Paneer any time. 
So get one & store in the fridge if you feel like it. 

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