subject: Cuisine Of Karnataka [print this page] North Karnataka Cuisine North Karnataka Cuisine
The North Karnataka Cuisine can be primarily found in the northern districts of Karnataka, including Bidar, Kalburgi, Vijapura, Bagalakote,Belagaavi, Raayachooru, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppala, Kalburgi and parts of Ballari. The North Karnataka Cuisine is also strongly influenced by neighboring states of Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh.
North Karnataka meal
The following are typical items in a typical vegetarian Northern Karnataka meal:
Rotti (Kannada) or bhakri (Marathi) - Thin flatbread made from sorghum flour, baked on fire or iron skillet.
Badane kaayi gojju/ Enne-gai/ Tumbu-gai - Small Eggplant bulbs stuffed with almost solid mixture made out of ground peanut, ginger, garlic, garam masala, salt and spices, sauteed in onions and other spices.
Shenga/Ellu - Form of dry chutney made from ground peanuts
Kempu Khaara, also called "Ranjaka" - chutney paste made with/of red chillis, consumed as a condiment
Kosambari
Bele palya - cooked split or whole beLe, chana, moong with greens such as methi and spinach, or spring onion
mosaru bajji or raitha - salad involving yogurt
Raw Salads - of spring onion, onion, green chili, methi leaves, sometimes with oggaraNe of sasive and/or jeerige
Rice - Rice
Saaru - Soup made from tomatoes and tamarind
Happala
Mosaru and majjige - Buttermilk
beNNEe or tuppa - Melted butter
South Karnataka cuisine
The South Karnataka or old Mysore region also known as Bayaluseeme or the plains including the present-day Kolara, Bengalooru, Mysooru, Tumakooru, Mandya, Haasana, Chamarajanagara is more often than not synonymous with Karnataka cuisine though culinary traditions else where in Karnataka can be significantly different from this one. Ragi and Rice are the most important staple grains, Jowar and Bajra are also cultivated and consumed in the drier parts of the region. The first meal of the day is the breakfast which is quite substantial. Regular meals consists of Ragi mudde or steamed dumpling made from ragi flour, a curry to roll bits of the dumpling often called Saaru, Rice and Yogurt. Optional accompaniments include a salad called Kosambari, vegetable side dish called Pallya and assorted pickles.
Formal vegetarian meals are usually served in a particular order and required to be consumed in a particular order as well. These meals are served on Plantain leaves or Mutuka leaves, dry Tendu-like leaves staples together into big circular discs. First accompaniments are served which includes variety of Palya, Kosambari, sweet-savory gojju, hot spicy chutney Pickles, bajji, bonda, vade, Papads. The first course alternated between sweets and rice preparation. The second course is a set of curries to be consumed with rice. It generally starts with Tovve, a mild lentil dish laced with ghee, Majjige Huli, vegetables simmered in a mild yogurt sauce, followed by Huli, lentils and vegetables spiced and tempered with ghee, mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves. This is followed by tili Saaru which is a thin lentil stock spiced and laced with ghee and curry leaves. The final course of the meal is rice and curd with pickles. Buttermilk is also served to be consumed at the end of the meal.
The Hilly district of Kodagu (Coorg, as British Called) also has its own unique cuisine which includes spicy meat (Pork, Pandi Curry, Chicken, Mutton), Kadumbutt(Round balls made up of rice), Paputt, Thaliyaputt. The spicey meat curries derives a tangy taste from Kokum Kachampuli. Also Karnataka has many other sweets and cuisines.
Karnataka Cuisine-Common to all regions
Some common vegetarian dishes prepared on a regular basis are:
Lunch served on a plantain leaf
Rice dishes
Bisi bele bath - rice cooked with dal, vegetables and spices; like huli with rice, but often richer
Vaangi baath - cooked rice mixed with vegetables cooked in oil and spices; the vegetables are usually made into a palya beforehand and the vaangi baath mixed before serving
Chitranna - cooked rice flavoured with spices, particularly oil-popped mustard seeds and turmeric
Mosaranna - curd rice sometimes given a fried spicy touch with fried lentils and oil-popped mustard seeds.
Puliyogare - cooked rice flavoured with spicy tamarind paste
Maavinkaayi chitranna - cooked rice flavoured with raw green mango and spices
Nimbekaayi chitranna - cooked rice flavoured with lemon and spices
Avalakki - Akki (means rice), avalakki is baked flat rice that is soaked briefly and stirfried with cumin seeds, turmeric powder, peanuts, onions, green chillies, garnished with shredded coconuts and cilantro leaves.
Mandakki - Puffed rice that is soaked briefly and stirfried with cumin seeds, turmeric powder, peanuts, roasted ground grams, onions, green chillies, garnished with shredded coconuts and cilantro leaves.
"Breads"
Neer Dose, an authentic dish of Karnataka served with chutney and sambhar
Ragi rotti - A flat thick pancake made with Ragi dough and flavoured with chillies and onions; it is shaped and flattened by hand
Akki rotti - A thick, flat pancake-like dish made with a dough of rice flour, chillies, onions and salt; shaped and flattened by hand prior to cooking
Jolada rotti - A flat pancake dish made with a dough of Jowar flour and salt; shaped and flattened by hand prior to cooking
Ragi mudde - Big steamed dumplings made by adding Ragi flour to boiling water with salt to taste.
Gunpongalu - Also known as Gundupongla, Mane Kaavali (Skillet with houses), or Poddu. It is made with a rice batter (similar to dose) and cooked in a special skillet with holes.
Chapathi - flat unleavened bread made from atta flour, water, oil and salt, rolled out into the desired shape
Chutneys
Kadalekaayi chutney
Hurali chutney
Kaayi chutney- grated coconut ground with dal (kadale) salted and garnished with oil-fried mustard and curry leaves
Kaayi chutney (green) - grated coconut ground with dal, green chillies and coriander salted and garnished with oil-fried mustard and curry leaves
Kaayi chutney (red) - grated coconut chutney ground with dal and dried red chillies salted and garnished with oil-fried mustard and curry leaves
Maavina chutney - grated raw green mango ground with grated coconut, dal, salted and garnished oil-fried mustard and curry leaves.
Heerekai chutney - grated ridge-gourd peel ground with grated coconut, dal, salted and garnished oil-fried mustard and curry leaves.
Eerulli chutney - grated onion peel ground with grated coconut, dal, salted and garnished oil-fried mustard and curry leaves.
Uddina Bele chutney - Fried Black Gram Dal with Tamarind, Red Chillies, salted and garnished oil-fried mustard and curry leaves.
pudina chutney-fry pudina leaves along onion,groundnut,black gram,green chilli,tamrind.add sugar and grind to fine paste.
Palya or side dishes
Hurali kaayi palya
Hurali palya
Hurali appala
Badnekaayi palya
Bendekaayi palya
Allugade palya
Kosambari
Kosambari made of cucumber
Kosambari is a unique Kannadiga dish resembling salads and is prepared using simple ingredients such as lentils, green chillies and finely chopped coriander. The dish is generally finished with a tempering of mustard seeds and asafotida. Common variants include kosambari made with the above ingredients in addition to grated cucumber or carrot.
Sweet & Spicy dishes
Menasinakaayi gojju
HuNuse gojju - made with tamarind
Bendekaayi gojju - boiled ladies-finger vegetable (okra) cooked in a gravy sweetend with jaggery and soured by tamarind.
Tomato gojju - cooked cut or mashed tomato with a sweet-sour gravy.
EeruLLi(Onion) & Tomato gojju - cooked cut or mashed tomato mixed with cut onion with a sweet-sour gravy.
Haagalakaayi gojju - Bittergourd pieces marinated with salt and turmeric to remove some bitterness cooked with a sweet and sour gravy.
Thondekaayi gojju
Saaru (Main course)
See also: Saaru
Huli- Combination of vegetables and lentils simmered with spices,coconut, tamarind and seasoned with Ghee,asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard, it is an integral part of every formal meal.
Majjige Huli- Cooked vegetables simmered in yogurt with coconut, spices, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard.
Tovve- Mushy lentils cooked till creamy, spiked with spices and Ghee. Vegetables are also added to this dish like Ridged gourd, cucumber etc
Obbatinna saaru - made from the left over broth while preparing the sweet obbattu.
Bas saaru - made from the broth of boiled lentils and spring beans
Mosoppinna/HuLisoppu saaru - made from lentils and spinach
Maskai- Combination of vegetables cooked and mashed with spices and seasoning.
meNasina saaru - rasam made from pepper, turmeric, and other spices
BeLe saaru - has toor dal as one of the ingredients
kaaLinna saaru- Legumes cooked with coconut, spices, tamarind and tempered with asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard. Popular legumes include Kadale kaalu or Chickpeas, Alasande Kaalu black eye peas, Hesaru kaalu moong beans, Hurali kaalu Horse gram, Avare kaalu Indian beans
Haagalakaayi saaru: Haagalakai, the Indian bitter gourd is simmered with coconut, tamarind and spices and spiked with Jaggery and asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard The bitterness of the gourd is cut through by the sweetness of the jaggery and tartness of the tamarind.
Gojju- traditionally this is thicker than the Saaru but thinner than chutney. It is served with hot rice and is sweet, tangy and spicy. It is served in between courses as a palate cleanser. It is made from diverse ingredients including eggplants, okra, fenugreek, tamarind,pineapple, bitter gourd, tomatoes,lemon-lime,etc
Tambli - A yogurt based cold dish served with hot gravy. Optional ingredients in this dish includes vegetables and greens.
Sweets
Dharwad pedha
Kaayi holige
Kadale Bele Obbattu (Chana Dal Obbattu)
Huggi - cooked rice & chana or moong, with coconut, milk, elakki and sweetened with bella (jaggery)
GiNNu - sweetened, flavoured & steam boiled colostrum of cow, buffalo or goat
Kajjaya - Rice and jaggery fritters deep fried in Ghee.
Kadabu - deep fried (kari kadubu) or steamed pastry with assorted sweet filling.
karjikaayi - deep fried crisp pastry with dry sweet filling
Payasa - Liquid dessert with milk usually forming the liquid component.
Shavige Payasa - made from Vermicelli (angel hair noodles), sugar, milk and dry fruits
Gasagase Payasa - made from Gasagase (Poppy Seeds), Bella (Jaggery), coconut and milk
Seeme Akki Payasa - made from Seeme Akki (Tapioca), sugar and milk
Hesaru Bele Payasa - made from Hesaru Bele (Split Green Gram), Rice, Bella (Jaggery) and milk
Kadale Bele Payasa - made from Kadale Bele (Split Chickpea), Rice, Bella (Jaggery) and milk
unde - ball shaped sweets with the following variations:
chikkina unDe - eLLu and bella
chigaLi unDe - made from ellu
rave unDe - made from semolina
shenga unDe - made from peanut
mandakki unDe - made from mandakki
avalakki unDe - made from avalakki
Ladoo - made of flour and other ingredients formed into balls that are dipped in sugar syrup.
Hesarunde Moong dal ladoo.
Godhiunde- made from Wheat
Besanunde - made from besan
tambittu - made from rice or wheat flour and jaggery.
sikkinunde - made from jaggery, dried coconut and maida .
paayasa - milk & jaggery/sugar based porridge, with the following variations:
beLe - made from split chana or moong
jeerige
gasa-gase
sabbakki
shavige
rice
jack fruit
cashew, almond and other nuts.
obbattu or hOLige - stuffed or plain sweet flat bread/pancake/crepe with variations including:
beLe Obbattu - made from lentils or chana
Kaayi Obbattu - The filling is made from coconut and jaggery
Sakkare Obbattu -Filling made of sugar and coconut
Kadale bija obbattu The filling is made of peanuts and jaggery
haalu-obbattu - from milk, sugar and floured batter.
sajjige - boiled semolina sweetened with sugar or jaggery and mixed with cooked fruits like banana or pine apple
sakkare achhu - little sugar statues/toys made during Sankranti
Haalubaayi - rice ground with jaggery and coconut simmered to a fudge like consistency that melts in the mouth.
mysore pak- Chickpea flour, sugar and Ghee combined in a particular proportion simmered to a fudge like consistency that melts in the mouth.
dharwad pedha- Milk scalded and thickened with sugar. Synonymous with Dharwad
karadantu - Gokak town in Belgaum district of Karnataka is famous for the karadantu, the most famous form has a mixture of dry fruits and edible gum.
sheekaraNi - pulp of ripe fruit (usually mango or banana) with additions such as sugar, elakki, jaakayi, jaapatri, milk, etc
Damrottu - Ash gourd toasted in ghee and simmered with sugar, milk solids and sweet spices
Kunda - prepared from thickened milk, a speciality from BeLagaavi
Badushahor Suralipoori
Sweet Pastries - The following can be grouped together. These are often accompanied by milled sugar, and/or warm milk flavoured with saffron and almonds.
mandige - huge flat leavened pastry. It is quite a treat to watch chefs making large (>36 inches in diameter) pastries with bare hands and baking them on upturned clay pots over fire.
chiroti, pheni - fluffy & leavened pastry, sometimes called padaru pheni because it is leavened.
shaavige chiroti - vermicelli pastry.
kesaribhath - also called Sheera, made of rice (or semolina in southern karnataka) cooked with sugar/jaggery, cardamom, saffron, milk, dry fruits (mostly raisins), and sometimes fresh fruits like banana, mango and pineapple. Popularly colored yellow or left white.
Hayagreeva - A chickpea based dessert prepared on special occasions
Paramanna -Rice, Ghee, Jaggery simmered to a pudding like consistency
Pickles
Pickles are usually raw seasoned vegetables & sea food, but there are cooked varieties as well called Bisi Uppinakayi (hot pickle). The seasoning varies from plain salt to spices like green chilli, red chilli powder, black pepper, whole and powdered mustard seeds, coriander seeds, etc. They significantly differ from North Indian pickles or achar in that considerably less oil is usually used in the pickles; salt is the main preservative.
Mavinkayi - Raw green mango
Midi Mavinkaayi - Immature raw mangoes, usually used whole
Amtekayi
Nimbekayi - Whole and sliced lemon and lime
Gaja Nimbekayi - A larger variety of lemon, resembling a grape fruit
Bettada Nellikayi
Nellikayi
Tomato
Heralikayi - a green citrus fruit, only the peel is used in the pickle.
Hagalakayi - bitter gourd
Prawn, shrimp & crab, especially in coastal areas
Snacks
Bonda or Bajji - deep fried vegetables (and sometimes chicken and seafood) in batter
Vadey - Ambode, Sabbakki vadey, Bele vadey etc.
Chakkuli
Nippattu
Kodubale
Aloo Bonda
baaLaka - deep fried vegetable & fruit chips or wafers. The vegetables are usually dried and seasoned with spices, and even butter milk. Common candidates are potato, sweet potato, yam, cassava, ripe jack fruit, banana, plantain, chilli, varieties of suitable green bean pods (usually gori kaayi/chaLLe kaayi), etc.
Non-vegetarian dishes
Koli bas saaru
Mutton chop curry
Meatball curry/ Kaima Saaru
Lamb curry
Mutton pulao
Chicken pulao
Fish curry
Liver fry
Koli Saaru/ Chicken Curry
Udupi cuisine
Main article: Udupi cuisine
Udupi cuisine takes its name from Udupi, a city on west coast of Karnataka. Udupi cuisine has its origin in Ashta mathas of Udupi founded by Shri Madhvacharya. Its core is a vast range of creative dishes emphasizing local vegetables and fruits.
Malenadu cuisine
The Malenadu of Karnataka can be culturally (on basis food culuture) can be clerally divided as south malnad comprising Norhtern Somawarpete in Notrth Kodagu, Sakaleshapura, Mudigere, southern part of chickamagaluru taluk and western part of Belur and Alur taluks in Hassan. Central malnad comprising of chickamagalur, Koppa, malnad region of Shivmoga, and western ghat regions of Uttara kannada. Eventhough Western ghat regions of Uttara knnada and Belagavi can be considered as Northern malnad the food culture of these regions is unaware to the rest of Malnad, may be due to inadequate communication with the other parts of malnad and Karnataka. Although many refer to the malenadu cuisine as an amalgam of Coorgi and Mangalorean cuisine, it has its own distinct style. And moreover Malenaadigaru(people hailing from Malnad) are considered to be natives to these part of Karnataka when compared with Coorgies( believed to be Greek soldires of Alexandar's era) and Bunts and Shetty's( Coastal, Mangalore, people who are claimed to be migrants, (Aarya's) from Northern India). So rather Malenaadu cuisine has traveled to the kitchens of Kodavas and Bunts would be a sensible line. The word "Malenaadu" means "land of mountain ranges". The cuisine is heavily influenced by the variety of fruits and vegetables available in the rich forests of western ghats. The ingredients like tender bamboo shoots, colocassia leaves, turmeric leaves, raw jackfruit are easily found in the Sahyadri ranges. Steaming is a favored the method of cooking in malenaadu. More often than not there is minimal use of oils in malenaadu cuisine.
Kaalu kadabu- small kadubus(dumplings) as small as Kaalu(beans)made by pounding water washed rice into powder and then steamed to make it enouigh sticky to make dumplings. Once the kadubus( thousands in number)are made is given typical malnad masale(red chilli, oil, mustard,graped coconut, jeera, little tamrind juice, curry leaves,salt to taste, and etc and served hot with hot thuppa( hom
