Cuisine of Karnataka

The delectable Karnataka cuisine is an inseparable part of the state. Here, the range of cuisine is quite varied. The ingredients, flavors and the tastes of its cuisines are distinctive and versatile.

¤ Variety of Cuisines

Mangalore
The Mangalorian cuisine is generally spicy and rice based. Fruits are an integral part of the Mangalorean menu. Fresh coconut and chillies are important ingredients used in this cuisine. Rice is eaten in many forms like red grain rice, sannas (idli fluffed with toddy or yeast), pancakes, rice rottis, kori rotti (a dry, crisp, almost wafer-thin rice rotti which is served with chicken curry as a delicacy), and neer dosa. One of popular Mangalorian dishes is the spicy kane fry (ladyfish). Another popular dish of Mangalore is Patrode. It is steamed stuffed colocasia leaves, a specialty, worth tasting. The Akki rotti, or rice rotti of Mangalorian cuisine is also popular in Malnad and Kodagu.

Malnad
This cuisine is a blend of Coorgi and Mangalorean cuisine. Some of the major dishes of this cuisine are the midigayi pickle (small raw mango), sandige, avalakki (beaten rice), and talipittu (akki rotti made of rice flour).

Udupi
The popular Masala Dosa is said to be originated from Udupi. Many other south Indian dishes are named after this town. The cuisine of Udupi is strictly vegetarian, deprived of onions and garlic. Sambar, Rasam, Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and chutneys are the specialty of Udupi's cuisine. Some of the major ingredients used here are gourds, coconut, jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle and red chillies.

Kodagu
The cuisine of Kodava is quite different from the other cuisines of Karnataka. The most popular dishes of this place are Pandi curry (pork curry) and kadumbuttu (rice dumplings). Apart from these, the koli curry (chicken curry), nool puttu (rice noodles), votti (rice rotti), and bembla curry (bamboo shoot curry) are also worth tasting.

North Karnataka
The wheat and jowar rottis (unleavened bread made of millet) are the popular delicacies of North Karnataka. Here, one can find a wide range of rottis like Jolada rotti, thali peet, khadak rotti and sajja rotti (bajra rotti). They are mainly served with a variety of chutneys or spicy curries. Other dishes with which these rottis are served are the yenne badanekayi, kaalu palya, soppu palya, usli (made from spicy sprouted gram) and jholka (made from channa dal flour).

Desserts
Like every cuisine, Karnataka cuisine also has a wide range of desserts. Some of the popular sweet dishes of Karnataka are 'chiroti' (a light flaky pastry sprinkled with granulated sugar and soaked in almond milk), Mysore pak, obbattu or holige (a flat, thin wafer-like chappati filled with a mixture of jaggery, coconut or copra and sugar and fried gently on a skillet), Dharwad peda, Gokak, kardantu and Shavige payasa (made of milk, vermicelli, sugar and cardamom seed).