Karnataka Cuisine - Must have foods in karnataka

Food Lovers

Karnataka is a gracious host and offers a spread that appeals to every palate. Traditional Kannadiga cuisine is typically South Indian with a little bit of sweetness for added measure. From the strict vegetarian delicacies of Udipi to the non-vegetarian gourmets of Kodava, food in Karnataka has something to bring water to everybody's mouth. Karnataka food is typically non-greasy. There is very little use of oil and food items are largely steamed. Fruits, in their fresh as well as pickled forms, feature prominently in the food of Karnataka.

if you are in Karnataka you must try these foods to satisfy your taste buds.

Obbattu or Holige or Puran Poli: is one of the most loved sweet dishes of Karnataka. It is mostly made with a mixture of chana dal and jaggery stuffed in maida dough and rolled. variations of sugar with desiccated coconut and coconut with jaggery filling, also gives obbatu, an awesome taste. Obbatu is mostly served with some hot ghee and sometimes milk, to enhance the taste. It is one of the favorite delicacies made during festivals and tastes best when served hot

Mysore Pak: A recipe which has been a trademark in Karnataka since generations are the Mysore Pak. This tasty sweet basically makes use of Bengal gram, sugar, ghee, cardamom and water and is named after the famous Mysore city. Mysore Pak also has a very even consistency and literally melts in your mouth.

Idli and Uddina vada: Made from soaked and ground rice and dal, idli can be found in a variety of forms which include thatte idli, rava idli and button idli. Idli Vada is usually served with chutney and sambar and has a great fan following world over. Especially for calorie conscious people, idli is the best digestive food.

Chowchow bath: This dish can be made very quickly and is mostly made from rava or sooji. Some people even call it as uppitu and kesaribath, the former being the spicy dish and the latter the sweet part. Kesaribath tastes really delicious and includes a nice quantity of ghee, nuts and even pineapple.

Dosa: Made from fermented batter of rice and black lentils, masala dosa tastes best with chutney and sambar. The alu stuffing and the special red chutney coated inside the dosa, makes it finger licking good. Apart from masala dosa, rava dosa, ragi dosa and onion dosa also dominate most of the Karnataka hotels and homes. Also dosa has become so popular that, almost 100 types of different dosas are prepared each day in plenty of fast food joints in Karnataka.

Bisi bele bath: A wholesome dish which contains rice, vegetables and lentils and tastes the most authentic, is Bisibelebath. It basically forms a part of the main course of South Indian meals and tastes best when eaten with some ghee and spicy potato chips. Especially during winters, piping hot Bisibelebath is like heavenly food.

Jolada roti and akki roti: A very famous dish of north Karnataka is Jolada rotti or jowar roti and Akki roti or roti made from rice flour. These rottis, are great when accompanied with bringal and black channa or a spicy power made of peanuts. Mostly eaten during the lunch hours, jolada rotti is highly beneficial for weight loss, as it contains lot of fibers. It even keeps your BP and cholesterol under control. So never miss this solid dish when in North Karnataka.

Udupi Sambar and Gojju: As rice is the staple food of Karnataka, Sambar and Gojju is prepared almost every day in the households. Udupi Sambar as it is famously called, is a stew made using lentils and vegetables and tempered with mustard, curry leaves, asafoetida and red chilli for extra flavour and aroma. Sambar powders are also prepared by grounding plenty of spices, which is usually a secret passed on through generations.

Ragi Mudde and Sopinna Saru: Ragi has immense health benefits and is quite inexpensive when compared to other millets, which makes it very popular in Karnataka. Also cooking ragi with water to make Mudde consumes bare minimum time. Soppina Saru, which is nothing but green leafy vegetables and lentils cooked with spices, goes very well with mudde. It gives a very nice taste and makes gulping the mudde easy.

Maddur vada: A very tempting and popular snack found in Karnataka is the Maddur vada. It originated from tiny town called Maddur and tastes very crispy when served hot. The taste gets even better when eaten with coconut chutney. Also, the combination of Maddur vada with hot filter coffee can just make your day.

Neer Dose: Neer literally means water in Tulu. It is thin and soft and usually served with coconut chutney, jaggery mixed with grated coconut, or chicken curry. It’s different from other dosas as it is made from rice batter and does not require fermentation.

Traditional Udupi Meal: Originated from the temples of Udupi, it’s name has become synonymous with vegetarian South Indian food. Most people are unaware that there’s more to this cuisine apart from idlis and dosas.

Kori Rotti: The favorite among the non-vegetarians. It is a combination of thin rice flakes made from boiled rice and chicken curry.

Chicken Sukha: This is a masaledar chicken recipe with a dense paste and coconuty flavors.

Mangalore Buns: Sweet, soft, fluffy banana puris! Yes, we are talking about the Mangalore buns that are famous in Udupi and Mangalore. These buns are a popular breakfast and tea time snack usually served with a spicy coconut chutney and sambar. These buns are so soft and melt in the mouth that they taste great without any accompaniment.

Fish pulimunchi: A traditional Mangalorean preparation with juicy fish pieces cooked in authentic, local masalas along with coconut and tamarind.

Pathrode: Another traditional Mangalorean dish made from colocasia leaves. They are seemed in the pressure cooker and look somewhat like this.

Pelakai Katti / Gatti: these are jack fruit steamed cakes. They are must in quite a few Mangalorean households during the jack fruit season. They are wrapped in leaves and baked and then you remove the leaves and eat the yellow/red colored dish inside.