Cuisine of Karnataka

Traveller GETAWAYS Cuisine of Karnataka Price: `495.00 CUISINE OF KARNATAKA The book is created in association with Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka by the Outlook Group Traveller GETAWAYS Traveller GETAWAYS Editorial Business Office EDITOR Amit Dixit CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Indranil Roy SENIOR CONSULTING EDITOR Ranee Sahaney Associate EDITOR Prannay Pathak Advertisements SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Karan Kaushik VICE PRESIDENT Sameer Saxena CMS EXECUTIVE Benny Joshua Circulation Research NATIONAL HEAD Gagan Kohli RESEARCHERS Sharon George, Lima Parte Production Design GENERAL MANAGER Shashank Dixit Creative DIRECTOR Deepak Suri MANAGER Sudha Sharma DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Kapil Taragi Associate MANAGER Gaurav Shrivas CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rajesh KG DEPUTY MANAGER Ganesh Sah Photography Assistant PHOTO EDITOR Raman Pruthi Printed and published by INDRANIL ROY on behalf of Outlook Publishing (India) Private Limited from AB-10, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029 Printed at MP Printers (A Unit of DB Corp Ltd) B-220, Phase-II, Noida 201305 Gautam Buddha Nagar (UP) First Edition 2020 Copyright © Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. 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However, we would be happy to receive suggestions and corrections for inclu- sion in the next edition. Please write to: The Editor, Outlook Traveller Getaways, AB-10, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029 outlooktraveller.com For updates, news and new destinations, log on to our website www.outlooktraveller.com Introduction 06 Geography 10 Culture 14 Nature 20 Karnataka Regions n South 38 n Coastal Karnataka 44 n Malnad 66 n North Karnataka 76 Recipes 80 Photo Credits 88 Contents CUISINE OF KARNATAKA 6 When talk comes round to its food and its people’s dietary habits, it is often said about Karnataka that the state’s topographic and climatic diversity bears an uncanny likeness to that of India itself. Located on the western edge of the Deccan Peninsular region of India geographically, the state is often divided into several culinary zones. Millets are a staple throughout Karnataka—if the north is dominated by jowar (sorghum), the south displays especial fondness for the hardy ragi (finger millet). If Kodava cuisine prides itself on the redoubtable pandi curry and potent shots of Introduction the traditional vinegar kachampuli, the hill tracts INTRODUCTION 7 of the bigger Malnad region swear by their delicious bamboo-, banana- and yam-based preparations. One marvels at the brief breaks reli- gious towns of Gokarna and Udupi—both almost equidistant from the northern and southern ends of the coastline, respective- ly—provide to the fish- and seafood-eating coast that extends from Karwar to Manga- lore. The border areas display gastronomic porosity—if northwest Karnataka welcomes Maratha and Konkani flavours, the Gulbar- ga-Bidar surrounds often display a similarity with Andhra food—the meat, the spices, the sorrel leaves… CUISINE OF KARNATAKA Such is its contract with food that even the name of its bustling capital Bengaluru, 8 came from a modest bowl of boiled beans, as is often recounted by residents and histo- ry buffs. According to a legend, the Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunt, got separated from his companions in the for- est, as young kings are often accustomed to. He came upon the hut of a kind, old woman who fed him a bowl of boiled beans, which was the local staple, and was known as benda kaal. Overcome with wonder and gratitude, he named the village Benda-kaal- uru, or ‘Village of Boiled Beans’. It is a corruption of that historic anointment that Bengaluru has come to be known by, today. Bengaluru contains within itself the whole gamut of the state’s food traditions, and is without a doubt your best bet to start savouring its flavours. In the darshinis, upscale joints, military hotels, messes, 9 TION C INTRODU A take on the chitranna, or the lemon bath recipe Facing page: (top to bottom) pandi curry; fish fry; maddur vada specialty restaurants and highway hotels of tations, are wildly popular as teatime snacks Bengaluru and its suburbs, you can feast not all across Karnataka. These are generally only on the Davangere benne dosa, the fluffy made from balekayi (raw banana), mena- thatte idli, the Maddur vada and the Dhar- sinakayi (green banana caper), alugadde wad Peda, but also the offal-based prepara- (potato), iruli (onion) and sabbaki (pearl tions of Shivajinagar. The donne biryani, sago). Rice is eaten throughout the state, in masale vade and crisp dosas with all their inventive recipes such as puliyogare (tama- variations, are raging local favourites, avail- rind rice), vangibath (brinjal rice), chitranna able at iconic eateries. (lemon rice), and the famous one-pot hot In fact, vadas and bajjis (crunchy, sa- lentil-and-rice dish which everyone swears voury fritters), in all their various interpre- by, bisibelebath. n CUISINE OF KARNATAKA 10 Karnataka’s sheer geographical diversity makes it exceptional—the mysterious desert tract of Ta- lakadu with monuments buried in sand; giant lime- stone formations at Yana near Sirsi; the stalactites and stalagmites of Kavala Caves near Dandeli; the stunning peach-hued sandstone ridges of Badami; the precariously perched natural granite boulders of Ramnagaram (legendary backdrop for the movie Sholay); the bouldering and rock-climbing haven of Hampi, Shivagange, and Kolar. Then there are the dense forests and mountains of the Western Ghats or Sahyadris—from Baba Budan Giri, the birth- place of coffee in India, to Agumbe, Kodachadri, Geography Kemmangundi, and Kudremukh. 11 INTRODUCTION 13 RAPHY G GEO Above: The colourful Karavali coast at Murudeshwar Facing page: The otherworldly Jog Falls plunge, cutting through the mist All these features collectively make moonlit night in Karwar inspired the poet Karnataka one of the global hotspots of Rabindranath Tagore to pen his first play biodiversity. Birdwatchers and wildlife ‘Prokritir Protishodh’ (Nature’s Revenge). enthusiasts flock to world-famous parks Adding intrigue are the islands off the such as Dandeli, Nagarhole, Bandipur and coast—the tortoise-shaped Kurumgad near Kabini. Fringing the Western Ghats are Karwar; the fine dive site Netrani Island off pristine beaches lined with forests and Murudeshwara; and St Mary’s Island near laterite cliffs. Malpe with fantastic basalt formations. The Karavali coast stretches 320km Sunny beaches at Malpe, Kaup, Bain- from Mangaluru to Karwar creating the Sap- door, Murudeshwara, Maravanthe, Kumta, phire Route, one of the most scenic coastal and Gokarna come with spectacular moun- drives in India. A magical boat ride on a tains to the east. n CUISINE OF KARNATAKA 14 15 TION C Its varied topographical zones; those borders shared with as many as six states; communities, both local INTRODU and emigrant existing all over the meat-eating spec- trum; diverse culinary histories—where does one begin to harness the aromatic crosswinds that define the culture of Karnataka? Is it the spicy pandi of the Kodavas or the ever-evolving Mangalorean cuisine? Could the up-and-coming food culture in Bangalore and its suburbs be its face or should the kitchen gardens in houses big and small, come to define what it is that lies at the heart of the Kan- Culture nada platter. It sure is a problem of plenty but one Bengaluru’s messes and boutique restaurants that can be solved if one looks for what floats doing special thalis as well as the MTR outlets their boat. To some, Karnataka cuisine im- all over the state; Bidadi and Maravanthe’s mediately brings to mind the coffee culture highway pitstops; Sauji eateries serving hot- of Chikmagalur and Coorg. Some others may and-spicy traditional non-vegetarian fare; Lin- recall the unique practice of slathering benne gayat khanavalis with the lesser-known north over crumbly idlis and gossamer dosas, or Karnataka cuisine and Udupi restaurants—I the faint, fragrant sweetness of coconut that doubt if this list can end. invariably enters almost anything edible. Having said all that, bias must be placed It could mean the grainy goodness of ragi where it’s due—the riches of the Karavali mudde towards the south or the sinful sensa- coast and the endless cycle of life and subsis- tions of the Belgaum kunda in the north. tence they have spawned, colour the culinary The clamorous polyphony of these fla- character of Karnataka to a large extent. vours will take a lifetime, if not more, if one Be it the fresh produce markets selling lo- sets out to hear each of these lively spirits. cally grown veggies set up every day from CUISINE OF KARNATAKA But trying is worth it—it’s worth digging Karwar to Mangaluru, the hum of activity into warrior-clan meats galvanised in feisty at the docks swarming with customers, the 16 kachampuli in Kodagu’s homestay kitchens. unmistakable hint of coconut associated with coastal food in every recipe, or the flavours Below: Bevu bella, which is prepared in Ugadi of the criminally underrated Tulu food—the Facing page: Udupi is famous for its masala dosas aromas, textures and flavours of the Kanara or Karavali coast travel eastward with great per- suasion, probably to mingle somewhere from their other counterparts in the centre of what a collective imagination calls South India.

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