South Indian Authentic cuisine

South Indian Authentic cuisine one of the oldest known Indian cuisines is from the picturesque state of Karnataka, Kannada cuisine is a felicity for a foodie. Like all other peninsular states of India, Karnataka is ahead in the use of rice in cooking too. Bisibele Bhath, Avalakki, Chitranna, and Vaangi Bhath are a few rice preparations that the ‘Bhath’ lovers crave.

A Kannada thali (Oota) a South Indian thali is made up of a selection of various South Indian dishes.There really is no “rule” as to what constitutes a thali .South indians are known for having elaborate meals. We have 2 kinds of dry veggies, 1 veggie curry, 2 soupy curries, curd, fried dumplings & fryums, pickles and at least 1 type of sweet.

Karnataka state has a higher percentage of vegetarians, most of the dishes in this region are vegetarian in nature. The mildest among all South Indian Food, chilli powder is used sparingly in all the dishes. On the other hand dishes in these region makes liberal use of palm sugar or brown sugar. In addition, Udupi food is an integral part of the cuisine from this region. Udupi Hotels are extremely popular in many regions of North India and the menu of this restaurant is greatly influenced by the cuisine of Karnataka.

1) Mangalore Banana Poories (Mangalore Buns)

The Mangalore Banana Poories, popularly known as ‘Mangalore Buns’, are a speciality dish of Mangalore and the Udupi region of Karnataka. Every small and big restaurant in Mangalore serves these buns as a breakfast item as well as an evening snack. Their taste is so unique, and also difficult to replicate, that some families have been known to buy them in bulk to courier to their children living abroad.

2) Neer Dosa

It is a light dosa delicacy that originated in the Tulu region of Karnataka. ‘Neer’ translates to ‘water’ in the Tulu dialect, and the dish is so named because of its watery batter. Unlike the regular dosa, Neer Dosa doesn’t demand much soaking, cooking or fermentation time.

3) Dahi Vada ( Mosaru Vade)

‘Mosaru’ means ‘curd’ in Kannada, and Mosaru Vade has remained one of Karnataka’s favourite evening snacks for ages. The authentic dish used to be a favourite among children, and mothers would typically begin preparing for the dish around noon to have it ready for children returning from school. Today, it is popular across India, and across all age groups. Its Tamil and Malayali versions are called ‘Thayir Vadai’, while its Telugu name is ‘Perugu Vada’. The north Indian cousin is well-known as ‘Dahi Vada’. Within Karnataka itself, one would find many versions of the Mosaru Vade, both sweet and savoury.

4) Jowar Roti ( Jolada Roti )

The Jolada Roti is a north Karnataka staple, heartily savoured with dals, curries and chutneys. Jowar is a gluten-free millet, and has traditionally been considered a healthier and more nutritious alternative to wheat flour. Jolada Roti is also popular in the Belgaum  where it is eaten with ‘jhunka bakhri’, a chickpea flour curry tempered with onions.

5) Holige

Holige is Karnataka’s most popular sweet dish, an essential delicacy made to mark festivals such as Ugadi, Vara Maha Lakshmi Vrata and Diwali. The word ‘Holige’ means ‘something very special’, and the dish is also known as ‘Obbattu’, ‘Bobbatlu’ and ‘Puran Poli’ in other regions. It comes in many varieties, such as Peanut Holige, Kai (coconut) Holige, Bele (arhar dal) Holige and Sesame (til) Holige.

6) Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a pan-Deccan drink, preferred even today over any fizzy cola. The first two meals of the day, breakfast and lunch, are never complete without a tumbler full of this beverage. While it is an essential part of the Akki-Roti-Ellu-Pajji breakfast package that is popular across the Coorg popular region of the state, it has now also developed a standalone reputation. In Andhra Pradesh, it is savoured with rice as part of the main course. In Punjab, it is popularly known as ‘Chaach’. . Traditionally, the term ‘buttermilk’ referred to the liquid that would be left over after extracting butter from churned dahi (curd). Today, rich dahi is used to make buttermilk directly.

7) Paddu

Paddus, Karnataka’s popular ‘dosa balls’, were the invention of an innovative housewife who wanted to cut down the rice batter wastage in her kitchen. After adding chopped onions and green chillies to leftover dosa batter, she moulded it into small balls, deep-fried them, and served them to the children as evening snack. Over the years, Paddu came to become an integral part of Kannadiga cuisine and has now even spawned a special ‘Paddu-maker’—a tawa with several circular moulds embedded in it.

8) Brinjal Stir Fry ( Yennegayi )

Yennegayi originated in north Karnataka, and its literal translation is ‘kayi’ (vegetable) cooked in ‘yenne’ (oil). The dish is best served with jolada (jowar, sorghum) roti. Over the years, all kinds of vegetables have been used to prepare Yennegayi, but it is the purple brinjal version that has remained the universal favourite.