Karnataka Dishes

The cuisine of Karnataka is quite varied with each region of the state having its own unique flavours. A typical Karnataka or Mysore meal is pure vegetarian cooked in sesame and ground nut oil while the coastal areas have a simple, yet flavorsome cuisine with meat, fish and seafood varieties cooked in coconut oil especially Mangalore coast with their Goan influence have their own distinct fish and meat specialties cooked in coconut milk. The Bhakri meal of northern Karnataka based on Jowar is very different as is the raggi meal of the rural areas of Mysore. The Kodavas or Coorgis, who are culturally quite different from the rest of the state, have an equally distinct cuisine.

The three staple items of Karnataka's culinary culture are rice, raggi and jowar (millet). The people in the northern districts prefer millet rotis with spicy vegetable preparations while in rural Mysore the preference is steamed ragi balls served with hot chutney or 'huli', very similar to Sambhar. The traditional Karnataka meal is served on banana leaf (Patravali) or 'muttuga' leaves stitched together. Rice is served with a number of delicacies such as 'Huli', 'Kosambari' a lentil salad, 'Playas' mixed vegetables cooked mildly, 'Kootu', 'Saaru' a clear pepper broth, 'obattu' and any payasa (Kheer) etc and finally 'chitranna' rice favoured with lemon juice, green chilli and turmeric powder and sprinkled with fried groundnuts and coriander leaves which is a must in the formal meal. Puris made from whole-wheat flour are also served along with pappads and pickle. Other popular Karnataka specialties are Bisi bele bath, Uppittu, Mysore masala dosa and sweet dishes such as Obbattu or Holighe which is flat, thin, wafer-like chappati filled with a mixture of jaggery, coconut and sugar and fried gently on a skillet, 'Kesari bhath' (a halwa made of semolina, sugar, and saffron), chiroti, Mysore pak etc.