Food of Karnataka that will make you ache for more

The food of Karnataka is heavily influenced by its neighboring states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

The taste of India varies from region to region.

The taste of Karnataka cuisine varies from region to region.

Mangalore and Uttara Canara are famous for spicy seafood, South Karnataka is famous for the variety of rice, and North Karnataka has spicier food than other parts of Karnataka.

The main ingredients of Karnataka cuisine are ragi, rice, jowar, urad dal, semolina, and palm jaggery.

In Karnataka, food is traditionally served on a banana leaf.

Dosa – food of Karnataka

Dosa is not only popular in Karnataka but is a famous dish all over India.

It is a pancake made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram, served with sambar and coconut chutney.

There are many varieties of dosa.

The Davangere Benne Dosa is prepared with a generous amount of butter, the Mysore Masala Dosa is prepared with a spicy potato filling, the Set Dosa is prepared with ragi and rava, and the Neerdosa is prepared with soaked rice.

Kori Gassi – Cuisine of Karnataka

Kori Gassi is a chicken curry cooked with spices, tamarind, and grated fresh coconut.

It is served with neer dosa or roti.

This dish originated from the coastal region of Karnataka and is mostly eaten in Mangalore.

Kori Gassi, also known as Chicken Gassi, is a delicious and spicy coconut-based chicken curry that originates from the coastal region of Karnataka, a state in southern India.

This dish is a popular part of the cuisine of Karnataka, especially in the districts of Mangalore and Udupi.

Here’s a basic recipe for Kori Gassi

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:

500 grams of chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
Salt to taste

For the Kori Gassi curry:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
5-6 dried red chilies (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon tamarind paste or a small ball of tamarind soaked in water
1 cup coconut milk (thick or thin, as per your preference)
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
In a pan, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried red chilies until fragrant. Remove from heat and let them cool.
Grind the roasted spices, grated coconut, and tamarind paste into a smooth paste with some water.
Heat coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
Add minced ginger and garlic, and sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until they turn white and are lightly seared.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and mushy.
Now, add the ground spice-coconut-tamarind paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Pour in the coconut milk, add salt, and mix well. You can adjust the consistency of the curry by adding more water or coconut milk as needed.
Let the curry simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld together.
Garnish with fresh curry leaves.

Serve hot Kori Gassi with steamed rice or neer dosa (a thin, crepe-like rice pancake). The combination of the spicy, tangy, and creamy flavors makes Kori Gassi a delightful dish that captures the essence of Karnataka’s coastal cuisine

Kundapura Koli Saru – Cuisine of Karnataka

Kundapura Koli Saru is a chicken curry cooked with onions, ginger, garlic and aromatic spices. This dish is served with neer dosa, rice or roti.

Kundapura Koli Saru, also known as Kundapura Chicken Curry, is a traditional and flavorful chicken curry dish that hails from the coastal town of Kundapura in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India.

This dish is renowned for its spicy and tangy flavors, and it’s a popular part of Karnataka’s coastal cuisine.

Here’s a basic recipe for Kundapura Koli Saru

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

500 grams of chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
Salt to taste

For the curry:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2-3 green chilies, slit
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
5-6 dried red chilies (adjust to taste)
1-inch piece of ginger, minced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 cup tamarind pulp (extracted from tamarind soaked in warm water)
1 cup coconut milk (thick or thin, as per your preference)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.
In a dry pan, roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, and dried red chilies until fragrant. Remove from heat and let them cool.
Grind the roasted spices along with grated coconut into a smooth paste using a little water.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or kadai. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
Add minced ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and mushy.
Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until they turn white and are lightly seared.
Stir in the ground spice-coconut paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking.
Add the tamarind pulp, coconut milk, and salt. Adjust the consistency of the curry by adding more water if needed.
Let the curry simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld together.
Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve hot Kundapura Koli Saru with steamed rice or neer dosa, which is a perfect combination to savor the rich and spicy flavors of this coastal Karnataka delight. This dish is loved for its vibrant taste and is a must-try for anyone exploring the cuisine of Karnataka

Allugedda – Cuisine of Karnataka

Allugedda is a famous Karnataka dish prepared with mashed potatoes, tomatoes, black gram, and onions. It is served with dosa or rice. It can also be served as a breakfast with tea or coffee.

Mysore Pak – Cuisine of Karnataka

Mysore Pak is a sweet dish from Karnataka prepared with gram flour, ghee and sugar. The texture of the dish depends on the amount of ghee added to it.

Coorg Pandi Curry – Cuisine of Karnataka

Coorg Pandi curry is a popular non-vegetarian dish prepared with spices and Coorg vinegar (prepared from Kachumpuli). This dish is served with rice balls or akki roti.

Halbai-Food of Karnataka

Halbai is a concoction of ground rice, coconut, jaggery, and coconut milk. It is the most famous sweet of Karnataka.

Bisi bele bhaat-Food of Karnataka

Bisi Bele Bhaat is a famous dish of Karnataka which is prepared from mixed rice, pulses, vegetables and spices. It is served with ghee, potato chips or boondi.

Rava Kesari-Food of Karnataka

Rava Kesari is a sweet dish prepared with semolina, ghee, dry fruits and saffron. Other variants of rava kesari are pineapple, banana, etc.

Mangalorean Biryani-Food of Karnataka

Mangalorean Biryani is a special dish from Karnataka prepared with coconut, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel, ginger, garlic, cumin and dry red chilies.

Cane Rava Fry-Food of Karnataka

Cane Rava Fry is an authentic dish of Karnataka which is prepared from okra dipped in red chili paste, then coated with semolina and then fried. This dish is a coastal delicacy and is famous among fish-lovers.

Udupi Sambar – Cuisine of Karnataka

Udupi sambar is the first dish of a meal prepared with spices flavored with tomato and tamarind water. This dish is served before a meal or as an accompaniment to a South Indian thali.

Mysore Bonda-Food of Karnataka

Mysore bonda is prepared from flour and curd. It can also be made with urad dal and served with coconut chutney and sambar.

Sagu

Sagu is a creamy curry of coconut, spices and poppy seeds. It is eaten with dosa or roti.

Jolada Bread

Jolada roti is a flat bread prepared from jowar flour and salt, and cooked on an iron pan. This dish is served with stuffed brinjal masala or chutney. Other variations of roti in Karnataka are akki roti ragi roti.

ragi mudde

Ragi mudde is a staple food of Karnataka which consists of only two ingredients, ragi flour and water. This dish is served with saaru or curry.

Khara Pongal-Food of Karnataka

It can be both sweet or spicy. Khara Pongal is a spicy dish prepared with rice and moong dal in equal proportions. It is a healthy dish that provides protein and carbohydrates.

Chitranna

Chitranna is a famous dish of Karnataka cuisine. It is prepared with flattened rice, a variety of vegetables and flavored with lemon.

Idli

Tatte is a variation of idli, a steamed rice cake prepared from a fermented batter of black lentils and rice, and served with chutney and sambar. Other variations of Idli in Karnataka are Rava Idli and Mude Idli.

Chiroti

Chiroti is a traditional sweet of Karnataka prepared from a puffed dough of flour, fried and cardamom sugar. There are also several versions of this dish, such as flaky penne and mandige.