Traditional Malenadu Cuisine: Lip Smacking Experience
Are you a foodie? Do most of your holidays and trips revolve around the local food experiences? Well, they certainly do for me! What better way to know a place and culture than by their local cuisine. I think food is an integral part of getting to know people and their culture and while it is extremely enlightening, it is at most times, a treat to the senses and to the palate. A beautiful combination indeed.
Every year during the monsoons, I make it a habit to visit the Western Ghats. While the consistent pitter patter, the lush green environment and the abundance of nature are the popular reasons for visiting the Western Ghats during the monsoons, I have a hidden reason. And that reason is delicious Malenadu food that is absolutely heavenly to gorge on during cold, damp and misty days.
One of my favorite places for such a rich gastronomic experience in Malenadu is a traditional home located somewhere between Bisle Ghat and Sakleshpur. They grow their own produce (vegetables, fruits, spices and greens) and even have their own poultry and cows for a healthy daily source of eggs and milk. And most importantly, the lady of this traditional home cooks an unbelievable array of lip smacking dishes that trigger happiness via each of our senses.
Be it the traditional Kadubu served with fresh coconut chutney, soft Akki roti served with kessa (a nutritious green that grows wild during the monsoons) and Kachampuli, Shavige with sweet coconut milk, young bamboo shoot salad, fermented jackfruit with coconut milk steamed (Halasanahannu hittu) and served with home made ghee, majjige huli, bas saru and rasam served with steaming hot fresh red rice, horse gram salad, fresh veggies with grated coconut or so many other dishes, this Malnad food experience keep getting richer and richer.
While the vegetarian certainly enjoys his vegetarian Malenadu fare, it is the meat lover who is absolutely spoilt for choice with an assortment of pork, chicken, fish and egg dishes. The Malnad pork like the one at Kodagu enjoys legendary status and is enjoyed during all important events and get togethers. And for evening snacks there is freshly roasted jack fruit seeds with piping hot coffee (with fresh cow milk and home grown coffee). Pure trip to heaven! What more does a foodie need?
Delicious Malnad food where the ingredients are all locally sourced along with the some of the best nature in Karnataka and my favorite season of the year makes the Malenadu region of Karnataka one of my favorite go-to destinations for a monsoon holiday. Do you have any such favorites where you go simply for the food?
