Skip to main content

Mangaluru Kitchen - Coastal History & Cuisines

About Mangaluru Cuisine

Mangalorean cuisine is a collective name given to the cuisine of Mangalore which comprises cuisines like Udupi as well as cuisine of the Mangalorean communities like that of the Tuluvas, Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins, Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Mangalorean Catholics and the Bearys.

Mangalorean cuisine is largely influenced by the South Indian cuisine, with several cuisines being unique to the diverse communities of the region. Coconut and curry leaves are common ingredients to most Mangalorean curry, as are ginger, garlic and chili. Mangalorean Fish Curry is popular dish in Karnataka. Well-known Tuluva dishes include Neer Dosa, Masala Dosa, Chicken Ghee Roast, Chicken Sukka, Kori Rotti (dry rice flakes dipped in gravy), Bangude Pulimunchi (spicy sour silver-grey mackerels), Beeja-Manoli Upkari, Neer dosa (lacy rice-crêpes), Boothai Gasi, Kadubu, and Patrode. The Konkani community's specialties include Daali thoy, bibbe-upkari (cashew based), val val, avnas ambe sasam, Kadgi chakko, paagila podi, and chane gashi. Tulu vegetarian cuisine in Mangalore, also known as Udupi cuisine, is known and liked throughout the state and region.

Since Mangalore / Udupi / Kundapur / Goa is a coastal town, fish forms the staple diet of most people. Mangalorean Catholics' Sanna-Dukra Maas (Sanna – idli fluffed with toddy or yeast; Dukra Maas – Pork), Pork Bafat, Sorpotel and the Mutton Biryani of the Muslims are well-known dishes. Pickles such as happala, sandige and puli munchi are unique to Mangalore. Khali (toddy), a country liquor prepared from coconut flower sap, is popular.

Meat Based

Their curry uses a lot of coconut and curry leaves while ginger, garlic and chilli are also used. Mangalorean Catholic cuisine has distinct Portuguese influence as can be seen in Laitao, the famous pork roast served as the Pièce de résistance at wedding dinners, and Pork Sorpotel. Mangalorean Catholics mix pork blood and other parts in most of their pork delicacies as can be seen from Pork Bafat, Cabidela and Kalleze un Kiti (heart and intestines). Sanna-Dukra Maas (Sanna – idli fluffed with toddy or yeast; Dukra Maas – Pork) and Unde-Dukra Maas (Unde – leavened bread; Dukra Maas – Pork) are popular dishes. Bifa Maas (beef), Bokrea Maas (mutton) and Kunkda Maas (chicken) with dishes such as Chicken Indaz are popular. The traditional Rosachi kadi (Ros Curry), a fish curry made with ros (coconut milk) is quite popular and is served during the Ros (anointing) ceremony that is held one or two days before a Mangalorean Catholic wedding. Their fish curry, especially their Fish Roe Curry, is known for its taste in the whole of coastal India while fried fish in their style is well known. The Sheveo Roce and Pathal Bakri (a variant of Kori Rotti) are dry rice flakes dipped in chicken gravy dishes.

Shivalli / Udupi Restaurant's All Over the World

The Shivalli Brahmins are a Hindu community in Tulu Nadu (Udupi-Mangalore) and Kundapura where Kundagannada is the native language. They are divided into two groups, the first of which follows the Dvaita philosophy founded by the Vaishnava saint Madhvacharya of Udupi are called Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins, and the second of which follow the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankara and are known as Shivalli Smartha Brahmins.

Shivalli Brahmins are famous for Udupi hotels (vegetarian restaurants) known for serving typical south Indian dishes like idli, vada, dosa, shira and upma etc. Shivalli Brahmins have a unique style of cooking, serving and eating meals. The meal is served on a plantain (banana) leaf and is usually eaten by hand, seated with padmasana like position on the floor. As per traditions male members must be bare chested while eating meal and must not talk except for deveranama (bhajan). While having meals, all Brahmins including women and children must start and end their meal together. No one should get up during the meals. The meal is wholesome and elaborate in preparation, serving and eating.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cucumber Mandas - Thoushyaso Mandas

Steamed cucumber cake or mandas as its called is a very popular dish in the Mangalorean region. its eaten as a breakfast or even as a tea time snack. Its a very simple and a healthy snack and extremely filling. I usually make this for breakfast especially steam this on a Friday night so that we wake to a lazy weekend morning to a amazing breakfast dish. Normally mandas is made 2 ways, either steamed like the one I am about to show you or a baked version which is good as well. Apart from these 2 methods there is one more amazing way to make it, is to cook it on wood fire with fire on top and bottom. Its called Voir Ponda Uzo Galn Mandas, unfortunately I wont be able to share with you that now as it requires lot of patience and equipment and a wood fire furnace, hopefully when I visit my house in the village I would get an opportunity to share it. Ingredients  1. Cucumber - 1 big or 2 small sized ( always opt for local cucumbers, not the small green salad variety) 2. Idli Rice (Mu

Kashaya Powder

One of the most favorite hot beverage of the Udupi- Mangalore region is the Kashaya drink, which is a great substitute for tea or coffee. Being a big tea lover myself I do not prefer having Kasahaya on a regular basis but I made a small jar of this Kashaya powder just before the winters because its really soothing and nourishing. Also with the arrival of winters its common to get common cold and other related illnesses, this drink can be a wonderful home remedy to treat yourself . Ingredients 1.Coriander seeds- 5 tbsp 2.Cumin seeds- 2 tbsp 3.Cloves- 5 nos. 4.Cardamoms- 5 nos. 5.Bay leaves- 3 nos. 6.Pepper corn- 1 tsp 7.Fennel seeds- 2 tsp 8.Turmeric - 1 piece 9.Nutmeg- 1 grated. 10.Dry ginger- 2 pieces 11.Ashwagandha- 5 pieces. 12.Jeshtamadhu- 6 pieces Method  Dry all these ingredients under the sun for a day. Dry roast all the above ingredients, one by on a small flame until they turn aromatic. (do not burn the ingredients) Transfer all the roasted ingredien

Meet Mirsang - Salt and Chilli Paste

Family is one of our most priced possessions. It surprises me how unknowingly we absorb all our traditions and practices even without our knowledge and today years later we practice them on an auto mode. You may think what has that to do with meet mirsang, well here goes the tale ( and I love telling stories), so if you are a food enthusiast you will have to listen to my stories as well because every recipe has a story attached to it. Growing up in a small coastal village of Mangalore in a family with really old grandparents who were so rich with their experiences with life and every bit of the traditions. I really enjoyed my childhood to the fullest. Though I do not have any memories of my grandmother as she left for eternal abode a little ahead my grandfather. But having a grandfather around in our growing years was one of the biggest treasures I could ask the universe for. He was fit as a fiddle and he would teach us life the way it should be. As I am writing this my eyes