Otherwise known as the ‘Mysore State’, up until as recently as 1973... not familiar with that? Its just one of those facts about Karnataka that make you curious about this awesome state - its origins, the monuments and associated history, the natural splendor, the people – such a multitude of reasons to wonder in awe about what all lies within destination experience, including the temples of Hampi, the Mysore Palace or even the Jog Falls. Get ready to be amazed!
Among some of the lesser known, but interesting as heck facts about Karnataka:
The infotech capital of India, Bangalore! While this doesn't quite qualify to be included in the lesser known facts about Karnataka, it is worthy of mention for sure!
The legendary village of Gabbar Singh!! Many get confused but it’s true - pinky swear :)... a stone's throw (well a few kilometers) from Bangalore, the hilly region of Ramanagara is the village of the legendary villain Gabbar Singh from the movie Sholay.
Of tales, old and older. The oldest surviving and fabled manuscript, the Arthashastra, written by the wise diplomat Chanakya, can be found in the Oriental Research Institute that was originally set up as the Mysore Oriental Library in the year 1891.
The flagship shop for the flag. The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha or KKGSS, located in Bengeri (Hubli City) is the only division in the whole country with the permission to sew and supply the flag of India.
The most visited monument in India after the Taj Mahal... the Mysore Palace.
The land of waterfalls, including the famous Jog Falls.... Karnataka has the most number of waterfalls in India!
Accounts requiring settlement - A fun ledger fact :D: The Bangalore Club revealed an interesting and odd fact about former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill - according to a ledger revealed by the club, Churchill owes INR 13 to the club in unpaid bills!
.... and sooooo many more! The couple times we hit Bombay with the girls, we found our way to Mahesh Lunch home, only to introduce the girls to the amazing Prawn Gassi and Neer dosa... I am attempting to make the prawn gussi, but I couldn't summon the courage to take a shot at neer dosa. Well at least not just yet. One day. Maybe.
We started chatting about all our friends in Bangalore, and when we could visit and partake of the authentic Karnataka cuisine, but in the meantime, here's what we decided on for our evening:
We got the appetite going with the Mangalorean masterpiece Pathrode (colocasia leaves, smeared and steamed with a spicy, tangy rice and coconut paste stuffing, ending with a swift shallow fry); and, Goli Baje (a delicious evening snack made with flour and yogurt, served along with a myriad of chutneys and a hot cup of coffee)
The main course included Dosa with its accompaniments (thin crepes, originating from the southern regions of India, made from a fermented batter of lentils and rice, and had with potatoes and a myriad of chutneys), Prawn Gassi (a shrimp curry from the heart of Mangalore, with a coconut base, and the tangy flavors of tamarind and kokum), and Kadale Manoli (an outright nourishing, tasty and comforting medley of Ivy gourd and black chickpeas)
With Chiroti for dessert (technically known as "spirals of delight" :), these are delicate layers of fried puff pastry, doused with powdered sugar)
Pathrode
What you’ll need:
12 Colocasia Leaves (Arbi)
2 cups Basmati rice; 1 tblsp green moong daal (whole); 1 tblsp chana daal (Bengal Gram daal); 3 tblsp coriander seeds; 1 tblsp cumin seeds; 1 cup fresh coconut, grated; 1/2 tsp turmeric pd
Tamarind, lemon size piece; 2 tblsp jaggery; 8 dry red chillies; 1 tblsp salt; coconut oil, as needed
Lets first wash and soak the rice and daal in water for 3 to 6 hours. Drain off the excess water from rice and grind all the ingredients (except the leaves of course!) to a spread consistency.
Separately, remember to wash the colocasia leaves, remove the stem & the large veins of the leaves with the help of a knife.
Next first take the largest/biggest leaf, put it upside down and smear a layer of masala on the back side of the leaf. Place the second leaf on top of the first leaf & smear the masala. Repeat the process for 3 to 5 leaves. Then, fold the sides of the leaf towards the center and then roll along length of the leaves to make a roll. After it is rolled, smear the paste on top of it. Once the rolls are done, steam cook these rolls for ~15 to 20 minutes.
Once cooled, shallow fry them with coconut oil till they turn crisp and serve piping hot!
Goli Baje
What you’ll need:
11/2 cups all purpose flour; 3/4 cup sour yogurt
1 tsp baking soda; 3 tblsp fresh coconut, grated; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 2 tblsp cilantro, chopped; 1 tsp salt
Oil for shallow fry-steaming (yes, this is a newly coined term!)
To begin making Goli Baje, in a big bowl, add the sour yogurt and whisk it till you attain a creamy texture. Add the chopped green chillies, cilantro leaves, grated coconut and mix well. Then fold in the flour, adding a little water at a time until you get a thick pouring batter consistency. Then add the baking soda, salt, mix well and leave it aside for an hour.
Next, you could deep fry blobs of this mixture, or alternately, heat up an appam maker, and put in a few drops of oil in each cavity. Once the oil is hot, drop half a tablespoon amount of batter into the hot oil. Let it cook and turn golden brown on one side.... then, flip over and cook the other side as well for a couple minutes. Transfer these on to a paper towel and finish up with the remaining batter. Serve hot as well with the samplings of chutneys!
Dosa, and other such
What you’ll need:
1 cup urad daal; 1 tblsp poha ( puffed, flattened rice); 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
3 cups rice
1 tsp salt; ghee (clarified butter) for frying the dosas
Such a simple recipe... I have to thank my friend Savitha for this - she is the queen (I hear :D) on the home cooking front, and was super generous with sharing her recipes.. so thanks a mighty bunch Savitha - these turned out every bit as awesome as I'd heard they would!
Soak the daal, poha and fenugreek seeds for 4-6 hours, and separately soak the rice for the same time as well. Remember to only use enough water so as to cover the lentils or the rice in the pan... you want to minimize the water in the mixture when you move into the grinding step of the process!
Next, grind the two mixtures separately, and then add the salt, and some water to make it a pancake consistency, and blend the two mixes together with a hand whisk. Let this sit and ferment overnight - if you get it right, the batter will nearly double in size by the next day!
To make the dosas, heat a flat pan (try and get one with low or preferably no sides, kind of like a griddle except without the ridges), and once hot, wipe it down with a moist kitchen towel. Spready a ladle of batter, starting off from the center, and spreading it outwards in concentric circles until you get a thin crepe like dosa on the pan! let this cook, and add a few drops of ghee at different points on the dosa... once its browned and easily detaches from the pan, flip it over and let it cook on the other side until nicely crisped. Serve straight off the pan, with a side of "masala" (potato bhaji), sambhar (a spicy flavorful lentil preparation) and coconut chutney... so so yummy and wholesome!
Prawn Gassi
What you’ll need:
1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 10 dry red chillies; 10 black pepper corns; 1 tblsp coconut oil
2 sprigs curry leaves; 2 tblsp coconut oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 8 cloves of garlic, chopped; 1" piece of ginger, coarsely chopped
2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp turmeric pd; 1 cup of coconut, freshly grated; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 4-5 pieces of kokum
2 lbs cleaned and deveined shrimp, lightly sauted for about 3-4 minutes
Start with dry roasting the whole spices in a tblsp of coconut oil, then add in the coconut, turmeric powder, chili powder and grind to a fine paste. Next, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter, add curry leaves and fry them. In a few seconds, add the onions and saute until they're translucent. Add the green chillies, garlic and ginger along with the finely ground spice paste and salt, plus 1/2 cup of water. Let the mixture come to a boil.
The, add the shrimp and continue to cook till it is done, likely about 8-10 minutes. I made this relatively dry, but if you'd like to have it over rice, you could add some more water (no more than a cup), so there is some gravy to go with this yummy shrimp!
Kadale Minoli
What you’ll need:
1/2 lb Ivy gourd/Tindora/Tendli; 1/2 cup black chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight in water
1/2 cup grated coconut; 1/2 chopped onions; 1/2 tsp chopped ginger; 2 cloves of chopped garlic
3 tblsp mustard oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp roasted coriander seeds; 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric pd; 3 whole red chillies; 1 tbsp jaggery; 1 tsp tamarind pulp; 11/2 tsp salt
Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves for garnish
For tempering: 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; Pinch of asafoetida pd; 1 sprig curry leaves; 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tblsp ghee (clarified butter)
Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas with a little salt for about 40 minutes after the first pressure release. Drain the excess water and keep it aside. Next, cut each gourd into 4 pieces vertically. Coarsely blend red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, curry leaves, chopped onion, ginger, and garlic into the mixer adding very little water. Then add the grated coconut and pulse 2-3 times (Do NOT make a paste of the coconut, it should be coarse!). Set the spice blend aside.
Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add asoefetida, mustard seeds, crushed garlic, and remaining curry leaves. Add the chopped onions and fry until translucent. Next toss in the spice blend and salt, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Then, the jaggery, tamarind pulp, and Ivy gourd, mix well and cook covered on medium heat until it is soft and fully cooked. Finally, add the boiled chickpeas, mix and cook for another minute before you switch off the heat. Garnish it with chopped cilantro, and voila!
Chiroti
What you’ll need:
2 cups semolina (fine)
2 tbsp butter (softened)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup all purpose flour (for dusting)
For the Saati: 1/4 cup butter, softened; 2 tblsp rice flour
In a large mixing bowl, mix the 2 cups of chiroti rava (ok ok, the semolina!) and add 2 tbsp butter to a crumbly mix. Add the water to knead the dough - knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough turns soft. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Pinch a large ball sized dough and dust it with the flour… roll it into as thin a crepe as possible. Now spread 1 tsp of the saati (the butter and rice flour paste) uniformly on the crepe. Repeat the process with 4 additional crepe saati layers on top. Next, roll the layered structure into a tight log And then cut into 1 inch pieces and press gently.
Deep fry in medium hot oil, drain off the fried chiroti and keep aside for 10 minutes to drain off the oil completely. Next, enjoy this heavenly crunchy dessert just the way it is, or with powdered sugar and badaam milk. Kind of like the funnel cakes were used to this side of the pond. Yummmmmm!
wow ! Lovely write up deepika . The history is as flavorful and colorful as the recipes .