Take it from a Mangalurean, travelling to Mangaluru for its sun-kissed beaches is fine. But travelling for its food? Now, you’re thinking like one! From mandatory seafood delights to traditional vegetarian recipes found in home kitchens to breakfast gems, we have curated a list of the 10 local South Indian dishes you must try in Mangaluru that are worth travelling for. After all, being a Mangalurean is all about eating and feeding!
10 Local South Indian Dishes To Try In Mangaluru
1. Mangalore Buns
Mangalore Buns is puffy like a puri with a flavour that may remind you of banana bread. The breakfast staple is a sweet fried bread made of flour, mashed banana, sugar and a touch of cumin. Traditionally made with all-purpose flour, it’s also whipped with wheat flour in health-conscious homes. Paired with a coconut chutney and a cup of filter kaapi or chai, and your breakfast fix in Mangaluru is taken care of!
2. Dalitoy
In Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) households, dalithoy flows like water. This ain’t exaggeration! Visit a Konkani kitchen in Mangaluru and you’d certainly find a pot of dalithoy simmering on the stove! Dalithoy is a GSB-style dal preparation with a unique tempering of coconut oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds, dried red chillies and hing. Requiring only a handful of ingredients, it’s comfort food at its simplest. Once cooked, the hot dal is poured over freshly cooked rice and eaten with a simple upkari (vegetable stir-fry) and papad.
3. Biscuit Roti
Mangaluru has its own version of kachoris, and that’s Biscuit Roti (pronounced: biskut roti). Insanely addictive, Biscuit Rotis are sweet, salty and spicy, all rolled into one crisp puri. The deep-fried snack, downed for breakfast and tea, cradles within it a stuffing of grated coconut, sugar, chilli powder and other spices. Crack it open and dunk it in coconut chutney or wash down with a cup of filter coffee!
4. Kane Rava Fry
Kane also known as ‘Lady Fish’, is a long, slender fish known for its delicate flavour and tender flesh. It’s a fish that appeals to people who often steer away from strong-smelling or “fishy” seafood. Kane Rava Fry is a popular preparation in Mangaluru, where the Lady Fish is coated with semolina and spices and then shallow fried in coconut oil. The fish has a crispy crust thanks to the semolina, while the flesh is tender. Kane Rava Fry is one of the best local South Indian dishes you must try in Mangaluru.
5. Chicken Ghee Roast
Mentioning Mangalurean cuisine without naming Chicken Ghee Roast is no less than a food crime. Originating from Kundapur, a coastal town near Mangaluru, Chicken Ghee Roast is a tangy, spicy, and ghee-licious dish. Tender chicken pieces are slow-cooked in a masala made of roasted spices, curry leaves Byadgi chillies. From start to finish, just as the name suggests, it is cooked in ghee.
6. Kori Rotti
Kori Rotti offers an adventurous food experience for discerning diners. In Tulu, Kori means ‘chicken’, while Rotti refers to crisps or sun-dried wafers made of boiled rice. The food pairing involves breaking the crisp, papad-like Rotti with your hand and dipping it into the robust coconut-milk-based chicken curry. When dipped into the gravy, the wafer softens to soak in all the goodness of the sauce. And you end up with a dish that feels very exciting to your palate. Kori Rotti is undoubedtly one of the local South Indian dishes in Mangaluru that must be on your food itinerary.
7. Fish Pulimunchi
In Tulu, ‘Puli’ means tamarind or sour, while ‘Munchi’ means chilli. So, Pulimunchi is a simple hot and sour gravy. A distinctive ingredient in Mangaluru cuisine, tamarind adds the tanginess to gravies. Fish Pulimunchi is a thin gravy typically made of mackerel fish or even Anjal or King Fish. Fish Pulimunchi is one of the worthy local South Indian dishes to try in Mangaluru.
9. Ambe Upkari
Ambe Upkari or Mango Curry in Konkani is a seasonal delight. Come summers, Konkani households stock up on small mangoes to prepare this sweet, spicy and sour mango curry. A dish that is a dessert in itself, Ambe Upkari is made of mango pulp, fresh small mangoes, jaggery, coconut and a tempering of coconut oil, mustard seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. For special occasions or as an act of love, Ambe Upkari lets you devour mangoes in their truest form. Slurp and chew the small mangoes and drink the tempered pulpy gravy!
Also Read: 6 Lesser Known Sweets From Mangalore You MUST Try On Your Next Trip To The Coastal City
10. Goli Baje
Goli Baje AKA Mangalore Bajji is a bhajiya made of all-purpose flour. A tea-time staple from the coastal Karnataka region. It’s essentially puffed-up maida dough balls that are crisp on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. A batter of maida, curd and spices is prepared and allowed to ferment. This is then deep-fried until golden brown and devoured hot and steaming.
Now that we’ve given you our list of the 10 local South Indian dishes to try in Mangaluru, which of these are you salivating for?
Cover Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy
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