North Karnataka Cuisine comprises of various dishes that are healthy and nutritious. The influence of Indian states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh can be observed in the cuisines of North Karnataka. The main meals of North Karnataka comprises of jowar, wheat and rice preparations. The ingredients like peanuts (prevents heart diseases, cancers, nervous diseases) and garlic (lowers cholesterol) are used a lot in the cuisines as they are good for health.
Cuisines of North Karnataka
The cuisine of North Karnataka emphasises on roti as the people of North Karnataka have a preference for wheat and jowar rottis that are eaten with a variety of chutneys or spicy curries. Besides jowar rottis, North Karnataka also offers various other rottis to choose from like Jolada rotti, thali peet, khadak rotti and sajja rotti. These rottis are tasted with side dishes like kaalu palya, soppu palya, usli and jholka. And among the sweets of North Karnataka, Dharwad peda, Gokak khardantu, Belgaum khunda, shenga holige and yellu holige are the most popular among the people. The best North Karnataka cuisines are Dharwad peda, Gokak khardantu, Belgaum khunda, shenga holige and yellu holige, besides the local hoornada holige.
Traditional Culinary Fare
The traditional culinary fare exhibits myriad North Karnataka cuisines to the food lovers. This traditional fare is basically a sumptuous spread that includes several essential menu items. These include protein-rich cereal salads like kosambri, safet (warm vegetable salads made out of parboiled vegetables chopped fine and tossed with desiccated coconut, green chillies, curry leaves and mustard seasoning), gojju (a vegetable cooked in tamarind juice with chilli powder in it), tovve (cooked dal without too much seasoning), huli (a thick broth of lentils and vegetables cooked together with ground, including chitranna (rice with lime juice, green chilli, turmeric powder sprinkled with fried coconut, spices, tamarind and chilli powder) and pappad.
A complete range of rice-based dishes groundnuts and coriander leaves), vangibhath (spiced rice with eggplant), and pulliyogare (rice flavoured with tamarind juice and spiced with groundnuts) form an integral part of the traditional repertoire. The most distinctive Karnataka dish, however, is the celebrated bisibelebhath, a unique combination of rice, dal, tamarind, chilli powder and a dash of cinnamon. In rural areas, ragi (steam-cooked finger millet rolled into large balls) served either with mutton curry or soppina saaru forms the staple diet.
