Girmit To Sambar Butti: 6 Dishes To Explore The Flavours Of Uttara Karnataka

Indian cuisine brings us a plethora of delectable dishes that can satisfy your soul along with your cravings. Each region in the country showcases a platter of special delights that make their cuisine stand out from others. Made with local ingredients and a unique cooking style, the regional recipes of India represent the diversity of our culture. 

Every state has some exceptional dishes that are popular all across the country as well as among international foodies, such as vada pav from Maharashtra, dal baati from Rajasthan, and litti chokha from Bihar. When it comes to Karnataka, this particular land itself has many cuisines based on different regions and communities, like Udupi cuisine, Saraswat cuisine, Kodava cuisine, Mangalorean cuisine, and North and South Karnataka cuisine. Each of them has some mouth-watering delicacies that can steal your taste buds. 

Jolada Rotti and Soppina Palya

Jolada rotti is an unleavened flatbread from North Karnataka that is made with jowar flour. It goes well with spicy curries, chutneys, and vegetables. But this rotti is best served with soppina palya, a green leaf side dish that is prepared with vegetables like spinach, amaranth, fenugreek, and dill, along with the flavouring of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. 

Girmit

This is a popular street food of the region that is also known as Karnataka bhel or vaggani. It is spicy and flavourful and a must-try for all chaat lovers. Best paired with mirchi bajji, girmit is prepared from puffed rice or murmura along with garlic, onions, tamarind, curry leaves, sev, fried peanuts, and spices like asafoetida and mustard seeds. 

Menthe Kadubu

This is a lesser-known dish from North Karnataka that is both healthy and delicious. Made with wheat flour, these breakfast dumplings are boiled and then tempered with fenugreek leaves.

There can be many variations of menthe kadubu from region to region, but the main types are the dry version and the gravy version. This simple yet spicy dish is also paired as a side dish with steamed rice. 

Shenga Holige

If you are looking for a traditional dessert from North Karnataka, then try the classic shenga holige. Also known as obbattu, it is made with wheat flour along with the filling of poppy seeds, jaggery, shenga (peanuts), and cardamom. This crispy and tasty flatbread can be stored for up to four days and is popularly made during occasions like weddings and festivals. 

Sambar Butti

If you have any leftover rice, then this is the best recipe for you. Sambar butti may look like our basic curd rice, but it is very different. Made with jaggery, tamarind, curry leaves, onions, and spices like mustard and cumin seeds, it is shaped into balls and enjoyed with podi or green chilli chutney. Before you start, just make sure the rice is soft and properly cooked.

Dharwad Peda

This is another sweet treat from North Karnataka that is very popular across the state. This mithai gets its name from the Karnataka city of Dharwad, and its history can be traced back about 175 years. Dharwad Peda has also been awarded the GI tag. Its main ingredients are milk, ghee, sugar, lemon juice, and cardamom powder.