Udupi cuisine

Udupi cuisine is a world-renowned cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of the Cuisine of Karnataka and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the state of Karnataka. The Udupi cuisine has its origin in Ashta matha's of Udupi founded by Shri Madhvacharya.

Udupi cuisine comprises dishes made primarily from grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The variety and range of dishes is wide, and a hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available ingredients.

Udupi cuisine includes an entire school of South Indian vegetarian cuisine. It adheres strictly to the vedic tradition of Indian vegetarian cuisine, using no onions or garlic, as well as no meat, fish, or shellfish. However, the cuisine may also be adapted for those who consume these restricted items. For a list of foods restricted for Vedic vegetarians, see shivalli. Pumpkins and gourds are the main ingredients in sambar, a stew prepared with ground coconut and coconut oil as its base.

The ubiquitous Indian dish masala dosa has its origins in Udupi. Rasam, a spicy pepper water, is another essential part of the menu, and so are jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle, red chillies, and salt. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and chutneys, including one made of the skin of the ridge gourd, are specialities.

Typical dishes

* Saar or rasam
* Kodel or sambhar
* Menaskai (variance of Sambhar with a unforgettable taste)
* Tambuli or watery vegetable paste (generally leafy vegetables) seasoned.
* Spiced rice
* Adye (dumpling)
* ajethna or ajadina (dry curry)
* Bakshya (sweet or dessert)
* Kosambari (seasoned salad of lentils)
* Bhajji (chutney)
* Kayathno (fried items)
* Paramanna (kheer)
* Thindi (breakfast or tiffin)
* Rasayana (juice or squash or syrup)

Dishes served in a full course Udupi meal

The full course Udupi meal is served on a plantain leaf, which is traditionally kept on the ground. The dishes are served in a particular sequence, and each dish is placed on a particular spot of the plantain leaf. All the people eating this meal are expected to begin and end eating the meal together. A person cannot get up in middle of meal even though he has finished his meal. The start and end of meal is done by saying "Govinda," the name of Lord Vishnu. A typical meal is served with following(in sequence)

* salt, pickle,
* Kosambari (seasoned salad made from split bengal gram or pea)
* Bhajji or chutney
* Ajethna (dry curries generally made from clustered beans or yam)
* Spiced rice (chitranna)
* Papad or Happala in Tulu
* Steamed rice (plain rice cooked in steam or boiling water)
* Saaru or rasam (a spicy watery soup)
* Menaskai
* Kodel or sambhar
* Sweets like laddu, kai holige, etc.
* Paramanna or Kheer (pudding)
* Fried items like bonda, chakkuli, vada
* Butter milk/curd

Depending upon the occasion, individual taste, and money, each dish may be made from different ingredients.

Popular dishes of Udupi cuisines

* Sajjige and bajil (upma made from coarse semolina and seasoned beaten rice)
* Saaru or rasam
* Sambhar or kodel
* Chutney or bajji (tulu) or gojjuu in Kannada
* Uddinahittu (urad flour mixed in curd and seasoned)
* Kosambari (salads of black gram or bengal gram lentils, seasoned)
* Different types of spicy rices, such as chitranna or Bisi bele bath
* Dosa, masala Dosa, neer dosa
* Sweet dishes like maddi, kaai holige, undae (laddu)
* Puddings or parammanna or payasa or kheer
* Mangalore bajji or golibaje
* Kashi halva or musk pumpkin halva
* Halva made from jackfruit, banana, and bottle gourd
* Pelakai gatti/gidde(jackfruit dumpling)
* Pelakai appa (fried dumplings made from jackfruit)
* Pelakai halwa (jackfruit halwa)
* Gashi or ghasi (thick gravy like dish made by use of peas or pulses with coconut)
* Patrode (colacasia leaves dipped in batter and steamed cooked)
* Menaskai (especially made of Amtekai or ambade)