Traditional Fare
The traditional culinary fare of Karnataka is a sumptuous spread that includes several essential menu items. These include protein-rich cereal salads like kosambri, palyas (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 coconut, spices, tamarind, and chilli powder,) and pappad. A complete range of rice-based dishes, including chitranna (rice with lime juice, green chilli, turmeric powder sprinkled with fried 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 mudde (steam-cooked finger millet rolled into large balls) served either with mutton curry or soppina saaru forms the staple diet.
