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Tag: Mangalorean

  • Goli Baje

    Goli baje is the tea-time snack of Mangalore and Udupi, sold in every hotel and canteen along the coast. Also called Mangalore bajji or Mangalore bonda, it is made from maida and sour curd fermented briefly so the batter becomes light and airy. The name refers to its round, golf-ball shape.

    The fritters are golden and slightly crisp outside, with a soft, spongy, almost bread-like interior studded with green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and coconut bits. The sourness of the curd gives a pleasant tang. They are eaten hot with coconut chutney and a cup of tea or coffee. They are best within minutes of frying, while the outside is still crisp.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / curd / green chillies / ginger / coconut

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups maida
    • 1 cup sour curd
    • 1 tbsp rice flour
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 2 tbsp coconut bits or grated coconut
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Whisk the curd, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl until frothy. Leave for 5 minutes.
    2. Add the maida and rice flour and mix to a very thick, sticky batter. It should drop off a spoon slowly, not flow. Add a spoon of water only if absolutely needed.
    3. Beat the batter vigorously with your hand or a spoon for 3-4 minutes. This incorporates air and makes the bajji fluffy.
    4. Cover and rest for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it rises slightly.
    5. Stir in the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, coconut and cumin.
    6. Heat oil on medium heat. Wet your fingers, take small lime-sized portions of batter and drop them into the oil.
    7. Fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning, until they puff up and turn deep golden on all sides.
    8. Drain on a rack and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Very sour curd gives the best flavour and rise.
    • The batter must be thick; a runny batter makes flat, oily bajji.
    • If the oil is too hot, the bajji brown outside and stay raw inside; test with one first.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney and hot tea or filter coffee.

  • Kori Rotti

    Kori rotti is the signature dish of the Bunt and Tuluva communities of coastal Karnataka. Kori means chicken in Tulu, and rotti here is not a flatbread but a brittle, paper-thin wafer made from boiled rice, cooked on a griddle and dried in the sun. The rottis are bought ready-made in Mangalore and keep for months.

    At the table the dry rottis are broken into a plate and the hot chicken curry, called kori gassi, is poured over them. The rotti softens slightly while still keeping some crunch. The gravy is rich with coconut, red with Byadgi chillies and tangy with tamarind. It is a feast dish, made for weddings, festivals and Sunday lunches.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / coconut / byadgi chillies / rice rotti / tamarind

    Ingredients

    For the masala

    • 12 Byadgi chillies
    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 tsp oil
    • 1.5 cups grated coconut
    • 1 small onion, sliced
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • small marble of tamarind
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

    For the curry

    • 750 g chicken, curry cut
    • 3 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
    • 1 large onion, finely sliced
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk or water
    • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
    • 1.5 tsp salt, or to taste

    To serve

    • 8-10 dry rice rottis (Mangalore rotti)

    Method

    1. Roast the chillies, coriander, cumin, pepper and fenugreek in 1 tsp oil on low heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Remove, then lightly roast the sliced onion and garlic in the same pan for 2 minutes.
    2. Grind the roasted spices, onion, garlic, coconut, tamarind and turmeric with about 1 cup water to a smooth, thick paste.
    3. Heat coconut oil in a heavy pan. Fry the sliced onion on medium heat for 6-7 minutes until golden, then add the curry leaves.
    4. Add the chicken and salt and saute on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the pieces are sealed.
    5. Add the ground masala and fry with the chicken for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, stirring, until it no longer smells raw.
    6. Pour in the thin coconut milk or water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat until the chicken is tender and oil rises to the top.
    7. Stir in the thick coconut milk and heat for 2 minutes without boiling. The gravy should be medium-thick and pourable.
    8. To serve, break 2-3 rottis into each plate and pour the hot gravy with chicken over them just before eating.

    Tips

    • Pour the gravy only at the table, or the rotti turns soggy.
    • Kori gassi should have plenty of gravy because the rotti absorbs a lot.
    • If rotti is unavailable, serve the gassi with neer dosa or steamed rice.

    Serve with

    The rice rottis themselves, with sliced onion and a wedge of lime.

  • Neer Dosa

    Neer dosa, meaning water dosa in Tulu, is a breakfast staple of the Mangalore and Udupi region. The batter is made only from soaked rice and a little coconut, ground fine and thinned with water until it is almost like milk. It needs no fermentation, so it can be made the same morning.

    The dosas are thin, soft and delicate with a lacy surface full of tiny holes, and they are cooked on one side only, never crisped or browned. They are folded into triangles and served with coconut chutney or, in Mangalorean homes, with chicken curry or kori gassi. The mild flavour makes them a perfect partner for rich, spicy gravies.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / coconut / water

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups raw rice (dosa rice or sona masoori), soaked 4-6 hours
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • about 3 cups water
    • oil for greasing the tawa

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked rice and grind it with the coconut and 1 cup water to a very smooth batter. Rub a little between your fingers; it should feel completely fine with no grit.
    2. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and stir in about 2 cups more water to get a very thin batter, like thin buttermilk.
    3. Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned iron tawa on medium-high heat. Grease lightly with oil.
    4. Stir the batter well each time, since the rice settles at the bottom. Take a ladleful and pour it from the edge of the tawa in a circle, moving inwards to fill the gaps. Do not spread with the ladle.
    5. Cover and cook for about 1 minute until the top looks set and white, with tiny holes, and the edges start to lift. It should not brown.
    6. Without flipping, fold the dosa in half and then in half again to form a triangle, and lift it onto a plate.
    7. Grease the tawa lightly again and repeat. Do not stack hot dosas flat or they stick; keep them folded and slightly apart.

    Tips

    • The batter must be very thin; if the dosa is thick or does not form holes, add more water.
    • A hot tawa is essential for the lacy pattern, but reduce heat if the dosas start browning.
    • Use the batter within the day; it does not need or benefit from fermentation.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney, kori gassi (Mangalorean chicken curry), or jaggery with grated coconut.

  • Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast

    Chicken ghee roast was popularised in the 1950s by Shetty Lunch Home in Kundapur and later spread across Mangalore and the rest of India. It is a dish of the Bunt community, and its intensity comes from a paste of roasted Byadgi chillies, coriander, cumin, pepper, fenugreek and garlic, cooked in plenty of ghee with tamarind and jaggery.

    The result is a deep red, semi-dry dish with a glossy coating of masala. It is tangy, smoky, spicy and buttery all at once, with the ghee carrying the aroma. Despite the colour, Byadgi chillies keep the heat manageable. It is served as a starter or with neer dosa, appam or kori rotti.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / ghee / byadgi chillies / tamarind / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 750 g chicken, small bone-in pieces
    • 1/2 cup thick curd
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the roast masala

    • 15 Byadgi chillies, seeds removed
    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 4 cloves
    • 12 garlic cloves
    • 2 tsp tamarind paste

    For the roast

    • 6 tbsp ghee, divided
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • salt to taste
    • 1 sprig curry leaves

    Method

    1. Marinate the chicken in curd, turmeric, lemon juice and salt for at least 30 minutes.
    2. Dry roast the chillies on low heat for 1-2 minutes until crisp but not dark. Remove, then roast coriander, cumin, pepper, fenugreek and cloves for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
    3. Soak the roasted chillies in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes, then grind everything with the garlic and tamarind to a very smooth paste, using the soaking water.
    4. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan. Add the chicken and cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and almost cooked through. Remove the chicken, leaving the juices in the pan.
    5. Add 3 tbsp ghee to the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the ground paste. Fry, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes until it darkens slightly, smells roasted and the ghee separates. Add a splash of water if it sticks.
    6. Add the chicken with its juices, the jaggery and salt. Toss on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the masala thickens and coats the chicken.
    7. Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee and the curry leaves and roast for 2 more minutes until glossy. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Byadgi chillies are essential for the colour; Kashmiri chillies are the closest substitute.
    • Roasting the paste in ghee until it separates is what gives the dish its depth; do not cut this short.
    • Prawns or paneer can be made the same way; reduce the cooking time accordingly.

    Serve with

    Neer dosa, appam, kori rotti or ghee rice, or on its own as a starter.