Udupi cuisine is a

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. It forms an important part of

Tuluva The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts of Dakshina Kannada ...

cuisine and takes its name from

Udupi Udupi (alternate spelling Udipi; also known as Odipu) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Udupi is situated about north of the educational, commercial and industrial hub of Mangalore and about west of state capital Bangalore by road. ...

, a city on the southwest coast of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in the

Tulunadu Tulunad or Tulu Nadu, also called Bermere sristi or Parashurama Srishti, is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (plural 'Tuluver'), speakers of Tulu, a Dravidian language, ar ...

region. Udupi cuisine is strictly vegetarian and has its origin in the

Udupi Sri Krishna Matha Udupi Shri Krishna Temple is a well-known historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Dvaita Matha located in the city of Udupi in Karnataka, India. The Matha area resembles a living Ashram, Aashram, a holy place for daily devotion and ...

founded by

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...

. The cuisine was developed by

Madhva Brahmin Madhva Brahmins (also often referred as Madhvas or Sadh-Vaishnavas), are Hindu Brahmin communities in India, who follow Sadh Vaishnavism and Dvaita philosophy propounded by Madhvacharya. They are found mostly in the Indian states of Karnataka, ...

s to offer different kinds of food to Lord

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

at Udupi Krishna Temple. Hence, Udupi cuisine is also synonymously known as Madhwa cuisine. 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. The famous dosa (thick crisp pancakes, plain or masala when stuffed with potatoes) is said to have originated from this cuisine. Following the tradition of ''chaaturmasa vrata'', which is a restriction of certain food ingredients in a certain period or season, may have led to the innovation of a variety of dishes in

cuisine. Pumpkins and

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earli ...

s are the main ingredients in '' sambar'', a stew prepared with ground coconut and coconut oil as its base. The ubiquitous Indian dish

dosa Dosa may refer to: People * Bogoljub Mitić Đoša, Serbian actor * Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete * Dosa ben Harkinas * Dosa ben Saadia (935 - 1018), Talmudic scholar and philosopher * Dosa or Dossa Júnior * Edward Dosa-Wea Neufville ...

has its origins in Udupi, according to P. Thankappan Nair. Saaru, a spicy pepper water, is another essential part of the menu, and so are

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

colocasia ''Colocasia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. The names elephant-ear ...

leaves, raw green bananas,

mango pickle A mango pickle is a variety of pickle prepared using mango. It is very popular in South and Southeast Asia. These sour/spicy pickles are also available commercially. Varieties The pickling process in India differs from other regions mainly ...

, red chillies, and salt. ''Adyes'' (dumplings), ''ajadinas'' (dry curries or stir fry curries), and

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...

s, including one made of the skin of the

ridge gourd ''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and ''Luffa acutan ...

, are specialities.

Typical dishes

Ale bajji Mangalorean cuisine is a collective name given to the cuisine of Mangalore. Since Mangalore is a coastal town, fish forms the staple diet of most people. Mangalorean Catholics' ''Sanna-Dukra Maas'' (''Sanna'' – idli fluffed with todd ...

Bhaji A bhaji is a type of fritter originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made from spicy hot vegetables, commonly onion, and has several variants. It is a popular snack food in India, it is also very popular in Pakistan, and Trinidad and Tob ...

* Kosambari (seasoned salad of lentils) * Paayasa (

kheer Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur whe ...

) * Saaru or rasam *

Spiced rice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

* Tallu or

Ajethna Ajethna or Ajadina is a dry gravyless vegetable curry. Ajadina means dried in the Tulu language. The ajethna is eaten along with plain cooked rice as part of Udupi cuisine. The vegetables generally used in ajethna are cluster beans, french bea ...

or ajadina (dry curry)

Full-course Udupi meals

The full course Udupi meal is served on a

plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

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 the 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 the following (in sequence): * Abbhigara or

Ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

* Pickle * Kosambari (seasoned salad made from split Bengal gram or pea) * Bajji or chutney * Ajethna * Pathrade *

(

chitranna Chitranna ( kn, ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ; also known as lemon-rice) is a rice-based dish widely prepared in South India. It is prepared by mixing cooked rice with a special seasoning called ''Oggarane'' or ''Gojju''. Characteristic for the seas ...

) * Happalla *

Steamed rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Asian rice (both Indica and Japonica varieties), African rice or wild rice, glutinous ...

* Saaru(dish) (a spicy watery soup) * Menaskai * Koddel * Majjige Huli, Puli kajippu * Sweets like laddu, holige or

Kesari bhath Kesari bat or kesari baat ( kn, ಕೇಸರಿ ಬಾತ್) is a sweet Indian food that is common throughout the country. The classic ingredients used for its preparation are semolina, sugar, ghee (usually), water, and milk. The sweet is more com ...

, Jalebi * Fried items like

bonda Bonda is a deep-fried South Indian potato snack that has various sweet and savory versions in different regions. The most common is ''aloo bonda'' ( potato ''bonda''), and other region-specific variations include potato replaced with sweet po ...

chakli Chakli is a savoury snack from India. It is a spiral shaped snack with a spiked surface. Chakli is typically made from flours of rice, bengal gram (brown chickpea) and black gram (''urad daal''). It has several variations, depending on the t ...

, vada * Paramanna or Kheer (pudding) or Payasa * Buttermilk/curd Depending upon the occasion, individual taste, and money, each dish may be made from different ingredients.

Popular dishes in Udupi cuisine

* Buns (Mangaluru Buns), a sweet dish fried out of Maida flour and Banana *

Idli Idli or idly () is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from the South India,popular as breakfast foods in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and ric ...

Masala dosa Masala Dosa, also called Masale dosey ( ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ ), is a South Indian dish. It is a type of dosa and has its origin in Udupi cuisine of Karnataka. It is made from rice, lentils, Urad dal, Chana dal, fenugreek, puffed ric ...

neer dose ''Neer Dose'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language black comedy film produced by T. Goswami and Shashikala Balaji, written and directed by Vijaya Prasad. It stars Jaggesh and Hariprriya alongside Suman Ranganathan and H. G. Dattatreya. It was one ...

, uppu huli kara dosa * Gashi or Ghasi (thick gravy-like dish made by use of peas or pulses with coconut) * Kadubu * Kashi halva from musk pumpkin, jackfruit, banana, and

bottle gourd Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...

* Kodhel or sambar ( sambar made from lentil, coconut and vegetable of choice) * Kosambari (salads of green gram or Bengal gram lentils, seasoned) *

Mangalore bajji Golibaje (in Tulu) or Mangalore bajji (in Kannada) is an Indian fried food made from various flours and curd. In Tulu Nadu region, it is known as golibaje. Other names for the dish include Mangalore baje. This is widely famous in Andhra Pradesh a ...

or Golibaje * Menaskai (especially made of Amtekai or ambade) *

Patrode Patrode/Patrodo/Patra/Patrodu originally a vegetarian dish from India. It is also adapted in the Himachal Pradesh region, UP & Bihar as "Rikvach" and some other names in other parts of India. It is known as ,"Patrodé" in 'Tulunadu' region, Patr ...

(colacasia leaves dipped in batter and steamed cooked) * Putnis * Pelakai appa (fried dumplings made from jackfruit)
Pelakai Gatti/gidde
* Pelakai halwa (jackfruit halwa) * Puddings or parammanna or

payasa Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur w ...

or kheer * Saaru or rasam ( rasam made from lentil and tomato) * Sajjige and bajil (

upma Upma, uppumavu, or uppittu is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent, most common in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtrian, and Sri Lankan Tamil breakfast, cooked as a thick porridge from dry-roaste ...

made from coarse semolina and seasoned beaten rice) * Sweet dishes like

sajjige Suji is a type of halvah made by toasting semolina (called सूजी, suji, sooji or रवा, rawa in India) in a fat like ghee or oil, and adding a sweetener like sugar syrup or honey. It can be served for breakfast or as a dessert item. ...

, maddi,manni, kaai holige, undae (

laddu ''Laddu'' or ''laddoo'' (; ms, kuih laddu; id, kue laddu) is a spherical sweet originating from India and spread through the Indian subcontinent and the Malay world. Laddus are primarily made from flour, fat (ghee/butter/oil) and sugar or ...

) * Uddinahittu (urad flour or potato mashed mixed in curd and seasoned)

Overview of Udupi cuisine

Udupi restaurants

Udupi or Udipi restaurants serving Udupi cuisine can be found all over India and many parts of the world. In the past, these restaurants were run by cooks and priests trained at Krishna matha in Udupi. With rising popularity, many others have entered this business claiming to serve authentic Udupi cuisine. Most Udupi restaurants are family run, with ownership passing among kith and kin of the original owner. Udupi restaurants have undergone many changes in their menu in recent times, adapting to changing economic structure and social statuses in India. They have included vegetarian delicacies from other Indian cuisines. The first major Udupi restaurant owner, K. Krishna Rao, began his career in food service as an attendant in ceremonies held by the Sri Krishna Temple, wherein food was served to gatherings of the temple staff and pilgrims. In 1922, he moved to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

and joined Sharada Vilas Brahmins Hotel in George Town as a kitchen servant. He is the inventor of Masala Dosa. In 1925, his employer offered him one of his restaurants for ₹700 monthly. In 1939 Rao started his first hotel Udupi Sri Krishna Vilas, now called Old Woodlands. The other prominent chain of Udupi restaurant is the Dasaprakash group, founded by K. Seetharama Rao, who gave up a low-grade salaried position in

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...

to join his brothers' snack food (

tiffin Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consisting of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in s ...

) business in

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

in 1921. In 1923, a major flood devastated Udupi and caused mass migration of male workers and professionals to large cities. This led to a rising demand for low-cost public eating places. Several prominent Udupi restaurants such as Dasaprakash in Mysore, Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan and Mavalli Tiffin Rooms in

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, were set up to cater to this demand. These restaurants were vegetarian, employed OBCs and upper-caste Hindus from Udupi, and initially, segregated seating spaces along caste lines. Mumbai, Madras, Mysore, and Bangalore were important destinations for migrants from Udupi, and many restaurants were set up there. In

Matunga Matunga (Marathi pronunciation: aːʈuŋɡaː is a locality in the heart of Mumbai City towards downtown Mumbai. It is serviced by the Matunga Road station on the Western line, Matunga station on the Central Line and King's Circle station on ...

in Mumbai, many Udupi restaurants such as Ramanayaks and Cafe Madras were established in the 1930s and 1940s. In the following decades, Udupi restaurants spread to all states and are now found in every corner of India. Eventually, it crossed national boundaries and reached cities with Indian diasporas around the world.

Gallery

File:Pulikodel - Ash gourd in coconut gravy.jpg, Puli koddel is one of the traditional and authentic Udupi dishes made specially during the festive season in the temples. File:Goli baje or Mangaloe bajji.jpg, Goli baje, or

, Udupi cuisine File:Mosaranna.jpg, Spiced curd rice File:Sweet2008.jpg, Malpuri, a Udupi dessert File:Hotel diana idly.jpg,

served in an Udupi restaurant

Typical dishes

Full-course Udupi meals

Popular dishes in Udupi cuisine

Overview of Udupi cuisine

Udupi restaurants

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading