Coorg is called the Scotland of India & also the Kashmir of South India Known for its scenery, hill stations with valleys, waterfalls, greenery, wild life, mountains & mouth watering Coorg cuisine. Authentic Kodava food is also known as Coorg food, which is the traditional food of Kodava community, which they are practicing from time immemorial. Kodava cuisine consists of Both Veg and non Veg food which is unique in its taste , flavour & ingredients.
Pandi Curry ( Coorg Pork Curry) -
Pork is one the most popular food of Coorg, No functions, occasions or festivals of Kodava community is complete without Pork. Kodavas are basically agriculturist, it is said in older days, wild boar used to come to the paddy fields and destroy the crops, so people used to hunt them, later on that stated to consume them. There are many dishes in pork, like pork chilly, pork fry, pork pepper fry, Pork chudals, Smoked pork etc, but the most popular one is pork curry.
In Coorg, pork curry is prepared by using home prepared ingredients. Garlic, ginger, curry leaves & birds eye chilly adds spiciness & rich flovour and taste to the pork curry. Cachampuli is one the key ingredients of pork curry, it is a natural vinegar extracted from a locally grown fruit, it gives the sourness and colour to the dish. The another key ingredient is the Kartha Masala ( Black Masala) specially prepared for pork curry, this gives immense aroma and taste for the Coorg pork curry. Main combinations with pork curry is Rice, Akki otti ( Rice roti) & Kadambuttu (Rice dumplings).
Apart from Kodava houses, most of the Homestays in Coorg serve Coorg pork curry, Some of the restaurants in Coorg which serves Coorg style pork curry are Hotel Coorg Cuisine, Hotel Church side, The Taliya which are in Madikeri & Hotel Papera which is in Gonicoppal.
Koli Curry ( Chicken Curry) -
Koli Curry or Chicken curry is a another very popular Kodava Food, This mouth watering dish is unique for its spiciness, flavor, aroma and its typical taste. Though Chicken fry and other chicken dishes are also prepared, Koli curry is the most popular one.
Basically Kodava community are farmers, in older days, during the monsoon they used to work in the paddy fields in rain and cold weather, during these days they used to prepare Koli curry to keep their body warm, as this curry is prepared hot and spicy. Though in the past Koli curry was prepared from Nati koli ( Country chicken), now a days its prepared with broiler chicken due to the scarcity of Nati Koli. Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, coriander poppy seeds, Garlic, cloves adds rich flavor and taste for chicken curry.
Koli curry is served with paputtu and Nool puttu both are traditional food of Coorg, one can taste chicken currry with rice or Akki otti ( Rice roti) also. Apart from Kodava houses and homestays in Coorg, Coorg chicken curry is served in Restaurants like Coorg cuisine, Hotel Church side, The Taliya in Madikeri and Hotel Papera in Gonicoppal.
Kadambuttu ( Rice dumplings) -
Kadumbuttu also know as steamed rice balls or Rice dumplings is one of popular authentic kodava cuisine. It is prepared from Tari ( rice rava) which is steam cooked & then the dumplings are prepared from it. Kodambuttu is served as breakfast in most of the Kodava weddings & functions. Kodambuttu with pandi curry ( Pork curry) is the best combination, however it can be consumed with chicken curry or with vegetable curry also.
Akki Otti ( Rice Roti) -
Akki otti is one of the traditional food of Kodavas in Coorg, Coorg Cuisine is not complete with out Akki Otti ( Rice roti). In olden days people in Coorg used to consume Akki otti daily for breakfast, Even today Akki otti is prepared for breakfast in most of the houses in Coorg. As name suggests, Akki otti is prepared from steamed rice and rice flour.
The great combination for Akki otti is Coorg pork curry, Bamboo shoot curry & mushroom curry, you can have this with any vegetable curry, coconut chutney etc. Most of the Homestays in Coorg and Hotels in Coorg serves Akki Otti.
Nuuputtu -
Nuuputtu is an another Special Kodava Food which is served in Kodava weddings, functions and also at home. As most of the Coorg food, this is also prepared from Rice. Paddy cultivation is the oldest farming of Coorg, hence most of the preparations are made from rice, which is consumed widely in Coorg. Nuuputtu is prepared from Tari ( Rice rava) which is boiled, then extract nooputtu from a handy device called Nooputtu vara. Actually nuuputtu looks like noodles but this very soft and thin compared to noodles.
The best combination for nuuputtu is Coorg chicken curry, vegetarians can have this with mixed vegetable curry also. One much taste nuuputtu while they are in Coorg.
Baimbale curry ( Bamboo shoot curry) -
Coorg Baimbale curry is one of the most delicious & unique Coorg food. This is a seasonal food , which is available only during monsoon, However Baimbale curry is also made from preserved bamboo shoots , which can be tasted during other seasons as well.
Tender bamboo shoots is chopped into small pieces & soaked in water for 2-3 days, water has to be changed daily, then after draining out, these bamboo shoots are used to prepare curry. Apart from spicy masala, dry red chilly, coriander seeds & curry leaves adds rich flavour and aroma. Baimbale curry can be tasted with Akki otti ( Rice Roti) which is one of the best combination.
Kaembu curry ( Colocasia Curry) -
Kaembu or Colocasia can be seen in the wet lands of Coorg, usually it grows during the monsoon. There are many varieties of colocasia plants which is edible, Green stemmed, red stemmed & tree Colocasia are widely used in Coorg to prepare Kaembu curry,
even Colocasia Tubers also can be consumed.
For Kaembu curry, stem and leaves of Colocasia plant is used. Apart form local spices, Kachampuli (Garciania vinegar) is used to prepare kaembu curry, which adds a unique taste. You can enjoy Kaembu curry with Akki otti ( Rice roti).
Therme Thoppu ( Fiddlehead fern fry) -
Therme Thoppu fry is an another traditional dish of Coorg, this is known as fiddlehead ferns or edible bracken ferns, which is wildly grown in fields and near streams in Coorg. Though it is abundantly available during monsoon, we can get it during other seasons as well.
Therme thoppu is fried along with seasoning, little Kachampuli ( Garciania vinegar) can be added, which gives an immense taste. The best combination to have Therme thoppu is with Akki otti ( Rice roti).
Kaad Mange Curry (Wild Mango curry)-
Kaad Maange curry is an another popular dish of Coorg. This is basically a mango curry which is prepared from wild mangoes which is seen in forests, and coffee estates in Coorg. This variety of Mango is small in size with rich pulp and taste & it is naturally grown in Coorg.
Kaad maange curry is very delicious and mouth watering, apart from local spices the key ingredient added to this curry is black Jaggery, this gives the curry sweet and sour taste and also black colour. This is a seasonal dish and available only during monsoon. However in some houses these mangos are preserved in salt solutions, so that they can use these mangos throughout the year. Generally kaad maange curry is consumed with white rice.
Paputtu ( Rice Cake)
The Paputtu is another rice-based dish that shows the love that the Kodavas have for their staple crop. Paputtu is a steamed rice and coconut cake that is coated with a generous helping of coconut flakes. The recipe for paputtu is quite simple and involves only three ingredients—broken rice, shredded coconut, and milk. The three are mixed and the mixture is dolloped into greased plates. These plates are then placed one above the other with bamboo sticks separating each plate, in a steamer or pressure cooker. The steamed paputtu is very versatile, it goes with a lot of curries. But it is best enjoyed with chicken curry or mutton curry. his recipe is fairly quick and effortless and doesn’t include hours of fermenting the batter. Paputtu’s can be served as delicacy for lunch or dinner while for breakfasts a sweeter version is served.
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