Malenadu Traditional Food and Monsoons: A Heavenly Treat for the Senses
Lush green scenery, overflowing streams and waterfalls, consistent pitter-patter, the misty environment and the cool weather is what most of us associate with a monsoon holiday to the Western Ghats. A lot of people avoid the rains, but the ones who are mesmerized by nature’s bounty, return every monsoon like clockwork. I fall into the latter category. Rains are life for me. The heavier the downpour, the more the charm and the more the charm, the more peaceful it gets in my head.
My favourite monsoon holiday destination is the Malenadu (literally translates into the land of rain) region of Karnataka. As much as I return here for the nature during the monsoons, I return here for the lip smacking traditional Malenadu food too. Enjoying steaming hot Malenadu cuisine coupled with freshly brewed local coffee while being enveloped in mist and listening to the surround sound of the monsoon gods is heaven in a nutshell.
Exploring offbeat attractions like Bisle Ghat, Yedekumeri railway bridge, Mookanamane waterfalls, Kaginahare View Point and Malalli waterfalls in the rains is an icing on the cake.
One of my favourite bases in Malenadu happens to be “The Malnad Homestay” that is located in the Attihally village near Bisle Ghat. Owned and managed by Mallesh and Susheela Gowda, this is a traditional plantation home with a few cottages for the tourists. I return to this homestay mainly for two reasons. One reason is that there is no phone connectivity here, which I absolutely need to switch off completely and the second being Mrs. Susheela is a fabulous cook. Tasting her lip smacking Malenadu traditional dishes made from local produce is definitely the top highlight of my stay here.
Now, where do I start with the food? For those like me who like sweet food for breakfast, there is soft steamed sweet jackfruit idli or kadubu served with homemade ghee and sweetened coconut milk. The jackfruit comes from their garden and the milk for the ghee comes from their cow, Saraswati. If you like savoury for breakfast, you should try the combination of spicy and tangy kessa soppu saar with soft akki roti. Kessa soppu grows primarily during the monsoon season and eating it helps generate heat in an otherwise wet and cold environment. For people living in Karnataka, they might be used to a lot of varieties of akki roti, but the akki roti here is extremely soft and comes with rice stuffing inside.
Then, there is the plain rice kadubu with spicy saaru, stir fried local veggies and eggs. For meat eaters, chicken, mutton or pork options are also available. I am a vegetarian who eats eggs for the protein. Hence, my article will aim to cover more vegetarian options.
After a sumptuous breakfast, you can top it off with a cup of locally grown coffee with in-house cow milk, a potent combination for that super charged rainy day.
And when you return after your sightseeing trip in the rains, you will find the most humble lunch, but it’s taste hits all the right spots. I am talking about piping hot rice served with thilli saaru (tangy and spicy garlic rasam soup), ghee and fresh vegetables. This simple lunch is exactly what the body needs after a wet excursion. Some days, there is also the richer coconut based curries with all the locally grown spices, but for some reason, I always prefer the humble thilli saaru with anna and thuppa. This traditional lunch energizes you for an afternoon excursion in the monsoon rains.
Dinner is usually a bit more elaborate with richer curries and wheat options. But, I tend to lean towards rice kadubu or ottu shavige with some eggs and veggies. I don’t know if it is the monsoon weather that makes me enjoy the food more. May be, it is the local produce some of which is home grown. It could be the highly skilled Mrs Susheela who adds her magic to all her Malenadu dishes. Or it could be a combination of all the above. Malenadu traditional food is definitely a heavenly treat for the senses, especially during the monsoons.
Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you something that you might already know. Dipping into crispy onion pakodas with local coffee for those late afternoons while watching the rains do its magic is also one of my favourite things to do here.
