There’s something hauntingly beautiful about the forgotten.
Like a whiff of ajwain in an old spice tin or the sound of a grandmother’s brass ladle against a stone kalchatti, Karnataka, with its rich culinary heritage, isn’t just a land of dosas and Mysore Pak. It is a treasure chest of recipes that once graced the kitchens of temples, agraharas, and rural homes—now slowly fading from our everyday plates.
Today, let’s dust off time’s soot and stir the pot of memory. These are the bhuli-bisri rasoi ki kahaniyaan—the lost recipes of Karnataka.
1. Tambittu – The Festival Forgotten
Before laddoos got a readymade makeover, there was Tambittu—a rustic sweet made of roasted gram flour, jaggery, ghee, coconut, and a dash of cardamom. Traditionally prepared for festivals like Nagara Panchami, Tambittu was offered to snakes as a part of the ritual. Its earthy texture and deep spiritual roots make it a soulful, yet rarely seen, sweet treat today.
2. Halasinakai Happala – The Jackfruit Papad
Yes, jackfruit lovers, this one’s for you! This recipe made use of excess ripe jackfruit pulp, spread thin, sun-dried and turned into sweet papads. Known as Halasinakai Happala, it was the jackfruit season’s goodbye kiss. Now, with urban homes lacking sunny terraces and the art of slow cooking lost to faster foods, this delicacy is nearly extinct.
3. Uppu Huli Dosa – A Tangy Twist on Tradition
Not to be confused with the classic dosa, Uppu Huli Dosa is a sour, spicy pancake made with tamarind, red chillies, rice, and jaggery—no fermentation required. A staple from North Karnataka homes, it was often breakfast for farmers before a long day. Today, most homes don’t even know such a dosa exists. Pity, because it was fiery, fast, and fantastic.
4. Menthe Gojju – Bittersweet Elixir
Made with soaked methi seeds, jaggery, coconut, and tamarind, this unique gravy is an ode to balance—bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy. Menthe Gojju was the grandmother’s gut healer before kombucha became trendy. Unfortunately, its bitter first impression kept it from crossing over to modern tables.
5. Alasande Kalu Saaru – The Cowpea Curry of Yore
Cowpeas, or alasande, once held pride of place in every Kannada kitchen garden. The Alasande Kalu Saaru (curry) was slow-cooked with homemade masalas and tempered with coconut oil. This humble yet protein-rich dish has almost disappeared, replaced by more “famous” legumes like rajma and chana.
6. Jola Rotti with Badanekai Ennegai – Rural Royalty
Okay, the dish itself isn’t entirely lost, but the authentic way of making Jolad Rotti (jowar roti) and Brinjal Ennegai (stuffed brinjal curry) is fast vanishing. Earlier, the rotti was hand-patted, cooked on woodfire, and served with a brinjal curry bursting with groundnuts, sesame, and tamarind. Now we mostly find bland imitations in tourist thalis.
Why Are These Recipes Disappearing?
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Urbanisation: Kitchens are shrinking. So is time and patience.
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Lack of Documentation: These recipes live in oral memory. Once grandmothers go, they take the flavours with them.
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Changing Palates: Sweet papads and bitter gojjus don’t match the Instagram aesthetic or packaged tastebuds.
A Call to Preserve
Our food is our history. If Italy can sell pasta as heritage and Japan can get UNESCO to recognise its food culture, why can’t we cherish our Tambittu and Uppu Huli Dosa?
So here’s your gentle nudge, dear reader:
Ask your ajji about these recipes. Cook them. Document them. Share them with your children, not just on YouTube.
Because food is more than sustenance. It is memory. It is identity. It is the pet puja that binds generations.
💬 Tell us in comments:
Have you heard of or tasted any of these recipes? Do you have a forgotten Karnataka gem in your family’s kitchen notebook? Let’s revive these together, one dish at a time.
Neerja Bhatnagar
Neerja Bhatnagar
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