Food (Local Cuisine of Coorgs/Kodavas)

The people of Coorg are legendary for their love of liquor or Kudi and good food also known as Kadi. At all of the Coorg festivals and weddings, the Coorg people can be seen enjoying Kudi and Kadi as they indulge themselves in song and dance, otherwise known to the locals as Paat and Aat. Just as it is with any type of cuisine, the history, geography and culture of the people influences the food that the Coorgs enjoy.

The mainstay of Coorg cuisine is rice. Rice grows abundantly in the Coorg valleys and always did, thus it is a staple in the diet of the people. "Sannakki" is a fragrant type of rice, which the Coorgs are particularly fond of and it is considered to be better than the "basmathi" that is famous in the North. When it is time for harvest, the Sannakki fields give off a fragrance that is quite delicious and pleasing to the senses.

The people of Coorg use the rice in several of their native dishes that are prepared in many different ways. The rice chapatti/ aaki oti is unique crispy bread. The menu is spiced up with pickle made from tender bamboo shoots, which has a distinctive heady aroma, Mudrakani-bengal gram chutney and Maange Pajji-chutney of raw mangoes with spices in curd. Plus a wide array of Puttus, which are dishes that are steam-cooked.

There are different types of rice puttus which come in myriad shapes. They can be prepared in the shape of balls, thread or like a cake.

Here is a list of some of the more popular Puttus:

• Kadambuttu - puttus shaped into balls
• Thaliya puttu - flat puttus that is steamed
• Paaputtu - puttu cooked with shredded coconut and milk
• Nooputtu - puttu pressed through a mold and made into noodles
• Od puttu - puttu baked flat in a mud pan
• Nuch puttu - puttu made from rice that is broken
• Madd puttu - puttu that is made from the medicinal Madd Thopp leaf
• Koovale puttu - puttu made from ripe jackfruit or banana and then steamed in banana or Koovale leaves
• Thambuttu - puttu that is made from roasted, powdered rice flour that is mashed with ripe banana
• Berambuttu - puttu that is made out of jaggery

There is also quite an array of Pulavs such as the simple Nei Kool that is made from ghee rice and garnished with nuts and raisins or the more complex, spicy mutton, chicken and vegetable pulavs.

Kodava fare is essentially non vegetarian except when feasting during Kaveri Shankramana when the food is strictly vegetarian. Predominantly non vegetarian, the Kodava menu traditionally consists of different curries which are flavored with locally grown cardamom, pepper, herbs and condiments.

Meat, fish and chicken is cooked in many different ways with a variety of spice combinations. It may be roasted, fried, cooked as curry and gravy or grilled.

Crabs and fish can be caught in the streams and ponds. No meal in Coorg is ready without a dish that is non-vegetarian. The all-time favorite dish in Coorg is pork, prepared in a Pandi curry to add to their breakfast of Kadambuttu.

No true Coorg wedding is complete without Kadambutt/Pandi Kari ( Rice Dumplings & Pork Curry ), Noolputte/Koli Kari ( Rice Noodles & Chicken Curry ) .

Different dishes are prepared by the people of Coorg at different times throughout the year depending on the different festivals and ingredient availability and usage. Coorg hospitality is legendary and both invited and non-invited guests are welcome to join any family for a meal.