1. Mysore Masala Dosa
As the name suggests, Mysore masala dosa originated from the city of palaces, Mysore. This masala dosa is always accompanied by sambar and chutney. It has its very good flavors and tastes. There are many types of masala dosa like benne masala, mysore masala, or plain dosa served with various combinations of stuffing.
The texture of the dosa is very crispy and thin. It tastes very well with podi (coarse powder made of grams and chilly) sprinkled on it with some ghee.
Best place to try: Central Tiffin Room in Malleswaram and V.V Puram, Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore
2. Mangalore Buns
It was originated in Mangalore- Udupi. It is one of the tasty foods and snacks in Mangalore. The buns can be made either in wheat flour and maida. Frying them in coconut oil gives more flavors. It is sweet, soft, fluffy and very delicious. It is stuffed with bananas which adds more taste and enrichment to the recipe. It combines well with coconut chutney and sambar.
Best place to try: New Krishna Bhavan in Sirur Park
3. Dal Obbattu
It is also called Puran Poli in Marathi, Boli in Tamil Nadu and, Obbattu in Karnataka. Obbattu originated from Karnataka and the recipe for this had been mentioned in the 12th-century encyclopedia of Karnataka.
It is a sweet prepared by stuffing toor dal and jaggery in a thin layer of maida which is then baked. It is very popular during festive seasons like Diwali and Ugadi. Coconut and Jaggery are also stuffed into it and oil or ghee is sprinkled on it.
Best place to try: Holige Mane in Malleswaram
4. Idli, Vada, and Dosa
It is a South Indian breakfast that is popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.They are available in all the restaurants and are affordable too. It goes very well with sambar and the chutneys. This South Indian food is famous all over the world.
Idli is very healthy, soft and is served with coconut chutney and sambar. Dosa tastes good when sprinkled with oil and ghee. Vada tastes good with sambar as well. It’s one of the best food in Karnataka to try.
There are many types of dosa like butter dosa, paper dosa, paneer dosa, cheese dosa, etc. Idli is also prepared with rice batter or rava, which is famous in Karnataka. There are many types of vada like sambar vada, curd vada, masala vada, medu vadas, etc.
5. Bhajia
Bhajias are similar to pakoras are made of onions and gram flour. It is tasty if eaten with coffee or tea as a snack. The different varieties of bhajias are Mirchi bhajia, aloo bhajia, raw banana bhajia etc.
Best place to try: Vijayanagar, JP Nagar, and Koramangala
6. Filter Coffee
Filter Coffee was said to have its origin from Karnataka in the 17th century. Filter coffee means fresh coffee, which is made by grinding the coffee bean freshly. It has a very good consistency and flavor of coffee beans and constituents of coffee bean enriches the taste of filter coffee.
Best place to try: Mangalore
7. Vada Pav
Though vada pav was invented in Mumbai, it is quite very famous in Karnataka for its well-established fan base. It is one of the famous street foods not only in karnataka, but almost in all places of India.
Vada means deep-fried patties, and pav means burger. It is a spicy street food. It tastes similar to a potato sandwich or burger, but its combination with chutneys makes it so yummy.
Best place to try: Indira Nagar and Jaynagar
8. Gobhi Manchurian
It is Chinese food and was originated in India. It is prepared by crisply coated fried cauliflower, which is tossed with the spices and sauces. The ingredients that add tasty flavors to the dish are vinegar, ginger, garlic, and spices. It is mixed with finely chopped onions and capsicum which enriches the flavour and makes it very juicy.
Best place to try: Marathahalli and Jeevan Bheema Nagar
9. Kabab
The main ingredient of this dish is meat. It is brown colored, spit-roasted, crispy, crunchy, and spicy and tastes great if combined with biryani. It is a famous street food in Karnataka. Some popular kabab types are Palak Kabab, Yogurt Kabab, Potato Kabab, Rajma ke Kabab etc.
Best place to try: Byraveshvara Biryani Corner (Bengaluru), Yeshvanthpur, and Mangalore
10. Rolls and Parathas
Paratha is similar to a bread that originated from India. It is generally eaten for breakfast and dinner. Its main ingredient is wheat flour. It is very soft & flaky and is toasted in a pan or fire. They are tasty when stuffed with spicy potatoes and onions. They are tasty and famous in Northern Karnataka. They taste delicious when served with rajma, paneer, and dal thadka. There are various types of parantha such as gobhi parantha, aloo parantha, matar parantha, etc.
Best place to try: Jayanagar, Koramangala, and Banashankari
11. Pani Puri
Pani puri is a snack that is round, hollow, and filled with some other constituents. It is stuffed with tamarind chutney, green chutney, chat masala, potato, onion, and peas. Puri is made of wheat, maida, and rava (sooji). It is also filled with spicy potatoes, onions, and tamarind chutney.
Best place to try: Aralimara Panipuri, Appu Rao road, Bengaluru
12. Bhel Puri
It is a healthy chaat which includes some vegetables in it. It is puffed rice snack, eaten together with onions, tomatoes, corn, sev, peas, and some spices which add more flavors to the dish.
Best place to try: Malleswaram, Basavanagudi, and Jayanagar
13. Neer Dosa
The word neer means water.. It is part of Udupi from the Mangalorean region. It is served with veg sagu or potato kurma. These can be stuffed with vegetables, which add much more taste. Neer dosa is similar to rice dosa. It is made only of rice. It is served with sambar and chutney and is a very famous food in Karnataka.
14. Kundapura Koli Saaru
It is the Karnataka cuisine; the famous non-veg recipe of Udupi. It is a chicken curry that is quite famous in Mangalorean coastal region. The gravy constitutes onion, garlic, ginger, and other spices. It is a perfect combination when served with neer dosa.
Best place to try: Kundapura
15. Mysore Pak
It is a simple but very famous food of Karnataka. It is specially prepared during festival seasons like Diwali. It is made of besan, ghee, and sugar. The texture of the sweet is good, and it melts in the mouth. Mysore Pak is almost famous in all parts of Karnataka.
16. Coorg Pandi Curry
The word “pandi” means delicacy. The meat is cooked with masalas and other spicy constituents that make the dish colorful and delicious. It is generally served with akki roti or rice balls.
Best place to try: Coorg
17. Bisi Bele Bhat
Bisi Bele Bhat is the traditional recipe of Karnataka. It is prepared with rice, dal, and vegetables. It is very healthy as it is cooked with more vegetables. It has a distinct coconut and masala flavor. It would taste even more delicious when cooked with ghee.
18. Mangalorean Biryani
It is generally prepared with meat. The special ingredient of this dish is the masala, which is made in Mangalore. The masala is the main contributor to the taste of this biryani. It is cooked with coconut, coriander, ginger, garlic, and cumin seeds. The masala is first added with meat and then mixed with rice, which makes the texture so good.
Best place to try: Mangalore and Yeshvanthpur
19. Udupi Sambar
Udupi Sambar is made without vegetables. It is a bit sweeter than other types of sambar. The sambar is made of red chilies, coconut, hing, coriander seeds, fenugreek seed, and garlic paste. Tuvar dal is also used in this recipe. This sambar goes well with rice, idli, and dosa.
Best place to try: North Karnataka
20. Maddur Vada
The name originated from the town called Maddur, which is situated 80 kms away from Banglore. The vada is crispy and soft. It is unusual from the other types of vada. The batter is mixed with onions and coriander leaves. It is served with coconut chutney, which enriches the taste and flavor of the vada even more.
