Food in a Malnad Kitchen: Monsoon Cooking in Karnataka

In the hill country of Karnataka, the monsoon does not just change the landscape. It changes the kitchen. This is Malnad, the “land of hills” or “land of rain” depending on who explains it to you: the wet, forested belt of the Western Ghats that includes much of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and parts of Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts. When the rains arrive in June and settle in for months, Malnad kitchens turn to the foods that the season provides and the foods that were stored for it.

This is a seat by the hearth, with the caveat that every family cooks differently and every village has its own versions.

The hearth

In many traditional Malnad homes, the kitchen centres on a wood-fired hearth. In the monsoon it is the warmest place in the house. Water is heated for baths here; clothes are sometimes dried nearby; and in some homes, meat, fish or vegetables are smoked or dried above it. Even in modern kitchens with gas stoves, many households keep some form of wood fire going in the rainy months.

Rice, always

Rice is the staple of Malnad cooking. Paddy is grown in the valleys between the hills, and in July many families are busy transplanting. Meals are built around rice in different forms:

Akki rotti: a flatbread made from rice flour, sometimes mixed with grated vegetables, onion, chillies and herbs, patted thin, often on a banana leaf, and cooked on a griddle.
Kadubu: steamed rice dumplings or cakes, in many shapes and versions, sometimes wrapped in leaves.
Neer dosa: thin, lacy rice crêpes, more associated with the coastal belt but common in Malnad homes too.
Plain boiled rice with a range of curries, chutneys and sambar.

The monsoon greens

The monsoon brings a flush of wild and cultivated greens. Families who know their plants gather leaves from fields, edges of streams and the forest. Some of these leaves are only safe when cooked a particular way, which is why this knowledge has passed from generation to generation. Please do not forage on your own.

One famous monsoon dish is kesuvina gojju or other preparations of colocasia (taro) leaves, which grow abundantly in the rains. Colocasia leaves must be cooked carefully, often with tamarind, to avoid an itchy feeling in the throat. Another is pathrode, more often linked with the coastal districts, where colocasia leaves are layered with a spiced rice batter, rolled, steamed and sliced.

Bamboo shoots, jackfruit and mushrooms

Bamboo shoots (kale in some local usage) appear in the monsoon and are used in curries and pickles. Fresh shoots need careful preparation, typically boiling and soaking, before they are eaten.
Jackfruit is everywhere in the Ghats. Ripe jackfruit season runs into the early monsoon, and unripe jackfruit is used in curries, fried, or made into papads and dried for the rains. Jackfruit seeds are roasted or added to curries.
Wild mushrooms are a monsoon treat in parts of Malnad and Kodagu, eaten in spicy dry fries and curries. Only experienced local foragers can tell edible from poisonous varieties. Never pick and eat wild mushrooms yourself.

Stored foods for the rain

Before the monsoon, households traditionally prepare stores. Pickles of mango, lime, bamboo shoot and other things. Dried fish in coastal-influenced kitchens. Sun-dried papads and sandige (fritters dried in the summer sun). Jackfruit and mango preparations. These keep families going through weeks of rain when fresh produce and markets can be harder to reach.

Meat and fish

Many Malnad communities eat meat, and monsoon cooking reflects this. Pork is important in Kodagu, where pandi curry with dark kachampuli vinegar is a signature dish. Chicken and mutton curries are common across the region. River fish and freshwater crabs appear in some homes in the monsoon. At the same time, many Malnad households are vegetarian, with their own rich traditions of sambar, gojju, palya (dry vegetable dishes) and chutneys.

Spice and warmth

Monsoon food in Malnad tends to be warming. Black pepper, which grows on vines up the shade trees of coffee estates, is used generously. Ginger, garlic and green and dried red chillies appear in many dishes. Hot rasam, a thin peppery soup, is a staple on rainy days, as are spiced herbal drinks and kashayas for colds and coughs.

Coffee, of course

No account of a Malnad kitchen is complete without coffee. This is coffee country, and many homes drink filter coffee brewed strong and mixed with hot milk and sugar. Some families blend their coffee with chicory; others insist on pure coffee from their own or a neighbour’s estate. In the monsoon, coffee is drunk all day, from early morning to the evening, often with snacks like rice crackers, pakodas or banana chips.

How to eat like this as a traveller

Stay in a homestay where the family cooks. Ask in advance whether they serve local Malnad or Kodava food rather than “North Indian” menus.
Eat at local eateries in towns like Thirthahalli, Sringeri, Chikkamagaluru or Sakleshpur, where breakfast and thali meals reflect local tastes.
Ask questions. Most cooks are delighted when guests want to know what they are eating.
Respect food customs. Some households are vegetarian or follow specific dietary rules; follow your host’s lead.
Try to help. Offer to help in the kitchen, even if it is just to roll akki rotti badly and laugh about it.

The taste of the rain

Food in the monsoon Malnad has a particular flavour: earthy, peppery, tangy, warming and a little smoky. It is food designed for days when the rain does not stop and the fields need work. Sitting by the hearth with a plate of akki rotti and gojju while the rain drums on the roof is one of the best experiences the Western Ghats can offer. It is also a reminder that travel is not only about what you see. It is also about what you taste and who you share it with.