THE UDUPI KITCHEN

by Malati Srinivasan

Globally, Udupi is best known for hotels which churn
out “South Indian food”, are super efficient and easy on
the pocket!Little do people know that Udupi cuisine
has a vast variety and is not limited to tiffins or snacks.
Laying out the geographical expanse and scientific
logic to the region’s Madhwa Brahmin’s vegetarian food
habits , Malati Srinivasan and Geetha Rao showcase the
hitherto unknown recipes from Udupi, a coastal town
in Karnataka where the Krishna temple acts as a pivot
in people’s lives. Even as Malati learnt to cook secretly
by observing her aunt who rustled up elaborate meals
everyday, for Geetha cooking became a necessity to
satisfy her yearning for Udupi food away from home.
The authors therefore brilliantly straddle the traditional
and modern and list what was once easily cooked in
Udupi households – spice powders, salads and chutneys,
savoury snacks, desserts – and painstakingly elaborate on
several recipes which are all-time favourites like, Bisi Bele
Hulianna, Saaru, Masal Dose, Modaka etc. Split into 12
sections, The Udupi Kitchen celebrates vegetarian food
with aplomb from a town where food is religion as well
as a complete mouth-watering experience.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2015

Reviews

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting cookbook, albeit with some hit-or-miss pictures.

I can't say anything about the "authenticity" of the cookbook, as this is pretty much my first introduction to this style of cooking. The recipes themselves definitely seem like a step well outside of typical Indian restaurant fare (quite a lot of recipes with tamarind, for instance), and it is a solid collection of vegetarian recipes - many of which, I think, can be re-purposed to accommodate a wider range of vegetables.

As for the pictures ... this is my own bias, but not all Indian food looks particularly appetizing to me, and that's certainly the case with some of these photos.

[Divya Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome recipes

I was surprised to find a book which caters to my roots of coastal Karnataka. I loved all the recipes in there. My only complaint is about lack of pictures of what the final product should look like. The book has very few pictures. I personally don't expect super glossy pictures for all recipes as I know how most of that looks like but for someone who doesn't know how the final product should look like this would be a deal breaker.

[Vilasi Venkatachalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing selection of recipes. Easy to follow.

Meticulously written out. Easy to follow. You can see the distinct flavor patterns and sets of ingredients. Learning the names of the dishes is a bonus. This is a lovely book to cook your way through.
I can see the similarities and differences between Tamil Iyer Cuisine and the Udupi flavors.

[Rosemary Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing recipes and interesting background story

Amazing recipes and interesting background story. I am cooking my way through the entire book. Big hit for vegetarian dinner party

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Karnataka food - most of which we make at home. But still nice to have a book with the kind of food that I grew up eating.