Popular local dishes to eat in Bengaluru, India

Neer dosa, special Karnataka pancake to eat in Bengaluru. Image by Anoop Surendran from Unsplash

Dosa is sort of a meta dish of Indian cuisine, with all its regional branches. There are 120 more or less official varieties thereof, most of which are just the core recipe adjusted to local tastes, availability of ingredients, and habitual cooking methods.

Neer dosa is the Indian crepe originating from the coastal part of Karnataka. The word “neer” means “water,” thus, this take on the ubiquitous concept revolves around the Earth’s basic liquid. Unlike classic dosas, Karnataka’s variation implies no fermentation: the rice is simply left to soak in water overnight, and in the morning you grind it with salt to make batter for a quick-and-easy breakfast.

In Karnataka’s cities and villages, neer dosa’s recipe often includes coconut gratings and jaggery for added sweetness. These thin rice pancakes typically land before you in the company of different curries and chutney (traditional Indian spread/sauce), since they are not exactly filling on their own. At least one of your mornings in Bengaluru should start with a neer dosa breakfast.

First up is Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a 240-acre park (a bit shy of 1 square kilometer) located right in the center of Bengaluru. Lush greenery, picnic zones, serene nooks and corners, and an artificial waterfall, all there; the area is known as a nice place for a family trip. After a pleasant walk along the paths of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, find Lalbagh Grand Veg, a darshini (that’s how simple eateries are called here) serving all the staples of South Indian cuisine.

Patrode, traditional Karnataka dish to eat in Bengaluru. Image by Vivekpat30. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0

Traveling for business or recreational purposes, it’s always nice to try food made from locally sourced components, especially if these components are aboriginal to the place you’re at. For example, if you’re looking to learn the taste of kangaroo or crocodile steak, Australia is your destination, and for all things potatoes, you want to head to Peru. In Karnataka, the dish based on an ingredient native to the region is patrode.

Patrode is a roll composed of colocasia leaves stuffed with gram or rice flour and an array of flavorful ingredients (assorted spices, tamarind, and jaggery). The plant belongs to the Araceae family, and it’s indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. Rich in iron and various beneficial compounds like phenols, tannins, glycosides, vitamin C and beta-carotene, the leaves are a bit like the Japanese puffer fish (a.k.a. fugu): cooked incorrectly, they can cause not death but all sorts of discomfort, including sandy mouth and nausea. However, done right, they deliver so much nutritional value that the Ministry of AYUSH (special alternative medicine ministry in India) has listed it among medicinal plants.

Patrode is usually sour, but with jaggery it is more on the sweet side, and when masalas (read on to the bonus section to learn more about them) come into play with gram and/or rice flour on top of colocasia, the range of tastes of these steamed rolls becomes really wide. Eat patrode in Bengaluru’s restaurants as an appetizer, or get it from street food stalls and shops as an on-the-go snack.

Cubbon Park is also known as the lungs of Bengaluru, for two obvious reasons: first, it covers 300 acres (about 1.2 square kilometers) in the center of the city, and secondly, it has dense vegetation. This is where you’ll find Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, one of the architectural landmarks of Karnataka’s capital, and Konark Kanteerava, a rather upscale vegetarian restaurant that welcomes you in the complex of Sree Kanteerava outdoor stadium. A right place to eat patrode and try other non-meat recipes from Indian cookbooks.

Chitrana, Indian lemon rice to eat in Bengaluru. Image from PxHere

People of India have been mixing blends of spices and seasonings since times immemorial. There are many ancient dishes fully relying on them for taste, and chitranna, first mentioned in Manasollasa and Pakadarpana, very old Indian cookbooks (1130 AD and 1200 AD, respectively), is one of them.

The recipe was invented here in Karnataka. Another name of chitranna is lemon rice, and while it does describe this staple food from the point of view of its taste in general, the moniker doesn’t do proper justice to oggarane (also known as gojju), the seasoning that does all the work in this meal. Its common ingredients are mustard seeds, peanuts, fried lentils, chillies, curry leaves, and lemon juice. See why calling chitranna simply “lemon rice” isn’t exactly right?

In the households of Bengaluru and other cities of the country – chitranna’s coverage extends beyond Karnataka – this dish is a popular breakfast or a side that’s quick to make using leftover rice. The heavily flavored bowl can be a partner to pretty much anything more substantial, vegetarian or not. If you're looking for a quick meal or a traditional taste of Karnataka cuisine, chitranna is a delightful choice.

As mentioned in the intro, there are 1,247 parks in Bengaluru. Of course, a city cannot have this many full-fledged, spacious landscaped sites with groves, walking paths, benches in the shade, and bodies of water. Some parks in the IT capital of India are just patches of grass with half a dozen trees, and others are simply developed and maintained areas around landmarks and sights. The park of Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple is of the latter type, so enjoying it may be a mission secondary to a visit to the respective temple. A spot to try chitranna nearby is Puliyogare Point, a quite famous Bengaluru’s South Indian cuisine restaurant boasting Google Maps score of 4.2 at 6,100+ assessments, as of this writing. Expect crowds queuing to eat here come lunchtime and consider stopping by in the morning or in the evening.

Khara bath, Karnataka variation of upma to eat in Bengaluru. Image by Apoorva lakshmi. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped from original

Wise guy mode on

In Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka, you’ll see many dishes with “bath” postfix in their names. This doesn’t mean they are to be consumed in saunas or banyas or hamams. “Bath” is how native word “bhāt” turned out to look in English, and it means that the food you’re considering is rice-based.

Wise guy mode off

Cuisines of the South of India, those of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc., share upma, a thick roasted semolina or coarse rice flour porridge with enhancements. It is one of the mainstay dishes which can be a hearty breakfast or a satisfying dinner option. Its versatility and simplicity yielded numerous regional and ultra-local variations; the upma of Bengaluru is khara bath.

A must-try in the Garden City, khara bath gains its unique taste from tomatoes and other vegetables that compete with semolina/rice flour in the recipe for lead roles, and roasted masala adds another layer to this already complex dish. In other words, if you’ve tried upma somewhere else in India, do eat khara bath in Bengaluru (with AND without coriander chutney, its classic companion), it’ll be a whole new gastronomic experience, guaranteed.

Some parks of Bengaluru look rather small on the map, but turn out packed with attractions in reality. Avalahalli BDA Park is one of those; in addition to rows of trees along walking paths, there are badminton courts, workout grounds, plus a mini library. And a couple blocks west stands a darshini called Aithal's Mithra Koota, one that carries khara bath (spelled “bhath” on their menu of 10 items) as one of its specialties, and seems to excel in cooking the dish: the Google Maps score of this eatery is 4.4 at 2,800+ assessments.

Saaru podi, your soup in Bengaluru. Image by Tanyadesigan. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped from original

Another mainstay common throughout all South Indian cuisines is rasam. The word means “essence” or “juice”; in the culinary domain, it turns into “soup.” And that’s what rasam is, more or less: a soup complimenting rice perfectly, even given the considerably different regional recipes thereof offering tastes varying from tart to sweet.

Karnataka’s rasam is saaru podi. It is typically on the thicker side, heavily leaning on toor dal (pigeon pea) for this effect and incorporating an array of spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander seeds. Loved in pretty much every house of the region, the soup also offers considerable health benefits when augmented with fenugreek seeds, red chilies, and mustard seeds, so if you need to get rid of that nasty cough, or boost your immune system, or help digestion, saaru podi is there for you.

Although considered to be a wintertime comfort food, saaru podi is available in most national cuisine restaurants of Bengaluru all the year round. If its healthiness isn’t the incentive that works for you, try this Indian soup to further deepen your understanding of how rice can be modified by a liquid side.

South Ruchis Square is part of the Bengaluru’s Race course complex, which, as it turns out, is not only about speed, horses, and competition, but also all sorts of amenities designed to put people in the lower gear and help them relax. In addition to the park, there’s also a spa, and, of course, the restaurant that serves one of the best rasam, or saaru podi, in town.

Kori gassi, chicken curry for your dinner in Bengaluru. Image by Surajms1994. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped from original

One more lesson in the nuances of Indian cuisines: gassi, or ghassi, is what people of Mangaluru, Karnataka’s major coastal city, call their interpretation of curry. It is basically similar to the staple Indian food, but a tad thicker. 

Kori gassi, then, means “chicken curry.” The recipe was designed by the Bunt community, known to be warriors and farmers. It brings together coconut milk and roasted chillies (Kashmiri, in most cases), plus chicken and other ingredients you would expect to find in this sort of dish. However, unlike many other curries, kori gassi has fiery red color and a more complex flavor profile. 

While traditionally made with poultry meat, this staple can revolve around prawns or vegetables, which, somewhat depending on the skill of the cook, can ultimately be a totally different deal. Thus, if you like the original version thereof, it makes sense to find and eat kori gassi variations in Bengaluru.

Halasuru Kere is a lake and a park around this lake, one of the rather few spots in Bengaluru where you can find nature largely untouched and deliberately preserved as it is. Although, were these real jungles, chances are you would’ve met a predator, or a venomous snake, with dire consequences, so it’s perfectly fine that this place only look untouched. And it’s also good that Mangalore Pearl, a fancy Mangalorean cuisine restaurant, is just a couple minutes on foot up north from the greenery. This establishment is very popular among the locals, so you will probably have to stand in line for some minutes, but the quality of food here, including kori gassi, is well worth the wait.

Payasa, your dessert in Bengaluru. Image by Yuvraj Singh 97. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Rotated and cropped from original

Kheer, payasa, payasam, payesh, is an all-Indian staple. Moreover, it is popular throughout the entire Indian subcontinent, and there are numerous variations of the recipe, which basically revolves around boiling rice in milk with jaggery to make sweet porridge. There’s a folk payasa origin story that brings Krishna into the picture and makes the dish at least 2,000 years old. Imagine the significance this pudding holds for Indians!

Today, kheer is a dessert typically enjoyed at the conclusion of a sumptuous meal or as a treat during festive occasions. No one can refuse a bowl of payasa, even if the meal before it was overwhelmingly filling, since it’s not just food but a gift from the gods, given to us in the flames of a sacrificial fire. Remember that when sharing a dinner with Indian hosts; they can get offended if you refrain from this treat.

Karnataka cuisine offers a range of payasa options, each named after its primary ingredient (sago, semiya, rice, badam, etc.) and key filler (mango, moong dal, carrot, and such). In Bengaluru’s restaurants, you’re likely to find more complex versions of this dish that have cardamom, cashews, and dry grapes generously added to enhance the flavor. Enjoy!

Imperial Restaurant, as the name implies, isn’t a place you come to for a dessert exclusively, although you can do that, of course. Payasa made here is exceptionally good, but so is biryani and a couple dozen other Indian cuisine dishes the chefs of the place take pride in, so if you still haven’t made up your mind about where to have dinner in Bengaluru, consider this fine establishment. Before sitting down there, check out the nearby Tavarekere Park, a simple yet large patch of green on the map of Karnataka’s capital. 

Rava fried fish, seafood to eat in Bengaluru. Image by Joegoaukfishcurry2. Licence CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped from original

Rava fried fish is one of the disputed Indian dishes regional cuisines of the country bicker over. Goan culinary historians claim the recipe was invented there, on the sunny beaches; Mangaloreans believe it is theirs by right; cookbooks of Maharashtra feature the entry as local. And Bengaluru simply enjoys the wonderful crispy street food snack.

The typical approach to this dish involves marinating King fish filets in a blend of spices, coating them with semolina, and shallow-frying the pieces to a golden perfection. The mentioned blend can bring together ginger, garlic, and red chilies, giving the resulting food a tangy and spicy kick. 

Rava fried fish is primarily a street food item in Bengaluru, but you can often find it at large parties and ceremonial dinners, served as a snack or an appetizer. Our suggestion would be to, first off, eat this treat from a street stall (or in a restaurant, if you are concerned about the sanitary side of things), and, if you’re lucky to actually attend a gathering-with-food in Karnataka’s capital, certainly get a taste of this staple there. Who knew that semolina could be so versatile?

The long name of this establishment gives you the idea of what to expect off the bat: dishes from the seafood section of Mangalorean cookbooks. Rava fried fish is one of the stars thereof, and cooks at Anupams Coast to Coast have obviously been trained to make it somewhere very close to the sea. The nearby park is sort of a collection of adjacent green spots, with one of them being the Mesthripalya Lake. Have a nice stroll around it first, and then get your taste of the famous South Indian fish fried in a semolina coat.

As you probably know, many Indian dishes tend to deliver a burning sensation in the first place; there’s an opinion that they can be hot, extremely hot, and excruciatingly hot. Many, but not all: numerous recipes from Tamil, Karnataka, Gujarat and all other Indian cuisines are not hot but spicy, with masalas in charge of taste. As indicated in the title of this section, masalas are blends of spices common throughout Bhārat. Below, we give you 8 most popular masalas you’re likely to encounter during your gastronomic exploration of Bengaluru or any other destination in India. The list is arranged in alphabetical order, since it’s next to impossible to compile an objective Indian masalas popularity rating.

1. Biryani masala

Typical components: cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, star anise, and black cumin. Outstandingly flavorful, biryani masala is believed to boost digestion and relieve pain to a certain degree. As the name suggests, the primary dish this blend is used in is biryani, but it is often added to everything based on rice.

2. Chaat masala

Typical components: dried mango powder (amchur), cumin, black salt, coriander, and red chili powder. This blend is a tangy enhancer of fruit salads, street snacks, and grilled veggies. Known to aid digestion.

3. Chai masala

Typical components: cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, black peppercorns, and ginger. Supposed to boost metabolism and facilitate processing of food; this is more of a drink masala, i.e., you add it to your tea or milk-based beverages.

4. Chole masala

Typical components: cumin, dried mango powder, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves. Considered to be a source of vitamins and minerals, plus helps with acidity and digestion. An integral part of dishes that have chloe (chickpea) at their core.

5. Curry masala

Typical components: turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, red chili powder, and seeds of mustard and fennel. Presumably possesses anti-inflammatory properties, speeds up digestion, reinforces immunity, and delivers antioxidants. This masala is arguably the most common one, found in the majority (if not all) of curries.

6. Garam masala

Typical components: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns, bay leaves, mace, cumin, nutmeg. Believed to be a source of antioxidants; very versatile gastronomically – added to a wide range of dishes from stews through gravies to cookies.

7. Kitchen King masala

Typical components: coriander, red chili powder, turmeric, and cumin. This one is quite universal, or all-purpose, used to season vegetable salads, stir-fried dishes, gravies, etc. From the healthiness viewpoint, Kitchen king masala can act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

8. Sambhar masala

Typical components: mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds, and red chili powder. A southern blend usually added to the staples like rasam (see item 5, Saau podi, above), this masala delivers essential vitamins and helps with digestion.