Bangalore is famous for Silk Sarees, IT companies and wonderful weather but that’s not it – you can get a taste of the best of South Indian cuisine here. From crispy Dosas, Handi Biryanis, Puri Chaats to Gadbad (Ice-cream sundae) – delicious food is a part of life.
10 Must-try Dishes in Bangalore
1. Ghee Dosa – Fermented Crepe (Dosa) shallow fried in Ghee (Clarified Butter) served along with Sambhar (curry), Green Chutney (sauce) and Tomato Chutney tastes incredibly yummy. A must-try when in Bangalore and no matter which restaurant you order it from – the taste is consistent all over the city.
2. Handi Biryani – Flavored Rice with spices and meat cooked in an earthern pot – comes along with a curry and Raita (Yogurt). The aroma and taste of this rice delicacy is so magical – you can finish the entire serving in one go.
3. Masala Papad – A spicy side-dish of crispy round black gram discs fried and dry heated, it is a regular with meals all over India. But, the twist here is – these papads (Papadums) are topped with a mix of onions, grated coconut and spices & makes for a savory snack.
4. Chicken Thali – An assortment of curries, breads, chicken and desserts – its a mouthful of food for one person. It pleases the taste buds and is a great way to enjoy a range of flavors together.
5. Puri-Aloo – I would call it ‘Comfort Food’, dripping with oil – just the idea of ‘oodles of carbs’ is so tempting. These Puris (deep fried bread) are soft and taste heavenly with Aloo (Potato) sabzi and a dash of coconut chutney (sauce).
6. Fish Fry – Prepared and served in a variety of ways & savored by everyone – it’s aroma is enough to make your mouth water. The fish comes wrapped in strong flavors and is coated with a layer of Rava (Semolina) or Flour before it is shallow fried till it becomes soft and flaky – incredibly delicious.
7. Idli with Curry – Light and fluffy melt in the mouth Idlis (steamed rice & lentil cakes) served along with Mangalore Curry (Ghasi) – is a delicious start to a day and is a great lunch item as well.
8. Mysore Masala Dosa – It has a special place in every Bangaloreans’ heart. The crepe is shallow fried in a pan and then a spice mix is applied to it before putting the Aloo (Potato) filling in the middle. It comes with Sambhar and green chutney – and is a staple breakfast in many households.
9. Dahi Sev Puri – Fried puff-pastry balls (puri) filled with sauces, yogurt (Dahi) and fried vermicelli (sev) – served with a sprinkling of Grated Beetroot, Cilantro (coriander) and some more Vermicelli (sev). It is light and super-delicious, perfect for Bangalore evenings.
10. Gadbad – Ice-cream sundae with scoops of Vanilla, Strawberry and butterscotch covered with nuts and chopped fruits and topped with cherries & wafers. Every restaurant has its own version of Gadbad, definitely a must-try.
Copyright © Vasudha Aggarwal & travel-defined.com, 2014 -15. All rights reserved.
Reading this is making me hungry-great photos and post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the post.
The food here is really tempting, no doubt.
LikeLike
You’ve got me lusting for a meal in San Diego’s Little India district. It’s one of my treasures and Dosas are incomparable. Would that I could recreate them at home!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true, Dosas are incomparable.
Yeah, wonderful idea – what could be better than having dosas at home. Enjoy !
LikeLike
Ooo..these photos make me so so hungry..i had been so used to eating these in Blore and Hyd that i miss them so much in USA now…:(
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I have been having a dosa marathon everyday here in Bangalore.
It is something to be missed abroad, surely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photos! When were you there?
LikeLike
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I have been here in India for sometime now.
LikeLike
All so beautiful dishes… Love the photos too 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Glad you loved the pictures.
True, so deliciously beautiful dishes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love Indian food. I know and love Mysore Masala Dosa but its fun to learn about some new dishes too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here, Mysore Masala dosa is my all-time favorite.
And yes, there are many more dishes to love from the south Indian cuisine.
LikeLike
Mmmmm, you should warn us this should not be seen with our empty and hungry stomach 😉 Looks delicious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I should have. 🙂
Its super delicious food.
LikeLike
They all look SO SO delicious, but Chicken Thali left me drooling, I should look for a recipe. Or a plane ticket. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha ha, I guess both would work. 🙂
But definitely, a trip to India will give you an option to try more delicious food.
LikeLike
Wow. Ok I’d better not let my husband see it, because (seeing as he’s from Bangalore) he’d probably have a fit about some of the inclusions (and exclusions). The thing about Bangalore is, they take their food pretty seriously. And they’re damn proud of their Biryani, but for me (I’m from Mumbai and my idea and Biryani is quite different) their Biryani is more like a meat pilaf, than anything else. Glad you enjoying the food though!
LikeLike
Maybe you should tell him about this post.
Would love to hear a local’s point of view.
But yes, I have been in Bangalore for quite sometime and I would easily say, these are the 10 best dishes to try in the city.
LikeLike
Dosa and Thali are two of my favorite things to eat ever. I’m now hungry and drooling at this post. I love curries and I try to make them at home as often as I can. So good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s wonderful, you make curries at home.
Hopefully, this post will make you want to try different recipes.
LikeLike
Should I even repeat what the other readers have already said? Thank you for such a great explanation of all the dishes and the mouthwatering photos! I think I need to take a break and head to the kitchen right now. Except I don’t have anything nearly as delicious as the dishes you featured 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the post.
You can always visit India and try some of the delicious food there. 🙂
LikeLike
Im a bangalorean and i always loved idlis dosa and gudbuds . this is all cool stuff u mentioned. Not to be missed ..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Good to hear it from a Bangalorean.
Yeah, Gud bud is totally not to be missed, whenever am in Bangalore.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Vasudha . totally enjoy reading ur travel posts. “cool joint” is an icecream parlour where we get nice gudbud. in jayanagar.
LikeLike
That’s some crazy different food you’ve found :D. I would love to try everything vegetarian… especially that… milkshake fruity thingie at the bottom! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, you should try some of these on your visit to India.
That ‘Milkshake fruity thingy’ – gud bud is unbelievably yummy. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Which one was your fav?
Haha, I believe id like the milkshake thingie
LikeLiked by 1 person
My favorite was Mysore Masala Dosa, followed by Fish Fry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fantastic gathering of awesome eats. I especially love the look of that Sundae, it so pretty. 🙂
LikeLike
These are super delicious and there are many more dishes to love from the south Indian cuisine.
The Sundae (Gadbad) tastes great and looks good too.
LikeLike
I just found this post, and I was wondering if you are familiar with the mango rice that is supposedly very common in Bangalore? (mavinakayi?)
LikeLike
Yes. Mango rice (Mavinakayi Chitranna) is super delicious.
The flavor of raw mango blends perfectly with the rice tempered with curry leaves.
LikeLike
Should never read the post, the photos made me so hungry!
LikeLike
The food here is really tempting, no doubt.
LikeLike
Looks so yummy! I arrived in Northeast India since 2 months now and I felt in love with the India food . In my blog I relate my experience in the Northeast as a vegetarian traveler and the delicious discoveries I made. Might interest you 🙂
LikeLike
Absolutely, Indian food is delicious. Thank you for stopping by. Am sure you are enjoying your time in India. Will definitely check your blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person