From daily kajipu-nuppu and ganji-uppad to elaborate parba da vanas specials and kori rotti recipes, find the Mangalorean recipe that works best for you. Visit the recipe index page to search for recipes.
This curry-leaf-laden Poha Chivda was the first Diwali snack I learnt from Mom. It has been part of our Diwali faraal every year, and it is usually the fastest to finish at home too. One fistful somehow makes you want another.
Marwai Pundi is one of those combinations where the two parts belong together. Soft steamed rice dumplings, a coconut curry with roasted spices, and marwai bringing their own flavour to the pot. The little dent in each pundi gives the curry somewhere to settle, and that is such a lovely part of eating it.
Khara Kaddi is what we call it in both our homes. These spicy, crunchy sticks have always been part of Mom’s Diwali cooking, and they find their place on the Christmas Kuswar platter too. It is lovely when something so familiar carries from one family celebration into another.
If I had to call one sweet the queen of the Kuswar platter, it would be these roasted rice and coconut laadus. Ari tha Unde or Laadu in Tulu, and Thandhalache Laadu in Konkani, they hold a place in both sides of my family.
Kidiyo, or kulkuls, have their place on the Mangalorean Christmas Kuswar platter. Those little ridged curls and their crunchy bite are such a familiar part of the season. The name Kidiyo means worms, which makes sense when you look at their shape, though these are much more tempting!
Kokkisan, or roce cookies, are my favourite part of the Christmas platter at my in-laws’ place. Those delicate shapes and that lovely crunch are what I look forward to, and becoming part of the Crasta family has made preparing them even more special to me.
There is no keeping a Guliyo thief a secret at home. That hard, crunchy bite can be heard across the room! These tiny sweet rice marbles are a must on the Kuswar platter, and of all the Christmas specials, they are the ones I love making most.
Chakulis and 1950s songs go hand in hand in our home. Whenever I make these spirals, I think of Pappa at the dining table, piping them so neatly and effortlessly. I still wish I could pipe them the way he does.
A plate of hot idlis and a generous spoonful of chutney is such a familiar breakfast comfort. Some mornings call for green Kothambari Chutney. Here, it is Kempu Chutney, with coconut, Byadagi chillies, garlic and a little tamarind, finished with a sizzling coconut oil tempering.
Mangalore buns always take me back to breakfast in Mangaluru. An early morning temple darshan, followed by a tiffin stop with family, hot buns and strong filter kaapi. I am a morning person, and breakfast dates with family and friends are one of my favourite things to fit into a visit home.
