Land-locked Bengaluru often falls short when it comes to satisfactory sea food. Anupam’s Coast II Coast offering Mangalorean fare doesn’t disappoint in this regard. For those not in the know, Mangalorean cuisine is redolent with spices, balanced out with coconut milk or grated coconut.
The ‘roti or bread options’ (as opposed to eating rice) in this coastal region are varied. Neer dosa is made from unfermented rice batter, while kori roti is a wafer made from boiled rice that has been flattened out. ( Kori roti which is as crisp as a pappadam is crushed into a plate onto which lavish amounts of gravy is ladled.) Then there’s pundi – steamed rice balls – not unlike idlis, and appams. These are the basics that one enjoys with wonderful, Mangalorean non-vegetarian dishes, though they also go well with vegetarian stews too.
At any Mangalorean joint, one must have the ghee roast. Made with dried red chillies and other spices that have been roasted, ground and cooked in a generous amount of ghee, this dish can be enjoyed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. From chicken and prawn, to mushroom, corn and paneer, one can enjoy ghee roast as a starter or as an accompaniment to neer dosa or rice.
Another must-have is the pulimunchi . Seafood options are the best version of this spicy, tangy stew, though chicken and mutton cooked in this style are also popular. Not the thickest of gravies, the pulimunchi can be relished with all the Mangalorean ‘roti options’.
Other Mangalorean specialities like gassi (coconut milk-based gravy), sukka (a semi-dry dish made with freshly grated coconut and sautéed onions and curry leaves) and urval (a dry starter dish marked by an abundance of cashews and curry leaves are all here at Coast II Coast.
Too offset the richly, spiced food, it is best to enjoy a glass of solkadhi with your meal. Made from kokum extract, it is the Konkan answer to lassi or buttermilk. Solkadhi is salty, doubling as an appetizer and digestive, apart from being an excellent cooler during summer. Thalis or full meal sets in vegetarian, fish and chicken options are also available as well as a full range of North Indian and Chinese dishes.
Apart from the ragi manni , a sweet from this coastal region, made from ragi, jaggery and coconut milk with the consistency of barfi/ halwa, Coast II Coast doesn’t have much to offer in the area of traditional desserts. However, there are ice cream options and other Indian sweets on the menu to round off a very, satisfying meal.
