In terms of culture, fashion, languages, and food preparation, India is blessed. The emphasis on its street food, with ingredients prepared and cooked in a variety of ways depends largely upon the regional history and the geographics of a place. The port city of Mangaluru offers enough to admire, including sun-kissed beaches, beautiful gardens, and ancient heritage buildings. This peaceful seaside town is a tapestry of colours, culture, and flavours, nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Mangaluru is a melting pot of cultures as well as a foodie's paradise. The city offers a unique variety of gastronomic choices, housing different communities such as the Tuluvas, Saraswat Brahmins, Gouda Brahmins, Catholics, and Bunts.
Here’s a round-up of some Mangalorean delicacies that you cannot miss when you are in the city.
Mangalore Buns
Mangalore buns are a native dish inspired by the north Indian bhatura, despite their name. For that right taste and aroma, the dough is impeccably seasoned and infused with ripe bananas. These buns are some of Mangalore's best street cuisine, especially when served with coffee.
Chicken Ghee Roast
The ever-delicious chicken and its numerous dishes are also popular at Mangalore's street food market. Both the Indian and the English versions of the meal are accessible in the city. Chicken rice or biryanis are a popular dish in this region. Specialties cooked in butter or ghee are a hit on the street food scene in this city.
Prawns and Crabs
Mangalore, being a coastal region, offers an abundance of fresh sea components, making seafood a popular dish in the Mangalore culinary scene. The seafood collection includes butter roasted prawns and crab, bondas pepper fry, ghee roast crab, and crab meat soup, and is some of Mangalore's most popular street cuisine.
Kingfish, Seerfish Masala Fry
Mangalore's street food is known for having two-way preparations for their daily catch, the kingfish and the seerfish. Because Mangalore is a seaside city, this meal is readily available on a regular basis throughout the city.
Omelettes
Egg dishes, which come in a variety of forms, are also among of Mangalore's most popular street food. Egg bhurji, omelette, egg rolls, egg chilli, and egg stumbler are some of the different egg preparations available in the city. Because of the great popularity of eggs, they've become a staple in dishes like fried rice and cheese toast.
Bhel Puri
Bhel puri is one of India's most popular street meals, and it's easy to find on the streets of Mangalore. The Bhel is essentially a mixture of puffed rice and tamarind sauce with a heavy sprinkle of peanuts, raw mango slivers, and potatoes. This chat shape, also known as charmuri, is a must-try in Mangalore.
Kerala Parantha
In Mangalore, the Kerala parantha, a thick deep-fried chunk of Indian bread, is more of an unusual street snack. The Kerala Parantha is delicious and comes with a variety of curry flavours to pick from.
If you've visited the city or had the chance to sample the delicious street cuisine in Mangalore, we'd love to know about your favourite regional street food.