JOIN USOver the past few years, more and more eateries offering the spicy North Karnataka cuisine have been dotting the cityscape, indicating that the regional fare has become popular. Little wonder then that Sri Venkateshwara Veg Jolada Rotti in Basavanagudi, opening on Monday after a brief break, is always bustling. The eatery has branches in JP Nagar, Jayanagar and Vijayanagar.
The decor might not be much to go by, but the restaurant certainly serves up some authentic fare. After all, the friend duo who started this set of restaurants — Susheel Kumar and Srinivas More — hail from that part of the state.
The menu is simple, yet the spread is delightfully like a home-cooked meal. After all, authenticity, not sumptuousness, is what the eatery wants to deliver, says Susheel.
The ‘special meal’, priced at a pocket-friendly Rs 100, pretty much comprises everything on offer — green salad, ‘rotti’ (there are four varieties to choose from), three types of sides (usually one of bean, one made of the typical eggplant and the third prepared using capsicum or some kind of gourd).
No North Karnataka meal is considered complete without ennegai — an eggplant preparation — and ‘jolada’ (jowar) rotti. Here, though, the brinjal is not as oily or spicy as the ennegai. The dish, like the other two ‘curries’ on the menu, is also more of a gravy-like consistency, with tomatoes and onions thrown in for a tangy twist. The other two gravies aren’t drastically different in terms of texture and flavour.
“Back home in Kalaburagi, the weather is hot and people are used to spicy food,” says the co-owner. “Here, we can’t expect people to digest the same level of spice.”
However, those who have headed to this joint, hoping for some fiery fare won’t go back disappointed. For, in addition to the ‘chatnipudi’ and pickle at each table, you can request for the raw tomato chutney.
The spicy, yellow side, rather a trademark of the eateries, has ground til and is seasoned with cumin and curry leaves. In the ‘rottis’ — you can have three if you’ve ordered a special meal — you can choose from the ‘jola’, ‘akki’ (rice), ‘ragi’ and ‘masale’ varieties, or go for the ‘chapati’ if you prefer. On the side, methi leaves, cucumber, raw onion and spring onion stalks make up the ‘green salad’.
The rice comes with majjige huli — a South Indian ‘kadhi’-like preparation made using vegetables and curd — ‘sambar’, ‘rasam’ and curd. And you could wash it down with a glass of refreshing buttermilk. If this sounds like too much to tuck in, you could opt for the regular meal, rotti curry or rice plate depending on how hungry you are. But even the biggest of the meals here, though filling, is unlikely to leave you feeling heavy.
Sri Venkateshwara Veg Jolada Rotti is located on 31, 1st Main, DVG Road, Basavanagudi. For details, call 8971951073.