Where authenticity sells

Fresh Fare

Hotel Nalapaka, located in 1st block, Rajajinagar is a culinary heaven for lovers of South Indian food. Specialising in authentic North Karnataka cuisine, the restaurant that was set up in 2005 has never failed to please.

From the Davanagere butter dosa for Rs 38 to the uddin vada for Rs 15, one visit isn’t enough to do justice to the menu.

There’s more than enough variety in the menu — girmitt, soaked mandakki, bun mirchi, benne khali, pongal, uppit, poori and a half-dozen variety of dosas and bath.
“People come here for ghar ka khaana since the recipes are all home based. Whether I eat my meals here or at home, it’s the same taste,” smiles the owner, Sanjeev M Salimath.

If one goes during lunch, the jawar roti meal, which is served on the plantain leaf,
is a must try.

It costs Rs 120, which is worth it for the flavours, variety and quantity on your plate — madike kalu, beeda, pundi palya and delicious butter milk among others. There must be some reason why food connoisseurs have certified it as the best jawar roti meal in town!

“There’s very less calories and a lot of the ingredients are good for health. Jawar roti, for instance, is healthy and the staple diet for workers in North Karnataka, who work from morning to night. When people eat that with the green vegetables in the meal, it’s a very healthy option compared to what you get elsewhere,” notes Sanjeev.
Every Monday, the holige meals served for lunch are also a big hit. Comprising items like freshly made holige with ghee and milk, vegetable chitranna, kosambri, sandige and mirchi bhajji, it always ensures a good start to the week.

Ask him what goes into this food that makes it taste so starkly different from South Indian food in other places and he replies, “We use a spice called gurallu, which is only used by people from North Karnataka. There’s a lot of onion, garlic and groundnut powder used as well. Another speciality is the ranjaka chutney made of red chilli, which goes well with everything,” shares the owner.

In addition, he informs that the benne (butter), made of buffalo milk, is brought down from Belgaum and likewise, many of the ingredients are brought down from the native places.

The good news for regulars is the soon-to-be-introduced Biranji meals, which are
famous in Ranebennur.

Hotel Nalapaka is open seven days a week from 7.30 am to 10.30 pm and the food is subject to availability.

For details, call 23523108.