Savanur khaara's Gujarati connection

Back in the early 1900s, when the Nawab of Savanur was studying at a college in Rajkot in Gujarat, he came across young Dayalji Kotak or Shivalal, who used to make sweets and savouries along with his father, who originally hailed from Karachi. Impressed by Shivalal’s culinary skills, the Nawab invited him to Savanur and even made arrangements for his stay. Accepting the invitation, Shivalal shifted to Savanur in the 1930s, and with him came a number of Gujarati delicacies.

At Savanur, he experimented with a variety of sweets like the Kammarghaat (a hard sweet made of wheat flour), Mohan paak and savouries or khaara based on the local taste buds, and it was well-received by the royals and the locals. He even set up a shop in the main market in 1931. But little did he know that he had given Savanur a new identity.

Around 90 years later, Shivalal’s khaara has become a signature delicacy. It took the name of its place of birth Savanur, currently in Haveri district, and counts among its patrons former chief ministers S R Bommai, S Bangarappa, Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar and even the current chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Made from pure besan (gram flour), chivda (beaten rice), locally sourced chilli powder (made of Dyavanur chilli), spices from Gujarat, dry copra, dry grapes, and pure groundnut oil, Savanur Khaara is a three-layered mixture of sev, chivda and ghaati. The chivda has a sweet-spicy tinge and is so light yet crispy that it literally melts in the mouth, making it an ideal snack.

“The organic and fresh ingredients along with the traditional culinary skills give Savanur khaara its unique taste. There are no artificial colours or preservatives used and that makes it light on the stomach as well. Even today, we swear by the original ‘culinary formula’ of our father,” says 68-year-old Jayesh Kotak, son of Dayalji, who along with his brothers, has kept this culinary tradition alive.

Every morning, Jayesh, his brother Rajesh and around three to four helpers get into the kitchen to prepare khaara as per the day’s demand.

It takes three hours to prepare the khaara and can be kept for 15 days. However, they make fresh mixture every day to maintain quality.

While on regular days, they sell around 30 to 40 kg of the savoury, the demand goes up during festivals and the tourist season. “We personally get into the kitchen to make the khaara each day as it ensures quality and taste. Our shop is quite modest but we do not compromise on the ingredients and the taste,” says Rajesh Kotak.

GI tag

They have applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the delicacy.

“Though it is our family business, Shivalal khaara should not lose its identity as the brand is now associated with the name Savanur. There are many people in Hubballi-Dharwad and Haveri selling khaara in the name of Savanur khaara but they are no match to the original ones. We have stores in Savanur and Haveri and we simply sell it over the counter,” adds Jayesh.

For those passing through the town, Shivalal’s Savanur khaara store located on Market Road is just a must-visit, giving the shop and the delicacy an iconic status.