Mangalore cuisine is a rich and vibrant coastal cuisine from Karnataka known for its coconut-based curries, fresh seafood, bold spices and spicy, tangy flavours. Apart from Udupi, Mangalore is the only city where you will get to eat traditional Konkani, GSB, and Tuluva foods. Its rich mix of flavours and cooking styles makes it one of India’s most diverse regional cuisines. From fresh seafood to crispy snacks, from fiery curries to sweet desserts, Mangalorean food is a must-try for anyone exploring India’s coastal cuisine.
Table of Contents
16 Mangalorean Foods You Must Try In Mangalore
1. Goli Bajji (Mangalore Bajji): Snack So Unique
Goli bajji, also known as Mangalore bajji or Mangalore bonda is a popular deep fried snack item. It is brown and crispy on the outside and light and fluffy from the inside. This popular Mangalorean food item is commonly eaten for breakfast or at tea time across Mangalore and Udupi, and often served with coconut chutney.
Made With: All-purpose flour, curd, coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chillies
Where To Try: Woodlands Hotel in Jyothi
2. Kori Roti: Crispy Rice Wafers
Kori roti is a traditional Mangalorean dish made by spreading rice paste thinly on large tavas and heating them till they become crispy. It is generally served with a spicy chicken curry (kori ghassi), prepared with a red chilli base and coconut milk. If you are a vegetarian, you can always pair the roti with a vegetable gravy.
Made With: Rice paste, chicken, coconut, red chillies
Where To Try: Shetty’s Kodaibail
3. Churumuri (Mandakki): Mangalorean Chaat
Churumuri is a popular street food in Mangalore, with puffed rice as its main ingredient. It is commonly eaten at beaches and street stalls and is similar to ‘bhel puri’. If you love bhel puri, you will love the Mangaloreans take on this street food. Its sour and tangy kick is loved by all.
Made With: Puffed rice, onions, tomatoes, raw mango, spice powders
Where To Try: Beachside
4. Anjal Fry: King Of Fishes
In Mangalore, seer fish, commonly known as kingfish, is a popular delicacy. The fried variation of this expensive fish is known as Anjal fry in Tulu and is quite popular amongst Mangaloreans. A good thick slice of the fish is marinated in a spicy masala and shallow-fried until crisp.
Made With: Seer fish, red chillies, garlic, ginger, tamarind
Where To Try: Hotel Narayana and Giri Manja’s in Bunder
5. Ghee Roast: Versatile Masala
Ghee roast is a type of gravy masala in which you can cook anything from chicken to prawns, or even paneer. The masala is made using roasted spices and large amounts of ghee. This is one of the richest and heaviest of Mangalore dishes and is eaten mainly for lunch and/or dinner, quite often during get-togethers and other similar occasions.
Made With: Ghee, red chillies, spices, chicken, seafood or paneer
Where To Try: Shetty Lunch Home in Kundapur
6. Mangalore Buns: Puffy, Soft Buns
Mangalore buns are a popular Mangalorean food that is consumed either for breakfast or as an evening snack. This delectable food item is thick, yet light, fluffy, fragrant and mildly sweet. Like the goli baje, Mangalore buns are also traditionally fermented which helps the dough become soft and pliable.
Made With: Bananas, flour, sugar, spices, cumin seeds
Where To Try: Mitra Samaj, near Udupi Krishna Temple
Also read: 18 best places to visit in Mangalore
7. Neer Dosa: Iconic Breakfast Food
Neer dosa (neer means water) is a rather watery batter made of ground rice, that is thinly spread over a hot pan and fried. This is a dish from the Tuluva community and is generally served with many types of gravies of fish and chicken. For vegetarians it can be served with coconut milk or spicy coconut chutney.
Made With: Rice, water and salt
Where To Try: Shree Durga Neer Dosa Centre
8. Chicken Sukka: Favourite Dry Item
Kori sukka is a dry chicken dish from the Konkan coast, the masala of which contains roasted coconut and a variety of spices like red chillies, tamarind etc. The kori sukka is generally served with neer dosa, chapathi or boiled rice. The chicken sukka is easily available at most of the non-vegetarian restaurants that serve Mangalore cuisine.
Made With: Chicken, grated coconut, red chillies, spices
Where To Try: Hindu Military Hotel in Kodialbail
9. Bangude Pulimunchi: Tangy-Spicy Fish Curry
Bangude is Tulu for mackerel, while puli means tamarind and munchi means chilli. True to its name, bangude pulimunchi is both tangy and spicy. This traditional coastal fish curry is prepared in clay vessels which amplifies its earthy flavours.
Made With: Mackerel, roasted spices, red chillies, onions, garlic, tamarind
Where To Try: Machali and Giri Manja’s
10. Khottige/Mudde Tovey: Light And Fluffy Cylindrical Idlis
Khottige and mudde are long cylindrical versions of idlis that are steamed in jackfruit and kedige (screw pine) leaves respectively instead of metal moulds. These soft and fragrant long idlis are often eaten with tovey, a dal prepared in the Goud-Saraswat-Brahmin Konkani (GSB) style.
Made With: Rice batter, jackfruit or screw pine leaves
Where To Try: Hotel Janatha Deluxe in Hampankatta
11. Pork Bafat: Favorite In The Catholic Community
Pork bafat, of Portuguese influence, is a favourite among Mangalore’s Catholic community. Typically eaten on Sundays, bafat is made from a mix of chillies, coriander, and pepper. The meat, including the fat, is slow-cooked in the bafat masala for a few hours.
Made With: Roasted spices, pork with fat, and vinegar
Where To Try: Mangala Bar & Restaurant in Valencia
12. Sannas: Fermented Rice Cakes
Sannas are white fluffy idlis made of a rice batter that is fermented with toddy. Sannas, unlike the regular flat idlis, are steamed in deep cup-like objects in a vessel. They are best served with spicy, savory curries like pork sorpotel or vindaloo.
Made With: Rice, coconut, fresh toddy
Where To Try: Shree Guru Home Food Products in Urwa Chilimbi
13. Kube Mutlim: Loved By Konkanis And Tuluvas
Kube Mutlim, also known as Marwai Pundi is among the few Mangalore dishes that is enjoyed by both the Konkani and Tulu communities of Mangalore. This yummy, creamy, and spicy dish is a thick gravy packed with rice dumplings and cockles.
Made With: Steamed rice dumplings, coconut milk, long red chillies, garlic, tamarind, and spices.
Where To Try: Machali in Kodailbail
14. Pathrode: Mangalorean Version Of Gujarati Patra
Pathrode is a traditional Mangalorean dish made using tender colocasia leaves and spiced batter. The colocasia leaves are smeared with spicy and tangy masala and these are then stacked one on top the other and steamed. It is then cut up and eaten plain, fried, or by putting in a spicy gravy. It is a seasonal monsoon delicacy and is naturally vegan.
Made With: Colocasia leaves, rice flour, grated coconut, tamarind, jaggery, red chillies, and spices
Where To Try: Hotel Ayodhya in Kodailbail
15. Kadale Manoli: Famous Festive Meal
This traditional Mangalorean dish is a combination of legume and vegetable and is prepared in a coarse coconut based dry gravy. Usually prepared during south Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, kadale manoli can be eaten either with a side such as rice or dosa or eaten just like that as well.
Made With: Black chickpeas (kadale) and ivy gourd (manoli or tendli)
Where To Try: Machali and Giri Manja’s
16. Gujje Podi: Traditional Fritters
Gujje podi is a quick and easy-to-make evening snack. It is a pakoda made from jackfruit (tender jackfruit to ripe jackfruit) and can be served as munchooris with chopped (& fried) garlic, chilli, coriander, onions & capsicum in sauce (either soy or tomato). The fritters (pakodas) are made by dipping thinly sliced jackfruit pieces in a rich, flavourful batter and then deep-frying them.
Made With: Jackfruit, rice flour, gram flour, spices and oil
Where To Try: Podi Corner, Kodikal Podi Centre, and The Balli Shop.
Also Read: 12 best restaurants to try when in Mangalore
Conclusion
Exploring these Mangalorean foods helps to understand the region’s rich coastal heritage and diverse communities. From iconic Neer Dosa to bold seafood dishes, every dish has a story to tell. So, if you are a food enthusiast and want to experience the soul of coastal Karnataka, Mangalorean cuisine is a must-try.
FAQs
Chiroti is the most famous sweet from Mangalore.
Among the most famous dishes from Karnataka are Bisi Bele Bath, Neer Dosa or the Ragi Mudde but there’s a lot more to explore.
Udupi has many famous dishes but it’s particularly famous for its one masterpiece that has stood the test of time, and is near perfect: the ‘masala dosa’.
Mangalore is known for its amazing beaches, seaports and diverse culture.
