The pandi curry at Coorg is one of the top dishes of Bangalore

The pandi curry at this quaint home-turned-restaurant (on weekends) is the highlight of the buffet; invariably, it has patrons lining up for seconds, and even thirds. Coorg’s owner, KC Aiyappa, pointed out that “it’s a compulsory fixture at all Kodava feasts and functions too”. A meal in which this slow-cooked pork preparation is the star dish certainly does take on a celebratory tone, if only to applaud the time, precision and care that goes into achieving this wondrous amalgamation of fatty meat and many, many spices.

Aiyappa leaves the cooking in the able hands of his wife, Priya, who first treats the pork with rock salt, pepper, turmeric and a hint of chilli, then bastes it with masala before setting it on the flame. The meat cooks in its own oil and fat for nearly an hour before she adds another mix of spices, this time fragrant plantation produce from Coorg, such as cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and cloves. Much later, only when the dish has simmered and thickened, does it get flavoured with kochampuli, an ingredient that’s also brought from the coffee-growing regions of the state, which lends the curry its dark colour and sour, woody taste. The Aiyappas insist that for the pulp to be made correctly, it must “be left on firewood and most importantly, watched over.”

Not differing from tradition, the folks at the restaurant don’t refrigerate the rich curry. Instead, it is heated over and over till it is lapped up by customers, most commonly with several akki ottis, or soft, porous rotis made from cooked rice.

Coorg 477, Krishna Temple Road, 1st Stage, Indira Nagar (+91 98454 93688). Fri 8.00pm-11.00pm, Sat, Sun 12.00pm-3.30pm, 8.00pm-11.00pm. No cards. R180.

source: http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net / Home> Restaurants & Cafes> Features / by Ria Basu / Photos by Selvaprakash L / August 31st, 2012