Oota Aita at Oota Bangalore?

𝗢𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 was highly recommended by several friends in Bengaluru. I am always for food and stories round it and you will have to believe it when I say that my lunch stretched to 3.5 hours!! This restaurant has one such ambience – breath-taking and elegant and it serves Karnataka on your plate. In fact, the name of the restaurant itself is very personal an inviting— In Kannada, “Oota aita?” means “have you eaten?”. It is a kind, courteous and routine greeting between people that show care and concern.

Oota is operated by @total_environment that also runs the popular @windmills_craftworks in Bengaluru and the USA. I had the pleasure of meeting and dining with @mr_2_pints, @mandaarsukhtanka and travel and food writers Priya and Anurag of @red_scarab

For over two years, a team of chefs, writers and videography crew travelled the length and breadth of Karnataka including Coorg, Malnad, Western Ghats, Mangalore, Uttar Kannada, North Canara Coast, Hyderabad-Karnataka region, North Karnataka, Mysore, Bengaluru, and South Karnataka to do research on traditional cuisine. More than three hundred and fifty dishes were cooked, recooked for perfection, and savoured before Oota’s traditional and heritage menu was built. Research is still on-going, and many new dishes are added to the menu or promoted throughout the year.

I like eating out at such a restaurant. The management did not open a restaurant just to make money, but they are promoting food that relates to their geographical and cultural roots. They acknowledge the ancestors’ recipes that can give comforting belly hugs to all those who eat there!

I was hosted to a memorable lunch at Oota Bangalore.
Here are some of the exemplary dishes that I tried from the restaurant’s menu.

 
𝗕𝗮𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗲
Crispy banana flower and Bengal gram patties served with delicious coconut chutney and ginger chutney.
𝗔𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝘆
Tender, flaky mackerel fillet shallow fried in coconut oil and topped with crispy masala crumbs.
𝗞𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲
Pan seared soft lamb meat balls flavoured with ground spices and fresh coriander leaves and packed with punch of flavors.
𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗵𝗲𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁
Marinated chicken pieces cooked with spicy red masala, ghee, cashew nuts and curry leaves.
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗶
Crunchy savory salad of grated carrot, fresh coconut, coriander leaves, green chilli and lime juice, served in crisp chilli papadum bowl.
𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆
Coorg style delicacy of pork cooked in a fresh masala paste finished with dark roasted spices and Kachampuli vinegar. Served with Kadamputtu.
𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗶𝘆𝘆𝗮 𝗝𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶
Rice vermicelli briyani with masala prawns
𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶 𝗠𝗼𝗶
Pan tossed sliced  ivy gourd with fresh cashew nuts and home ground spices
𝗝𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗶 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗶 𝗬𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗶
Sorghum flour rotis served with spicy, aromatic whole eggplant
𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲
Sweet flatbread stuffed with jaggery, coconut and and boiled and mashed toor dal