Coorg curries

Who doesn’t enjoy the regional flavours of the hills during the rains? As Hyderabad dressed itself in chilly weather and monsoon rains, Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel brought the ‘Flavours of Coorg,’ a five-day culinary celebration curated by Chef Smitha Kuttayya Boppanda, rooted in her Kodava heritage.

Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is a region in Karnataka known for its lush landscapes, rich culture and distinctive cuisine. Chef Smitha Kuttayya Boppanda, who hails from Coorg, has beautifully translated the essence of her homeland’s culinary traditions into a sumptuous feast that highlights the flavours, aromas, and textures unique to the region.

Talking about the food influences in Coorg, Chef Smitha Kuttayya Boppanda said, “I'm from Coorg. We grow a lot of pepper, so there’s the flavour of pepper and also spices because it's a cold area. With the influence of Kerala, we have a lot of coconut influences. And again, because it's a cold hilly area, we are predominantly non-vegetarians and also largely pork eaters. This started because our area was infested with wild boars, which would eat our crops and not let them grow. So you kill the wild boar, and because you've killed it, you eat it. Then wild boar hunting became banned, so we have piggeries from where we get the pork. And we use it in all dishes. This is how pandi curry became famous.”

The menu, meticulously crafted by Chef Smitha, features about 15 dishes that reflect the heart and soul of Coorg's cuisine. She shared, “We eat a lot of rice, so we have white rice, pulav, and akki roti, which is made with leftover rice. The idea is to never waste anything. Pork masala is made with a very high roast at a very low flame for a very long time. Dishes like pandi curry, prawns, chicken, and mutton are all made in authentic Coorg style. To preserve the taste, I made all the masalas and brought them here. We don't use oil in our cooking. For veg, we steam all the vegetables in a steamer and then use them. If someone likes to have oil, we add it at the last.”

Some highlights of the Coorg menu include Bread Fruit Fry, Pepper Mutton, Otti Live Counter, Bamboo Shoots, Horse Gram Sprouts, Mutton Pulao, Kozhi Curry, Kadambuttu, Banana Thumbuttu, Ripe Mangoes or Cucumber, and Pandi Curry (Pork).

We started our culinary journey with the Horse Gram Sprouts which is nutritious and flavourful, and the Bamboo Shoots Curry, which was fresh had some nice burnt flavour. The Kozhi Curry with ghee rice was exceptional and stood out as the best, with its rich and savoury flavours perfectly balanced by the ghee rice. The Pork Masala, the star of Coorg cuisine cooked with a very high roast at a very low flame for a long time, had an intense and aromatic flavour. We finished it with Banana Thumbuttu, a dessert which was delightful.

‘Flavours of Coorg’ is a must-try feast this season. Every dish is a burst of flavours for the taste buds, offering a deep dive into the rich culinary heritage of Coorg.

(Written by Vennapusala Ramya)