By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers
Bamboo Biriyani at the Dasara Food Mela has been the most popular dish. But, another tribal cuisine has been quietly gaining popularity that has forced the food connoisseurs to throng both Bharat Scouts and Guides and MUDA grounds next to Lalitha Mahal Palace, the venues of food mela, to taste the specially-prepared Crab Curry and Ragi Balls or Nalli Saaru or Ragi Mudde. The freshly prepared delicacy has been a super hit among the seafood lovers. Every day around 10 kg crab is cooked and not a single piece remains unsold. “We have been preparing the crab curry to serve with ragi mudde or rice. The dish has great demand and we are trying our best to serve the people,” said Gopal Pujar, the tribal leader, who has setup the Bamboo Biriyani and Nalli Saaru stall. Nalli Saaru is prepared by the same group of tribal youths who prepare the Bamboo Biriyani. But, the preparation of Nalli Saaru in particular has been handed over to one Madappa, who is an expert in de-clawing the crab. Every day the freshly caught live crabs are brought to Mysuru from Kodagu. Later, it is cooked with a mixture of few masalas to prepare the yummy curry.
