When ever one hears the word Udupi, the first thing that comes to mind is the restaurant or food, at least in my case. According to google, Udupi is the name of a coastal town in the state of Karnataka located in the southern region of India. Udupi is famous for the largest Hindu Krishna temple in the world and distinctive Indian vegetarian cuisine. In America and around the world, the word udupi used in conjunction with the name of a restaurant indicates that the cuisine is vegetarian friendly.

Udupi sambaar

1/2 cup tuvar dal 
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 
1 teaspoon Urad Dal 
6 red chilies 
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds 
5 sprigs curry leaves 
1/4 coconut, grated 
25-30 shallots, cleaned and peeled
1/2 teaspoon mustards seeds 
1 pinch hing 
2 green chilies 
2 cups chopped into big chunks vegetables, of choice (brinjals, carrots, french beans, pumpkin, yam) 
50 ml tamarind pulp (lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/3 cup of water.) 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons jaggery
 oil 

Cook the tuvar dal in a pressure cooker till tender then mash.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy bottomed pan and roast the fenugreek seeds till light red, then add 1/2 tsp urad dal for a light brown shade. Add the red chilli and coriander seeds.
Add 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the grated coconut and roast.
They should all turn light brown and aromatic.
Cool and grind to a fine paste with a little water.
Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan.
Add the mustard seed.
When they splutter add 1/2 tsp of urad dal and the hing.
Fry for a minute.
Add the onions and green chilies, slit and the rest of the curry leaves.
Add your choice of vegetables Fry till you get a nice aroma.
Add a little water.
Cover and cook
Extract pulp from the tamarind and add to the vegetables.
Add salt and crumbled jaggery and cook till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
Add the mashed dal and the ground masala.
Mix well and add a little water if required.
Simmer. Serve with dosas, idlis or rice.

Beans Koddel

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped green beans
3/4 cup fresh/frozen coconut
4-5 red chilies
1 tea spoon coriander seeds
3/4 tea spn cumin seeds
1 tbl spoon jaggery
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract (or 1-2 pieces of tamarind)
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
Oil
Salt

Method:
Grind together coconut, red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, jaggery and salt. (Do not fry any of the ingredients like we do for other dishes).
Cook green beans in enough water. When they are cooked, add the ground paste and mix well.
Heat a little oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add curry leaves, fry for a min and add this seasoning to the dish.
Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

Udupi Daal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toor daal
1-2 tea spoons sarina pudi
1-2 tea spoons jaggery
1/4 tea spoon tamarind extract or 2-3 pieces of tamarind
A pinch asafoetida
A pinch turmeric
2-3 green chilies (optional)
2-3 strands coriander leaves
2-3 curry leaves
Oil
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 red chili
Salt

Method:

Cook daal with turmeric.Take out the juice of tamarind (or dilute tamarind extract) in 1 cup water. Add jaggery, green chilies(if using) and cook till jaggery melts completely.
Add daal, sarina pudi, salt, chopped coriander, curry leaves and cook for another 3-4 mins.Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add asafetida, red chilies cut into 2-3 pieces. Add this seasoning to the daal and mix well. Serve hot with rice.

Gravy spice powder (Sarina pudi - Udupi style)

This is a special spice powder used in most of the Udupi gravies and sambaars.

Ingredients:
4-5 red chilies
1 tea spoon coriander seeds
1/4 tea spoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds
½ tsp Coconut oil
2-3 curry leaves

Method:
Heat oil and fry all the ingredients one by one to light brown roast. Powder all of them together. This powder can be saved up to 7 days.

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