As you travel down the western coast of India, your olfactories announce your arrival within the bounds of Karnataka. In addition to the ubiquitous tiffin items, a delightful, faintly sweet, fried aroma hits you where it matters, causing instantaneous salivation leading you to involuntarily gulp like a goldfish. For us UKites (Uttara Kannada folks) it’s a nostalgic moment bringing around an avalanche of childhood memories from those month-long summer holidays at our native place, when each day we awoke to a myriad ensemble of aromas, this particular one an essential part of the bouquet. And this welcome culprit?
Sweet Banana Puris or Buns! Even a tiny tea shack in the smallest of villages will have a stack of these piping hot, thick, soft, sweet, deep-fried puris awaiting you for breakfast or snacks with the afternoon tea. Made from a dough of whole wheat flour, mashed bananas and jaggery, allowed to rest overnight, and then rolled out and deep fried like regular puris, the buns can be devoured accompanied by a spicy coconut chutney or even just by themselves.
And every once in a while when made at home the buns bring back those fond rural memories. But the aromas are not quite the same – perhaps the fragrance of the native soil is missing…
โ Narendra Nayak ยฉ 2019
Lovely memories! Looks delicious ๐๐
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Thank you, Kranti! Yes, they’re yum! ๐๐
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My pleasure ๐
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I’ve had puris, but not banana puris. They sound delicious. I was trying to remember which childhood foods evoke the sort of memory you describe. I think it would be my grandmothers breads and pies — especially her cardamom seed buns. When I looked at some banana puri recipes, it was interesting to see cardamom as an ingredient in some. Perhaps that’s that magic, world-wide spice!
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Thank you, Ma’am, for sharing your thoughts and delightful memories! Yes, isn’t it wonderful how spices and their subtle flavours bring this world a lot closer?
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Oh yes, I have had those puris and buns in Udupi and Mangalore. I can vouch for their delicious taste and aroma ๐
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Beautiful photos. I’m glad you started this series on food.
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Thank you so much, IJK; I’m delighted that you approve! Here you see the person caught between two passions – one a hobby, the other a profession. ๐
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