BEYOND MYSORE PAK
Legend has it that Kakasura Madappa, a cook in the royal kitchen, invented Mysore pak to comply with the wishes of the Maharaja of Mysore, who was keen to create a defining sweet for the city.
Decades later, Madappa’s combination of gram flour, ghee and sugar continues to be associated with Mysore. And the no-fuss Guru Sweets Mart, just over 75 years old and now run by Madappa’s great grandsons, is credited with being the inventor of Mysore’s most important culinary contribution (see Where to Eat for all addresses and timings; special [with pure ghee]: ` 360/ kg, regular [with hydrogenated fat]: ` 240/ kg, ` 10/ piece). A dash of turmeric could well be the ‘X’ factor in its recipe – it doesn’t just lend a golden hue, but also ensures that the Mysore pak isn’t cloyingly sweet.
Legend has it that Kakasura Madappa, a cook in the royal kitchen, invented Mysore pak to comply with the wishes of the Maharaja of Mysore, who was keen to create a defining sweet for the city.
Decades later, Madappa’s combination of gram flour, ghee and sugar continues to be associated with Mysore. And the no-fuss Guru Sweets Mart, just over 75 years old and now run by Madappa’s great grandsons, is credited with being the inventor of Mysore’s most important culinary contribution (see Where to Eat for all addresses and timings; special [with pure ghee]: ` 360/ kg, regular [with hydrogenated fat]: ` 240/ kg, ` 10/ piece). A dash of turmeric could well be the ‘X’ factor in its recipe – it doesn’t just lend a golden hue, but also ensures that the Mysore pak isn’t cloyingly sweet.
Guru Sweets isn’t the only iconic Mysore institution that leads a humble existence. Step into Original Vinayaka Mylari and you’ll see that things get even more basic here, with the focus solely on food.
There’s hardly any elbow room, and tables are cleaned selectively, but that doesn’t keep the teeming crowds away. There’s no menu either and nobody takes orders. The wait staff is simply programmed
to bring every diner its famous masala dosa served with chutney (` 30). It’s not as crisp as the Udupi version and does not have the potato-and-onion filling that usually defines a masala dosa. The Mylari version is thick, featuring instead a greener (thanks to the coriander leaves), coarser masala. Mylari’s iconic dosa is the benne masala dosa and the dollop of butter (benne) justifies the name. While Mylari’s masala dosa might be the city’s best known, locals are divided about the city’s finest masala
dosa. GTR (Gayatri Tiffin Room) Hotel urns out an equally scrumptious masala
dosa (` 35) as well as special rice dishes like bisibele bhath or pulao (from ` 30).
There’s hardly any elbow room, and tables are cleaned selectively, but that doesn’t keep the teeming crowds away. There’s no menu either and nobody takes orders. The wait staff is simply programmed
to bring every diner its famous masala dosa served with chutney (` 30). It’s not as crisp as the Udupi version and does not have the potato-and-onion filling that usually defines a masala dosa. The Mylari version is thick, featuring instead a greener (thanks to the coriander leaves), coarser masala. Mylari’s iconic dosa is the benne masala dosa and the dollop of butter (benne) justifies the name. While Mylari’s masala dosa might be the city’s best known, locals are divided about the city’s finest masala
dosa. GTR (Gayatri Tiffin Room) Hotel urns out an equally scrumptious masala
dosa (` 35) as well as special rice dishes like bisibele bhath or pulao (from ` 30).
If you need a break from all that amazing vegetarian food, head to RRR Biryani for a Hyderabadi biryani that will test your spice tolerance levels. There’s also a wholesome Andhra meal laid out on a banana leaf (chicken dum biryani: ` 135, mutton dum biryani: ` 145). Another good spot
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