Oota Aitu?

Oota  Aitu?
Kannada for 'have you eaten?'

Cycling through all the villages waving hello, sharing smiles and eye contact. Whether we are still moving or stopped to talk one of the first questions we always receive is 'oota aitu?'  People we pass by are always looking at us and making the gesture of putting their hand to their mouth eating food or drinking tea. Indian hospitality reaches out towards us in every direction.

I think that Karnataka us my favorite state in India for food. Largely due to something called 'ragi mudai ' or ragi ball. It's a big brown ball made or millet flour that is eaten as the base of a meal with a soupy sambar, vegetables,  and pickle.

I really like to feed my body what will make it feel the best and what is the least energy intensive to produce so I get really excited about millets! They are the more traditional grain of the region, growing easily in more dry climates and are much more nutritious than rice.

Rice and wheat has taken over as the more desirable grain, with millets being seen more as the poor man's food so whenever we ask about ragi everyone is really surprised and excited. Soon everyone around knows that we like ragi mudai with hand gestures that imply holding a big ball in their hands. We have exchanges with very little words showing how ragi is great because it makes us strong and healthy!

While eating everyone around is watching, making sure we are doing it right. You are not supposed to chew the ball, just break a piece off, soak it in sambar or dab a bit of pickle in it and set it on your tounge and swallow. If we chew everyone is quick to call us out and we sometimes have to sneak a quick one in if we want to give more time for the flavor to sink into our taste buds. 
One night we stayed on the rooftop of a shared apartment complex and a girl staying there made us ragi mudai. A young girl next door was showing us how to eat it, taking a little piece setting on her to tounge, swallowing then showing off her empty mouth. Next she took some vegetable and showed us chewing, then swallowing. In case we didn't know how to eat that either.
It really just seems to make people really happy that we love to eat this traditional food!
And it's so cheap, nutritious, and simple!

And then of course there are the dosas! Ghee roasted masala dosas being our favorite. Crispy pancakes made of a fermented rice and dal batter stuffed with masala vegetables and served with coconut chutney and sambar. They never get old. 
I don't know what we'll do without them up north!

For when we are feeling something more simple there is also idli. Made of the same batter as dosa but steamed in little patties that soak up sambar and chutney.

And fresh coconut water from guys on the side of the road at 30 cents a coconut!

Ooo! And our favorite snack of jaggery peanut bars that they have in all the little shops. Satisfying our typical American craving for peanut butter.

Speaking of all this food... Oota aitu? Have you eaten?
Otherwise all this talk might be making you hungry!
:)