MTR Karunaadu Swaada - Karnataka Food Festival

 MTR Karunaadu Swaada 

Karnataka Food Festival

25/26 April

₹₹

Akki Rotti and Bollari Barthad

Puliyogare

Masala Akki Rotti

MTR Karunadu Swaada has been MTR’s flagship food festival, showcasing the diverse vegetarian cuisines from across Karnataka. I had assumed this started only in the last couple of years, but discovered during my research that the first edition dates back to 2017.

This year, it was hosted at Jayamahal Palace Exhibition Center in North Bangalore (close to Bangalore Cantonment station). We booked tickets online (₹599 for adults and ₹299 for kids) and arrived just before noon on 25th April.

The event began with a Hulivesha performance by young boys, which set the tone nicely. Inside, the air-conditioned venue was neatly organized into Six regional cuisine sections, along with an MTR signature counter and a centrally placed dessert section.

Each section was thoughtfully laid out, with small, freshly plated portions offered in different combinations. I liked this approach. You could sample freely, return for what you enjoyed, and avoid wastage.

Each section also featured a regional drink—Kokum sherbet, Musk melon paanakam, a Sesame–yoghurt mix, Buttermilk, Millet Malt.  The Paanakam and Kokum sherbet stood out for me.

I tried 95% of the items and went back for second helping for a few of them.

Some absolute favourites:

• Susla — a poha-like dish made from puffed rice (Uttara Karnataka)
• Shenga Saaru with millet rice — a peanut-based rasam (Kalyana Karnataka)
• Ellogare — sesame seed rice (Hale Mysore)
• Devasthana Puliyogare — temple-style puliyogare (Hale Mysore)
• Baale Dindini Kosambari — banana stem with yoghurt (Hale Mysore)
• Udupi Samaraadhane Saaru — an exquisite rasam (Udupi)
• Appe Midi Uppinakayi — tender mango pickle (Udupi)
• Akki Rotti with Bollari Barthad (Kodagu)
• Neer Dosa with jackfruit ghee roast (Dakshina Kannada)
• Musk melon Paanakam (Hale Mysore)

The MTR Signature counter had the staples of Masala Dosa and Rava Idli (mini versions) with Badam Milk (cold) and Bise Bele Bath, which I tried and enjoyed!

Since we arrived early in the day, the energy was high, and the staff at each station were warm, enthusiastic. Seating was limited, which could be a challenge for elderly visitors.

The venue itself deserves a mention—ample parking under tree cover, clean restrooms, and a layout that did not feel cramped even as it slowly filled up.

What stayed with me, though, was the scale of the experience. Over 70 dishes, representing multiple regions, freshly prepared and available under one roof for around ₹600. It is not often that variety and accessibility meet this comfortably.

Hopefully, next year we can bring along the extended family as well. Looking forward to the next edition.