Kadubu

Kadubu is a popular breakfast dish in Karnataka. Kadubu is essentially an Idli (rice cake) in an interesting shape, cooked in cups made of jackfruit leaves. 

How is Kadubu made?

Idli rice and urad dal are soaked in water for several hours. Once they get soft, the rice and dal is ground till they form smooth batter. This batter is left overnight to ferment. Fermented batter almost doubles in volume with lots of air bubbles. Next day, salt is added and batter is poured into specially made cubical cups (made by stitching jackfruit leaves together) or cylindrical cups made by rolling palm leaves. In the event of unavailability of leaves, stainless steel cups are used.

The batter in its cup is steam cooked for 10-15 minutes and Kadubu will be ready. This unique shape and aroma of leaves give Kadubu its uniqueness, compared to a more common form of the same batter, the Idli. Serving one single piece of Kadubu is usually equivalent to having three to four Idlis. 

Served with: Kadubu is often served with coconut chutney and spicy sambar. A cup of filter coffee is also a great combination while enjoying Kadubu.

Where to find Kadubu:

Kadubu is commonly sold in restaurants of Coastal Karnataka and Malenadu (Western Ghats region). Several upscale restaurants in Bengaluru also serve Kadubu. You may use food delivery apps to locate the restaurant nearest to you serving Kadubu.