A first-of-its kind Badaga restaurant in Coimbatore is attempting to revive the traditional cuisine of the Nilgiris’ original inhabitantsMy taste buds are on fire. A special spice powder they call hatti maas hudi, which is made from roasted chillies, coriander seeds, cinnamon, asafoetida, and khus khus to name a few, is used in the vegetarian reparations. “This is an effort to revive forgotten recipes and keep the memories alive, and to also give a taste of our food to non-Badagas,”says Deepa. She describes the aroma that fills homes when they make thuppadahittu, a deep-fried snack from maida dough mixed with sugar, khus khus, elaichi and mashed bananas.“We make small balls with the batter, press it on our palms and then deep fry it,” explains Uma. Thuppadahittu and hutti kaapi | Photo Credit: PERIASAMY MAt the moment, Nanga Hittu serves lunch and snacks like thuppadahittu, ragi Hittu and pothittu (wheat dosa served with a sweet concoction made of coconut milk and khus khus).

Source: The Hindu February 24, 2021 10:53 UTC