Mysore travel guide

Mysore pak

Mysore's royal confection—dense, crumbly blocks of chickpea flour and pure ghee sweetened with sugar; created in the Mysore Palace kitchens for the Maharaja in 1935; Sri Krishna Sweets near Devaraja Market is considered the definitive source

Mysore masala dosa

Mysore's twist on the classic dosa—a thin crispy dosa spread with a red chili-garlic chutney before the potato filling is added; spicier and more complex than Bengaluru's; the original Krishna Restaurant in Mysore serves it with 4 different chutneys

Bisi bele bath

Bengaluru and Karnataka's beloved one-pot meal—rice, lentils and vegetables slow-cooked with ghee and a pungent bisi bele bath masala powder; served topped with crispy sev and a spoon of ghee; deeply nourishing and available at every South Indian restaurant

Filter coffee

South India's great ritual—100% arabica coffee beans slow-dripped into thick decoction, combined with hot milk in a brass tumbler and davara; poured from height to cool the temperature and create a froth; the MTR or Darshini chain version sets the standard

Neer dosa

Coastal Karnataka's stunning simplicity—water, rice and salt fermented overnight; poured thin and steam-cooked without flipping; impossibly lacy and delicate; eaten rolled around coconut chutney or fish curry; a Udupi and Mangalore morning essential