BM Saveur: Kollapuris
This Kolhapuri restaurant is a meat-eater’s paradise. The secret is a blend of 56 masalas
Kollapuris was established in the early ’80s byKolhapuri Ramusa who came to Bangalore from the historic town in Maharashtra, known for the battle between Maratha Warrior Shivaji and Rustom-e-Zaman , a general in the Bijapur Sultan’s army. It recreates flavours of a bygone era in a small 150 sqft kitchen.
Today, Ramusa’s legacy is shouldered by his son KR Vinayaka, who sits at the counter, welcoming his queuing guests and apologetically asking them to wait a few minutes until the next table is vacant.
Here, apart from thechicken biryani (Rs 115) which is light and flavoured with garam masala , the spicy red chicken curry (Rs 90) is hugely popular. The rustic-looking curry may scare you with its fiery red colour, but rest assured it’s the byadgi chillies which provide the colour, without unnecessary fire. This curry, teamed with cucumber, yoghurt, onion and green chilly katchumbar, is devoid of fanciful experiment or presentation. Tastes best with some hot chapatis or as an accompaniment to their authentic egg biryani (Rs 85).
The menu card at Kollapuris is unfriendly to vegetarians, offering onlychicken curries , chilly chicken , kebabs , spicy kheema balls , mutton chops , liver masala , sukha mutton fry , Bheja fry , biryani and others of the same kin. “Vegetarian aa? Take biryani rice, no pieces,” says Vinayaka, pointing to the menu.
Though the staple Kolhapuri Taat and misal paav are missing, Kollapuris still serves up an impressive range of authentic Kolhapuri cuisine.
Food as we know is a powerful connection to our core and identity, and for Kolhapuri Ramusa, the inception of this hotel was perhaps the only connect to his hometown — something he had left behind decades ago — an identity which is now being preserved by his sons.
Kollapuris was established in the early ’80s by
Today, Ramusa’s legacy is shouldered by his son KR Vinayaka, who sits at the counter, welcoming his queuing guests and apologetically asking them to wait a few minutes until the next table is vacant.
Here, apart from the
The menu card at Kollapuris is unfriendly to vegetarians, offering only
If you are the kind who enjoys food in a luxurious seating area, we suggest you take a parcel. Here, tables are shared with strangers, as plates are emptied as fast as they are filled. Their second outlet in Jayanagar, opened in 2001, is relatively more spacious and also has a larger menu with 167 items. KR Arun, the younger son of Ramusa, heads this joint. “There are no professional cooks here. Everyone is trained by us and the recipes are inspired by my mother Anandamma’s cooking,” he notes.
Though the staple Kolhapuri Taat and misal paav are missing, Kollapuris still serves up an impressive range of authentic Kolhapuri cuisine.
Food as we know is a powerful connection to our core and identity, and for Kolhapuri Ramusa, the inception of this hotel was perhaps the only connect to his hometown — something he had left behind decades ago — an identity which is now being preserved by his sons.
