In Tulu Nadu (coastal Karnataka), the meal is called oota and is served on a large banana leaf instead of separate plates. Everything arrives at once around a mound of red rice (kuttari): a dal, a stir-fried vegetable, a coconut curry, pickles, and always something sweet and sour. You eat with the fingers of your right hand, mixing the flavors yourself. There are no successive 'starters' or 'desserts': sweetness, sourness, and spiciness coexist in the same gesture.

Absolute queen of coastal Karnataka's cuisine: grated and pressed for milk, ground for chutneys and masalas, it perfumes almost everything. Its faithful companion is kokum (punarpuli), a small dried purple plum that brings a fruity acidity typical of the coast, where other parts of India use tamarind.