Mitra Samaja

Mitra Samaja is a vegetarian restaurant in Udupi, Karnataka, India. It is located on Car Street very close to the Krishna temple. The restaurant serves authentic Udupi cuisine.[1]

Mitra Samaja is very popular amongst visitors to the town. The most famous dish of the restaurant is Goli Baje,[2] a South Canara delicacy. The hotel is also well known for its masala dosa and coffee.

History

Nittur Gopal Holla was born in Udupi in 1928 to Bhagirathi and N Seetarama Holla, a master cook from the orthodox Shivalli Madhwa-Brahmin community. Gopal Holla inherited his father's culinary competencies and was instrumental in serving tens of thousands of people on the occasions of several Nagamandalas and Rashi Puje.

In 1949, aged 21, he started the Mitra Samaj in Car Street, Udupi. Originally started as a tea shop, it graduated to a hotel serving snacks and then meals. In Udupi, being Lord Krishna's temple town, the use of onion and garlic was a taboo in and around the temple premises. The earlier pilgrims, mostly Brahmins, would eat food cooked only by their own community, that too in madi – in wet clothes after their morning pooja.

The non-usage of onion and garlic continues even today at the Mitra Samaj, now run by Holla's youngest son, Achutha Holla. The sweet delicacies on sale at the hotel - badam (almond) halwa, godi (wheat) halwa, kushmand (pumpkin) halwa, khai holige (coconut pancake), and kadlebele holige (bhuna chanadal pancake) are still prepared at Achuth Holla’s home in the old customary way.

Present

Mitra Samaj is open to customers from 5:30 am, serving steaming idlis dipped in the renowned Udupi sambhar and the aromatic filter coffee. As the day progresses other items like vada, buns (mildly sweet banana puri), biscuit roti (Udupi style kachori), various dosas, parota with kurma, upma, and pineapple shira are available. In the evening, goli baje, the light-weight, air-filled maida pokodas fried in coconut oil, a great crowd puller, are available. Various juices and milkshakes are available throughout the day. The unique Udupi style meals are available across the road in the afternoons and evenings at the other outlet of Mitra Samaj. Both outlets close operations at 9:30 pm. Wednesday is the day off.

Mitra Café, adjoining the Mitra Hospital on the Old Post Office road, is yet another outlet from the same group. In addition to the various south Indian foods, this outlet also serves North Indian and Chinese cuisine and is run by Gopal Holla's grandson, Sachin Holla.

References

  1. ↑ "In Udupi,food is the greatest binder". www.in.rediff.com. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  2. ↑ Mitra Samaja
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