Monday, November 28, 2005

Gadbad Ghotala

When I mentioned Gadbad icecreams in my previous post, the first comment I got was "What is Gadbad icecream"? I went "Whaaa?", then I realized that it must be an exclusively South, maybe exclusively Karnataka ice-cream. Gadbad deserves more publicity ;) This post is dedicated to just that!

Gadbad icecream is a delicious hotchpotch of different ice-cream flavours, fruits and nuts. It is served in a tall transparent glass and served with a long spoon so that you can really dig into it. Every spoonful of heaven tickles your taste-buds and awakens your senses, and with each swallow, you get closer to Nirvana.

This delectable concoction was apparently first whipped up in Hotel Diana in Udupi. Of course, once people got a taste of it, they flocked to the parlour and its fame spread - and how! For me, Udupi evokes only two images - The temple of Krishna and Gadbad of Diana. (not necessarily in the same order ;))

Now of course, most of the self-respecting ice-cream parlours (at least in Karnataka) serve their own versions of Gadbad icecream. MTR has come up with packed Gadbad icecreams too! Of course, in no way does it do justice to the original one, but it will have to do when you can't get to the original!

You can make your own Gadbad! Here is how!

Ingredients -

At least three of your favourite flavours of icecream. - e.g. Vanilla, butterscotch, Kesar-badam
Cut fruits - (Apple, pineapple, banana, strawberries, and anything else you can lay your hands on)
Nuts - broken cashew, sliced almonds
Raisins
Strawberry Jelly.
Optional - cherry to top/chocolate sauce.

Method -

Take a tall transparent glass. The larger and taller, the better (It will hold more icecream ;))Put a layer of about half an inch of jelly at the bottom of the class. Pour one scoop of one flavour, say butterscotch on this. Be careful about it, make sure it does not mix with the jelly. It has to fall in layers. Over this, place a layer of nuts and raisins. One more scoop of icecream, say vanilla goes over this. Another layer of jelly. Now put a thick layer of fruits over this. Add some more nuts and raisins if your glass is tall enough. Top it off with a huge scoop of your favourite icecream, say Kesar-badam. This scoop should stand over the glass, like a kind of dome. It should look ready to melt and spill down the sides of the glass.

[Optional - You can sprinkle some more nuts over it., and if you like cherries, add a bright red cherry on top. You can even add chocolate sauce, if you are so inclined.]
Now get a long enough spoon, and DIG in.

NOTE: Gadbad is NOT to be eaten layer by layer. You just have to delve into it and make sure that you get all kinds of flavours and fruits and nuts in a single spoon.

FAQ: In that case, why place it layer by layer? Why not mix it all in a big bowl and fill the glass with it?
ANS: Looks, looks. Half of the attraction of Gadbad is in the way it LOOKS.

Best time to have it : When you are hungry. It's almost a full meal!

Enjoy your Gadbad!

18 comments:

Global Indian said...

It should definitely be a Karnataka thing, not a Southie thing. I am not aware of this even though I lived in Karnataka for a year.

Had Hotel Diana, kept the 'recipe' secret, I guess they would have made a lot of money.

Unknown said...

I think Gadbad is more well known in parts of north and coastal karnataka
where it originated

I haven't had gudbud in a long time
I should have one soon
Check out the mouth watering picture of gadbad I found

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2004/11/06/images/2004110602960402.jpg

Shruthi said...

@Ravi: Actually its quite difficult to keep the recipe a secret, coz the ingredients are all in front of your eyes :)

@Abhay: Wow, yum! That's a good photo indeed! Though it must be a different version of the original... I combed the net for a good snap of the original Gadbad.. but no go :(

Unknown said...

Conratulations
I think you won in the
Desipundit contest !

mandar talvekar said...

Yummm...
makes me wish to have one -- haven't had a "gadbad" for a long time. That's definitely on my list when i visit a restaurant next time.
BTW a restaurant near my place -- allows patrons to pick 3 scoops of their choice and the fruit that would like on it, top it with jelly and tutti-fruity . . . for some reason tho they call it "hawaiian honeymoon."

Quizman said...

Wait a minute. Although Diana is a pretty good restaurant by any standards, it pales in comparison to Ideals Ice Cream in Mangalore when it comes to delicious concoctions like Gadbad, Lighthouse, Honeymoon Special etc. Arguably the greatest ice-cream parlour in India, and I've eaten ice-creams in many cities in India. I've seen everyone from manual laborers to executives eat at Ideals. Cheap, wholesome and delicious, indeed! Much better than the pseudo Nirulas and the like.

Shruthi said...

@Parna: It definitely is :) You should try it once!

@Abhay: Thanks! I got the info first from you :)

@Mandar: Yum! This Hawaiian honeymoon sounds delicious!

@Quizman: Oh yes I have eaten at Ideal's at Mangalore.. it definitely is good!! Don't want to compare it with Diana's - coz I want to give Diana the credit for being the originator ;)

Full2 Faltu said...

I had Gadbad Icecream in Bangalore 7-8 years back.

I thought it was the specialty of Kamat hotel where i eat it.

I loved it when I came to the table. Looks par he mar gaye

Punds

Ambar said...

Diana? I always thought Gadbad was invented at the Mantap Hotel in Saligrama, near Udupi!

Shruthi said...

@Punds: Definitely not Kamat :) Glad you enjoyed it!

@Ambar: Really? This is a totally new theory! I even heard Ideal icecream parlour of Mangalore stake their claim as the originators! (I know they make great Gadbad, but still...)
Also, I have been to Saligrama... such a small place....and so, if what you say is true, then hats off to that hotel..(now where in Saligrama is it?)

Anonymous said...

Oh very well remember the Gadbad ice creams. A very similar one used to be served in a sweet store in Malleshwaram but that was almost 10-12 years back. I remember that I had gone out with my father and distinctly remember hesitating to ask for it since it was Rs.25 (which was a whole lot of money back then) and my father gently admonishing me for thinking about money and went ahead bought me two of them ...mmmm still remember the taste. The nut sundaes are a poor cousin to what we used to get back then. Still treasure the Gulkan that we used to get near Malleshwaram Circle. I think thats something else you must have tasted if u are from old bengaluru.

Kishore

Anonymous said...

No GUDBUD preparation in any other part of the world can match Ideals or Pabbas of Mangalore.....Its UNIQUE taste.

A, mama of twins said...

Hi Shruti

Great info on Gadbad for the uninitiated. I just blogged a jackfruit gadbad icecream recipe on my food blog. Check it out -
http://archanacooks.blogspot.com and I linked you. I hope you dont mind!

Archana

Sanjay said...

Gadbad was recently featured in some magazine (I forget which one...).

Anonymous said...

Yes it is very much a karnatak affair-absolutely fantabulous:))) yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy is how it goes-enjoy:)

Anonymous said...

sounds delightful!!!!

Unknown said...

Hello!

It has been 12 years since I completed my degree. In the last year of college my teachers took us to Mangalore and one of the things that lingers still in my mind is this ice cream! Reading your post, I am transported back to that carefree time of enjoying the beaches, visiting the churches of Mangalore, eating gudbud at odd hours, chitchatting with friends so on and so forth!

Thanks so much for having given the receipe, defn going to try this out at home :-)

Lakshmi

Darryl said...

ideals claim to inventing the gadbad
http://uppercrustindia.com/oldsite/7crust/seven/mangalore1.htm

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