Spotlighting lesser-known Andhra food

Several micro-cuisine restaurants are focusing on the diversity of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

- Ruth DSouza Prabhu

Like most states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have diverse culinary regions. There is coastal Andhra cuisine, the food of Rayalaseema that is further inland, Telangana cuisine that is divided into food from the Deccan Plateau region and Hyderabadi cuisine and Uttarandhra food from the northernmost part of the state. Andhra restaurants, particularly chains, tend to offer homogenised menus that club all these culinary regions, making Andhra chilli chicken and meals served on a banana leaf the most popular representation. Restaurants like Nagarjuna (Bengaluru), Nandhana Palace (Bengaluru and Chennai), Rayalaseema Ruchulu (Hyderabad), Telangana Bhavan canteen (Delhi) and Andhra Bhavan canteen (Delhi) will always have their loyal patrons and with good reason. But as newer Andhra micro-cuisine restaurants open, lesser-known foods of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are now in the spotlight.

The early 2000s saw the opening of The Spicy Venue (central Andhra cuisine) in Hyderabad, which today, has made it to most eat-at lists for dishes like their natu kodi (country chicken curry) with garelu (deep-fried rice flour and lentil fritter), and mamsam iguru (mutton curry).

Sainma, serving Telangana food, opened in Hyderabad in 2018. Antera Bar and Kitchen, focusing on the Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema cuisines, opened three branches across Hyderabad and one in Bengaluru from 2021-24. Palle Vindhu (Rayalaseema and Telangana) and Telugu Medium (Andhra and Telangana) opened in Hyderabad in 2023. In the same year, Dakshin Udyavan came up in Guwahati, Assam, which has a good representation from all regions of Andhra. Hyderabad also has Istham Kitchen (Rajahmundry, Kakinada and Andhra Coastal cuisines) and Terrai (Telangana) which opened last year.