ANDHRA PRADESH CUISINE (TELUGU CUISINE)

INTRODUCTION

The cuisine of Andhra is based mostly on regional variation, its rich cultural heritage and the
influence of the Royal recipes from the Nawabs. The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is mixed between
the eating habits of the Hindus and Muslims style of eating.

The influence of external powers has influenced every aspect of the Andhra society. From music,
dance, cuisine and literature, the foreign powers have left a mark of their own. This variety and
diversity has helped the culture to become richer and more successful.

Of Hyderabadi cuisine most of you would have heard, for it is famous all over the world. The
Nawabs and Sultans who ruled over the Deccan brought some of the best cooks from all over the
country to make the Deccan the food capital. So much so that when you talk of Andhra or its
capital, Hyderabad, visions of a mouth-watering biryani comes to mind. If there is any one
statement that can, in a nutshell, describe the Andhra kitchen, it is: Andhra food is hot!

Local legend says there was once a severe famine in the area and all that grew, and grew well, were
chillies – red chillies, famous in a place called Guntur in Andhra. So people made as many dishes
as possible with chillies. A more realistic explanation comes from nutritionists who say that being a
very hot area, there are more chances of stomach infection for the local people. They probably make
use of large quantities of chillies to guard against stomach infection. A parallel can be found in the
desert state of Rajasthan in northern India.

REGIONAL CUISINE AT ANDHRA:

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh can be broadly classified into 4 regions:

 Kosta (Circar)
 Hyderabad
 Telangana and
 Rayalaseema.

Factors like crops grown, eating habits and preferences play a major role in the evolution of the
Telugu cuisine of each region.

 The coastal region (kosta) is endowed with plenty of natural resources, hence the cooking and
preserving methods are highly sophisticated. The recipes of Andhra Pradesh coastal regions
consist of sea foods mainly, along with cereals and lentils. In costal region the poor and rich
enjoy rice as a staple food.

 Rayalaseema has its own culinary delights. Due to the region's dry and arid areas, the level
of pungency and spice is high in foods here. Popular dishes from the Rayalaseema regions
are the Alsandala vada, Ulavacharu, Peetala Kura, Brain fry, Liver fry and Prawn Iguru which
can be combined with Sajja or Jonna rotis and Raagi sankati (a very healthy and nutritious
food) etc. Attirasaalu (Aresalu), Baadusha, Jaangri, Jilebi, Pakam Undalu (mixture of steam
rice flour, ground nuts, Jaggary), Borugu Undalu(a sweet variety made corn of jowar and
jaggory), Pala Kova, Rava Laddu are few of the mouth watering sweets also known as
Bakshalu of this region.

 On the other hand, due to the Islamic dynasties reigning over centuries, the Telangana
region has a distinct Mughlai flavor. In the Telugu cuisine of the Telangana region, meats play
a dominating role. Popular vegetarian dishes from the land of Telangana are the Ulli akku
kura (spring onion curry), Kakaraya pulusu (gravy made of bittergourd), pesarattu pulusu,
rasam, Karapu Annam (Chilli rice) etc. The famous non-vegetarian dishes are Chapala Pulusu
(fish gravy), Kodi Kura, Guddu Pulusu (also known as Egg Pulusu), Meat curry, Shrimp curry,
etc. Famous snacks of the Telangana region are the Billavakka (snack prepared with rice
flour and deep fried), Sakinalu – a traditional snack usually prepared during Sankranti
festival made of rice flour and sesame seeds.
  Hyderabadi cuisine that has carved its own niche among Indian cuisines. (Discussed later)

EQUIPMENTS

 CHIPPA: This is a clay pot that is wok – shaped and is used for cooking chippa gosth – a
lamb dish that gets its name from this equipment.
 TATHEE: This is a metal stand similar to a bar-be-que griller, which is placed on
smouldering charcoals to grill kebab.
 TIRAGALI: This is a stone mill that is used grinding rice to a perfect consistency foe certain
desserts such as adhirsam. Too fine a powder would make the dessert too sticky to eat and
too coarse a powder would not allow it to shape properly.
 KAVAM: This is a kind of churner used for churning buttermilk – it is nearly similar to a
whisk. It is manually twisted between the palms for churning the liquid food, for example –
churning of yoghurt for making buttermilk.
 PONGANALU: This equipment is made up of cast iron and is used for making a dish called
ponganalu, which is eaten for breakfast. It has round depressions into which a batter of rice
and dal is poured and cooked over fire.
 JAADILU: These are traditional pickle jars used to store home – made pickles. These are
made from ceramic as it does not react with pickles.
 ROLU / POTHRAM: This is a stone mortar and pestle and is used for grinding whole spices
and making chutneys.

CUISINE CHARACTERISTICS

 Rice is the staple food of the region.

 The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is mostly vegetarian but the coastal areas have a vast repertoire
of seafood preparations
 Fish and Prawns are major seafood eaten here. They are mainly found with curry in sesame and
coconut oils along with grounded pepper flavor and are eaten with rice.
 Red chillies are predominantly used in the cuisine making it one of the hottest and spiciest. The
chillies grow well in the Guntur region.
 Pickles are an essential part of the cuisine and the variety ic countless. Podis, a mixture of
various ingredients which are dried or broiled and powdered, are as important as pickle. These
homemade podis are sprinkled over rice, and a dollop of pure ghee is offered, which is also
mixed with the podi and rice and eaten.
 Gongura is an edible plant grown in India. It is a species of the Sorrel leaves. Gongura pachadi is
quintessentially Telugu cuisine along with pacchadi (chutney or relish). While it has many
culinary uses, the most popular is the pickled version. Although Gongura is widely consumed
all over Andhra Pradesh, Guntur Gongura is more popular. Gongura is a very rich source of Iron,
vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants essential for human nutrition. It is a summer crop, and
the hotter the place, the more sour the leaf gets.

Gongura comes in two varieties, green stemmed leaf and red stemmed. The red stemmed variety is
more sour than the green stemmed variety.

The pickles popularly made with gongura includes Pulla Gongura (Gongura and red chillies) and
Pulihara Gongura (gongura and tamarind). There are other varieties as well. Apart for the pickles,
other well known recipes made with Gongura as the main ingredient are Gongura Pappu (Lentils),
Gongura mamsam (goat/mutton) and Gongura royyalu (shrimp). Gongura and calabash is extremely
popular with the Telugu community in South Africa.

Its other name includes the following: In the Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh it is known as
Puntikura. Similarly, "Gongura" is popular in Tamilnadu as well, which is called "pulichakeerai" in
Tamil. The famous combination with "pulichakeerai" is "Ragi Kali/Ragi Mudde", which once used to
be a regular food for the people in villages (since these items are easily available in agricultural
forms). In Maharashtra markets, it is called Ambaadi, It is known as Pitwaa in Hindi, Nalitaa Saaga
in Oriya, Mestapat in Bengali, Pandi in Kannada and Sorrel Leaves in English.

 Other typical ingredients include the following:

  Cowpeas (Bobbarlu): This is also known as black eyed beans or lobiya in northern India.
It can be stewed or can be braised with spices.
 Field beans (Chikkudu): These beans are from the family of Broad beans. They are used
fresh and even the leaves are eaten curried.
 Agathi leaves (Avise): These are classified under green leafy vegetables. The plant that
produces white flowers are suitable for eating while those producing red flowers are not.
 Sorrel leaves (Chukka koora): These resembles spinach but has a slightly sour taste. The
sour flavour of the leaves combine well with the spices used in the Andhra cuisine.
 Banana rhizome (Arati dumpa): The rhizome or the roots of the banana plant is often
used in stir – fried dishes or even in curries.
 Spine gourd (Akakara): It resembles bitter gourd in shape but is not as bitter. It is used in
sambhars or curries in Andhra cuisine.
 Cudapa seeds or chironji or chaoroli nuts (Sara Pappu): These are nuts that are used as a
thickening agent.
 Zizyphus (Regu pandu): These are a type of jujubes and are extensively used in pickles
and chutneys. The dried regu pandu is often crushed with red chillies, jiggery and
tamarind and used in curries.

A MEAL IN ANDHRA:

BREAKFAST:

Idlis are commonly eaten as a breakfast item with sambar and/or Coconut Chutney, called Kobbari
Pacchadi in Telugu. Chili powder (Kaarampodi) and Ginger Chutney (Allam Pachadi) or other
chutneys can also be eaten along with Idli.

Minapattu (Dosa) is also commonly eaten for breakfast or in the evening. Varieties include '"Masala
Dosa, Rava Dosa, Sada Dosa, and Rava Masala Dosa." Generally, Andhra-style Dosas are spicier
and crispier than those found in other regions of South India.

Pesarattu is also a key item in Andhra cuisine. Pesarattus are similar to Dosas, but the batter is
made of green mung beans. It is thin and crispy, usually topped with chopped onions, green
chillies, ginger pieces, and coriander. It is generally eaten with a ginger chutney. MLA Pesarattuis a
popular variation of pesarattu filled with Upma (spiced semolina).

LUNCH:

Lunch is an elaborate affair in many households.

Traditionally, Andhra cuisine is eaten on a banana leaf by people sitting on mats or small raised
wooden seats. A little water is sprinkled around the banana leaf, depicting that food can now be
served. Rice is served along with a little ghee. The meal is served on (arati aaku), a single plantain
leaf, or vistari, a larger plate made of several leaves sewn together. Recently, more people have
begun using broad steel plates called (kancham). However, arati aaku and vistari are still widely
used for festivals and special events.

Lunch items are served on a single plate in a specific arrangement. Curries and pappu are placed to
the right of the diner, while pickles and podi are placed on the left. Special items such as pulihora
and garelu are placed at the top right. A large scoop of rice is placed in the middle. Small amounts
of pulusu, ghee and buttermilk are typically sprinkled onto the leaf. The ghee is mixed with every
item except perugu/majjiga.

Modati Mudda / Starter:

Rice with some podi, khaaram, or a certain variety of pickles and ghee is eaten as the modati
mudda (the first bite). Modati mudda items tend to taste sour or hot, have strong aromas, and
include ingredients with medicinal values, such as dry ginger and curry leaves. They are usually
intended to stimulate appetite and aid digestion. Only a very small amount is eaten: four or five
balls of rice called muddalu.

A typical Andhra main course generally consists of some or all of the following:
 Cooked Rice
 Pappu - Toor Daal (Kandi Pappu) or Moong Daal (Pesara pappu) cooked with a vegetable or
green.
 Curries made from a wide variety of vegetables, including green leafy vegetables. Vepudu is a
fried vegetable curry. Non-vegetarian curries include "kodi koora" (chicken), "mutton" (goat
mutton), "chepa koora" (Fish), "royyalu" (Prawns) and "peethala koora" (Crab).
 Karam - Various types of dry powders make from lentils or chillies, eaten with ghee.
 Pachadi (Pickles), fresh or preserved, can be made from all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Examples include Aavakaaya (a spicy mango pickle) and one made of roselle called Gongura.
 Ullavacharu (cooked Horsegram soup), traditionally eaten with cream or yoghurt.
 Pulusu - A type of vegetable curry most typically exported to the west.
 Majjiga Pulusu - Buttermilk cooked with turmeric and boiled vegetables.
 Perugu (Yoghurt) or Majjiga (Buttermilk)
 Appadam (Papadums)
 Sweet dishes.
 Bananas or other fruit
 Tamalapaku-vakkapodi, also called Killi, Beeda or Paan, made of fresh Betel leaves, Arecanut
pieces, and lime.

ANDHRA DELICACIES

MODATI MUDDA: This means the first few bites of the meal mainly consists of four or few balls of
rice. These are either ghee rice or pickled rice. Pickled rice are typically gooseberry, lime,
aavakkayaa(mango) or grapefruit. It could also be rice mixed with certain powders (podi) like
parupu podi, corriander podi, pudina podi, coconut podi, curry leaves podi and so on.

Some of the typical Modati Mudda items include:

 Dhaniyala karappodi: roasted chillies ground with coriander seeds.

 Karivepaku karappodi: roasted chillies and curry leaves.
 Shonthi podi: dry ginger ground with a pinch of salt.
 Nuvvula podi: sesame seeds ground with roasted chillies.
 Kottimeera khaaram: cilantro leaves ground with raw or roasted red chillies.
 Karivepaku khaaram: curry leaves ground with raw or roasted red chillies.
 Allam khaaram: ginger ground with raw or roasted red and green chillies.
 Pachimirapakaya khaaram: roasted and ground green chillies.
 Usirikaya pachadi: pickled Indian gooseberries, typically mixed with roasted red chillies or
chili powder.
 Nimmakaya pachadi: pickled Indian key lime
 Dabbakaya pachadi: pickled Indian grapefruit

KOORA - The region produces a wide variety of Kooralu (curries).

 Vepudu : crispy fried vegetables, typically including bendakaya (okra), dondakaya (tindora),
bangaladumpa (potato), and colocasia (chamadumpa).
 Kaaram Petti Koora / Koora Podi Koora: Sauteed vegetables cooked with curry powder or
paste, served as a solid mass. The vegetables can be stuffed with curry powder or paste and
are usually cooked whole.
 Pulusu Koora / Aava petti Koora: Boiled vegetables cooked in tamarind sauce and mustard
paste.
 Pappu Koora: Boiled vegetables stir-fried with a small amount of half-cooked lentils (dal).
 Other gravy based curries are chiefly made with vegetables cooked in tomato sauce and
onion with coriander and cumin powder.

PAPPU - Toor Daal (Kandi Pappu) or Moong Daal (Pesara pappu) cooked with a vegetable or green.
No masala is added to the dal. Some regions include garlic and onion in the seasoning while some
regions prefer asafetida (heing/Inguva). Some times the cooked version of the dal is replaced with a
roast and ground version of the dal like Kandi pachadi (roasted toor daal ground with red chiles)
and pesara pachadi (soaked moong daal ground with red chillies or green chillies).
PACHADI / OORAGAYA - For a typical Andhrite, no meal is complete without this very essential
item. It is consumed on it own mixed with rice and is also eaten as a side dish with pappu / koora.
There are two broad varieties –

1) Pachadi (chutney) is typically made of vegetables/greens and roasted green/ red chillies. It is
prepared fresh and is consumed within a day or two.

Some of the items include:

 Vegetable pachadi - Made with vegetables like bottle gourd, eggplant, okra, etc. The vegetable
is cooke al dente and is ground together with roasted red chiles/ green chiles, fenu Greek
seeds and mustard seeds.
 Greens Pachadi - The most popular one is Gongura pachadi - made out of red sorrel leaves
and roasted red chillies. It is unique to Andhra cuisine and is a must have for any meal that
boasts to give the eater a taste of Andhra. Other than this, chukka koora (a variety of sour
leafy green found in AP) pachadi is also very popular. Chutney is also made out of Coriander
leaves / Curry leaves. This is normally consumed as a modati mudda item.

2) Ooragaya – Andhra is very famous for a variety of these hot spicy pickles that one gets
addicted to. Pickles like Nimmakay, Dabbakaya, Usirikaya have medicinal values that
improve with aging. Ooragaya is prepared in good amounts seasonally and uses liberal
amounts of chilli powder, methi (fenugreek) powder, mustard powder and oil.

A few of the Ooragaya items include:

 Avakaya - The most popular item of Andhra cuisine. It is made of cut green mangos,
mustard powder, red chili powder and vegetable oil. It is prepared during the summer
months of April/May, when green mangos are abundant. Every family in Andhra is rather
proud of its own recipe for this pickle based on the variety of mango, chili and the oil used.
There are many of varieties of avakaya - with garlic/without garlic and depending on the
other ingredients used like pesarakaya (avakaya with moong dal powder), menthi kaya
(avakaya with fenugreek powder), neeti kaya (avakaya made by grinding mustard paste with
water).
 Dosa Avakaya - Avakaya made with English (yellow) cucumber. Serves as a substitute for
the regular avakaya toward the end of the season. A staple served during winter marriages
when raw mangos are not readily available. Recent times have seen cauliflower avakaya also
become famous. The English cucumber is replaced by cauliflower in this version.
 Korivi Khaaram - The spiciest of the pickles and a unique andhra item too. It is made by
grinding ripe red chillies (Pandu Mirapakaya) with tamarind and salt. Pandu mirapakaya is
grown in abundance in the palnadu region of Andhra (Guntur district and the surrounding
areas). This variety is very famous for its spice and color. A few modifications to this pickle
include combinations of Pandu Mirapakaya with gongura or Pandu Mirapakaya with raw
tamarind fruit (chintakaya).
 Chintakaya - Made by grinding raw tamarind fruit (Chintakaya) and salt. It is made during
the winter season. The marinated pickle is taken in small quantities and is made into a
chutney with roasted red chiles whenever it is consumed.
 Nimmakaya - Made by marinating Indian key lime in its own juice for a few days and then
mixing it with salt, methi powder and chilli powder.
 Usirikaya - Made by grinding Indian gooseberries and salt. The pickle is marinated throghout
the year, picked in small quantities whenever needed and is made into a chutney by grinding
it with roast red chiles.
 Dabbakaya - A lesser-known pickle to the current generation. Made out of Indian grapefruit.
Typically consumed as a modati mudda item. Buttermilk mixed with the tender dabbakaya
leaves (dabbaku majjiga) is supposed to quench extreme thirst during the hot summer
months.
PULUSU / CHARU: Pulusu/Dhappalam is the most important liquid item of the meal. Pulusu (sour)
is a curry-like stew that is typically sour and cooked with tamarind paste. Other common bases are
tomatoes or mangoes. The mixture can be flavoured with mustard, chillies, curry leaves, jaggery,
onions, or fenugreek. Fish, chicken, and eggs are typical meat additions.

Some of typical pulusu items include the following:

 Kharam Pulusu - Any vegetable cooked in very diluted tamarind juice and pulusu podi (made
of roast red chillies, coriander powder).
 Tiyya pulusu - Mild and sweet vegetables like pumpkin or sweet potato cooked in light
tamarind juice with jaggery
 Pachi pulusu - Unheated version of the pulusu. It includes finely chopped raw onions in a very
dilute tamarind juice with jaggery. In the summer season when mangos are abundant,
tamarind is replaced by stewed raw mango. It is mostly consumed during the hot season.
 Pappucharu - Vegetables boiled with cooked toor dal and tamarind. No sambar/masala
powder is added.
 Sambar - Vegetables boiled with cooked toor dal, tamarind and sambar powder.
 Challa Pulusu / Majjiga pulusu - Sour buttermilk boiled with channa dal and coconut paste
 Methi Challa / Methi Majjiga - Sour buttermilk seasoned with ginger / green chilli paste and
methi seeds fried in oil.
 Charu - A very dilute concoction of tamarind and charu podi (made of coriander seeds, dal,
ginger, pepper and heing). It is also taken as such during the meal like a soup without
mixing with rice.

ANDHRA SNACKS:

 Kaarappoosa - Hindi ( khara boondi, salted,chilli flavoured boondi)

 Chekkalu – Flat puri’s made using gram flour, rice flour, chana dal, and spices and deep
fried
 Jantikalu - Long streaks of sev made using gram flour, rice flour and salt, turmeric, chilli
powder, and deep fried
 Chuppulu - Chakli’s made using rice flour, sesame seeds, ajwain
 Chegodilu - A gem among Andhra traditional snacks is Chegodi. Golden in shade, speckled
with spots of white sesame, moong dal and cumin, crunchy with an irresistable addictive
taste
 Guggillu : Boiled chick peas flavoured with a tempering of Urad dal, Mustard seeds, Cumin
seeds, Red chilli --- tear into pieces, Curry leaves
 Boondi - Salted boondi’s deep fried
 Ponganalu – This is a telugu word for fried batter puffs on a special pan. This is very popular
breakfast in Andhra
 Punukulu / Dosa Batter Dumplings - These are called punukulu in Telugu also sold as street
fare with various chutneys as accompaniments
 Bondaalu: These are Punukulu with spicy dips (allam pachadi) -
 Mirapakaya Bajji - A local variety of extra-hot chillies stuffed with spices and dipped in chick
pea batter and fried.
 Ullipakodi – These are fritters made with sliced onion and spices in chickpea batter.
 Gaare – These are similar to Vada. Gaares are a deep fried and spiced dough.
 Perugu gaare / Aavadalu - Gaare are marinated in a yoghurt sauce.

ANDHRA DESSERTS:

 Boorelu :A mixture of boiled chanadal, jaggery,elaichi,ghee, coated in rice flour batter & deep
fried
 Pootharekulu : Pootharekulu is a popular dessert made in Andhra in India. Pootharekulu is
made of rice starch, sugar powder, ghee and cardamom powder.
 Ariselu: Ariselu is a popular Andhra sweet for Sankranthi(a harvest festival celebrated mainly
in South India) prepared with newly harvested rice and jaggery,sesame & deep fried.
  Payasam (Kheer)
 Gavvalu (Shell shaped sweets made using rice flour,ghee, jaggery,milk)
 Laskora Undalu (coconut laddu) or Raskora Undalu (coconut laddu)
 Palathalikalu :Rice flour is made into a very thick batter which is pushed through small
holes into boiling milk and simmered for a long time to achieve a thick consistency.
 Ravva Kesari (sheera)
 Kobbari ladoo (coconut ladoo)

MISCELLANEOUS:

 PESARATTU: This is a crepe made with batter from soaked whole moong dal (Green gram or
Green beans) has a greenish hue, while yellow coloured Pesarattu made from dehusked
moong dal, gives a fine golden yellow tint to it when roasted. Both these forms are famous in
Andhra Pradesh, and are typically served with chutney made from ginger and tamarind.
 TAMARIND RICE / PULIHARA: Tamarind rice - Pulihora,Puliyodhara,Puliyodharai or
Pulihara (Puli means Tamarind) is often made as an offering to Gods on all festivals and
served to people as prasadam. It is usually prepared before going for journey’s and packed in
tiffins as it stays good for about 2-3 days if taken proper care.
 KOTHIMIRA ANNAM: This is a coriander rice dish of Telugu cuisine.
 CHAPA VEPUDU: One of commonest recipes of Andhra Pradesh, Chapa Vepudu is a spicy,
marinated fish fry. Chapa means fish in Telugu, and this fried Murrel fish preparation has
been an evergreen choice for the admirers of the Telugu cuisine.
 URGAI MAMSAM: Another spicy non-vegetarian recipes of Andhra Pradesh, is Uragai
Mamsam, a delicious dish where tender morsels of lamb are cooked to perfection in pickled
masala. Mamsam means meat in Telugu, and this non-vegetarian preparation has been a
trademark dish of the Telugu cuisine.
 KOTHIMIRI KODI: This is a chicken curry form the Telugu cuisine. This Andhra chicken
curry preparation made by using coriander leaves paste. Kotimira means coriander and Kodi
means chicken in Telugu.

********************************************************************