ANDHRA PRADESH CUISINE (TELUGU CUISINE)
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 mouthwatering
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 nonvegetarian
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 barbeque
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 antioxidants
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, Andhrastyle
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. Nonvegetarian
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
Tamalapakuvakkapodi,
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 stirfried
with a small amount of halfcooked
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
lesserknown
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 currylike
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 extrahot
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 23
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 nonvegetarian
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 nonvegetarian
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.
******************************************************************
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 mouthwatering
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 nonvegetarian
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 barbeque
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 antioxidants
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, Andhrastyle
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. Nonvegetarian
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
Tamalapakuvakkapodi,
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 stirfried
with a small amount of halfcooked
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
lesserknown
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 currylike
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 extrahot
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 23
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 nonvegetarian
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 nonvegetarian
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.
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Sir are from Andhra Pradesh,I asked you because this knowledge u have on Andhra Pradesh,I don't think I will this knowledge about my native state(Andhra Pradesh)
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