Local Dishes

1. ఇడ్లీ

   iḍlī

   Idli (steamed rice cake)

   Usage

   Steamed cake of fermented rice-and-black-gram batter; the standard breakfast, served with sambar and chutney. Not spicy, so a safe choice if you cannot take chilli

2. దోసె

   dōse

   Dosa (thin rice crepe)

   Usage

   Telugu uses three names for the same thing — దోసె, దోశ and అట్టు — and shop boards differ. The potato-filled version is మసాలా దోసె (masala dosa)

3. పెసరట్టు

   pesaraṭṭu

   Pesarattu (green gram dosa)

   Usage

   Andhra's signature breakfast, green because the batter is milled green gram. Usually served with ginger chutney (అల్లం పెసరట్టు); the version topped with upma is ఉప్మా పెసరట్టు

4. ఊతప్పం

   ūtappaṃ

   Uttapam (thick pancake with toppings)

   Usage

   A batter pancake thicker than dosa, with onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander pressed into the top. Eaten at both breakfast and evening tiffin

5. గారె

   gāre

   Gare / vada (fried lentil doughnut)

   Usage

   A doughnut-shaped fritter of black gram batter. Menus normally print the plural గారెలు, or the synonym వడలు. Soaked in curd it becomes ఆవడలు (curd vada)

6. ఉప్మా

   upmā

   Upma (savoury semolina porridge)

   Usage

   Roasted semolina or coarse rice cooked into a savoury porridge; also called ఉప్పిండి in Telugu. Comes out fast, so a good choice when in a hurry

7. పొంగలి

   poṃgali

   Pongali (rice and lentil porridge)

   Usage

   Rice and split green gram cooked soft. Two kinds: the peppery savoury మెలి పొంగలి and the sweet చక్కెర పొంగలి

8. మిరపకాయ బజ్జీ

   mirapakāya bajjī

   Mirapakaya bajji (battered fried chilli)

   Usage

   Big green chillies in chickpea batter, a street-stall staple, also called mirchi bajji. Some stalls use the mild large chilli, others do not — take a careful first bite

9. పప్పు

   pappu

   Pappu (Telugu dal)

   Usage

   The lentil dish that comes with every Telugu meal, mixed into rice. Named by what goes in it — తోటకూర పప్పు with amaranth greens, ములక్కాడ పప్పు with drumstick

10. సాంబారు

    sāṃbāru

    Sambar (lentil and vegetable stew)

    Usage

    Tamarind-soured lentil-and-vegetable stew, served alongside idli, dosa and vada or poured over rice. Menus also spell it సాంబార్

11. రసం

    rasaṃ

    Rasam (peppery tamarind soup)

    Usage

    Thinner than sambar, sharp with black pepper and tamarind. In Telugu it is also called చారు or సారు. In a set meal it comes last, poured over rice

12. చేపల పులుసు

    cēpala pulusu

    Chepala pulusu (tamarind fish curry)

    Usage

    Fish simmered in tamarind. The Nellore version (నెల్లూరు చేపల పులుసు) is the famous one, and the same method runs along the coast from Nellore through Chirala to Guntur

13. గుత్తి వంకాయ కూర

    gutti vaṃkāya kūra

    Gutti vankaya kura (stuffed baby aubergine curry)

    Usage

    Baby aubergines slit and stuffed with a peanut-and-sesame masala, then simmered. A signature Telugu dish, and vegetarian

14. పులిహోర

    pulihōra

    Pulihora (tamarind rice)

    Usage

    Yellow rice tossed with tamarind and a tempering of spices. It keeps its flavour cold, which is why it travels as packed food on long bus journeys

15. సంగటి

    saṃgaṭi

    Sangati (finger millet ball)

    Usage

    A ball of finger-millet dough, also called రాగిముద్ద. The lunchtime staple of Rayalaseema — YSR district has eateries that serve nothing else (సంగటి హోటళ్ళు). Dipped into a stew rather than chewed

16. జొన్నరొట్టె

    jonnaroṭṭe

    Jonna rotte (sorghum flatbread)

    Usage

    Unleavened bread of sorghum flour, patted round by hand and baked on a griddle. Common in Telangana and Rayalaseema, and made without wheat

17. హైదరాబాద్ బిర్యానీ

    Haidarābād biryānī

    Hyderabad biryani

    Usage

    Basmati rice layered with meat and sealed for the final steaming — Hyderabad's signature dish, from the Nizams' kitchens. Usually chicken, sometimes mutton. Served with dahi chutney and mirchi ka salan

18. హైదరాబాద్ హలీమ్

    Haidarābād halīm

    Hyderabad haleem (wheat and mutton pottage)

    Usage

    Wheat and mutton pounded together for hours; it holds a Geographical Indication. Note that it is a Ramadan-only dish — outside that month the shops simply do not make it

19. దాల్చా

    dālcā

    Dalcha (lentil and bottle gourd stew)

    Usage

    A Hyderabadi lentil stew of chana or toor dal with bottle gourd, most often served alongside biryani. With mutton it is మటన్ దాల్చా

20. ఆవకాయ

    āvakāya

    Avakaya (mustard mango pickle)

    Usage

    The Andhra mango pickle, cut raw mango cured with mustard powder and chilli. Very hot and very salty — a fingertip mixed into rice is enough. The general word for pickle is ఊరగాయ

21. గోంగూర పచ్చడి

    gōṃgūra paccaḍi

    Gongura pachadi (roselle leaf chutney)

    Usage

    Sour roselle leaves fried and pounded into a chutney — the emblematic Telugu relish, mixed into rice. Some shops spell it గొంగూర

22. ఖుబానీ కా మీఠా

    khubānī kā mīṭhā

    Qubani ka meetha (dried apricot dessert)

    Usage

    Dried apricots stewed down to a compote, Hyderabad's wedding dessert, served with cream or ice cream

23. పూతరేకులు

    pūtarēkulu

    Putharekulu (paper-thin sweet)

    Usage

    A sweet wrapped in rice sheets as thin as paper, sold in English as "paper sweet". The home of it is Atreyapuram village in East Godavari (now Konaseema) district; it travels well as a gift

24. కాజాలు

    kājālu

    Kajalu (layered syrup pastry)

    Usage

    Rolled sheets of dough deep-fried and steeped in sugar syrup. Kakinada and Tapeswaram are the famous makers, and shop boards name the town — కాకినాడ కాజా, తాపేశ్వరం కాజా

25. బొబ్బట్టు

    bobbaṭṭu

    Bobbattu (sweet lentil-filled flatbread)

    Usage

    A thin flatbread filled with sweetened chana dal and griddled. Menus normally print the plural బొబ్బట్లు. Eaten with ghee poured over it

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