When it comes to “Telugu food” in Hyderabad, the first thing that comes to mind is the Andhra meals, which honestly I love and so should you. What I always find interesting is that no matter what, Hyderabadis love eating traditional home food in restaurants.
This is why places such as Kakatiya Mess are a Hyderabad institution for Telugu food. From Andhra meals, chicken fry, prawn fry, to our beloved biryani, they have it all. And honestly, you can’t go wrong with such places. Telugu food encompasses cuisines from the Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. But Andhra meals are the most popular of the lot, even in cities like Bangalore.
As a Biryani-obsessed Hyderabadi, I always look forward to my Andhra meals and Chepala Pulusu (tamarind-based fish curry).
For example, unlimited rice, sambar, pappu (lentil), rasam, achars and whatnot make for a wholesome Andhra meal. But for most people who are not from Telugu households like myself, as well as tourists, this is where the idea of Telugu food begins and ends.
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A change is brewing
Luckily, though, that has been changing off-late thanks to a few chefs and restaurants willing to experiment with the cuisine to give people like me and even Telugu folks a new taste.
Months ago, I was invited to a tasting at a neo-Telugu restaurant, Theta Theta Telugu in Jubilee Hills. And I was woefully underestimating their interpretation of “Telugu flavours”. Ironically, it is located bang opposite the traditional Telugu restaurant, The Spicy Venue.
In fact, the owner of The Spicy Venue started TTT along with celebrity Chef Vignesh Ramachandran, playing around with the idea of Telugu food but with a twist. Speaking to Chef Vignesh, he explained that the idea was to have a modern take on traditional foods. And it did not disappoint.
The first thing I noticed at TTT was that they served rasam, a traditional South Indian soup-like dish, in shot glasses. To my surprise, it was something I could sip throughout my meal. The tanginess had been brought down, but it was still the good-old rasam, just not something I would need rice with.
I never imagined that I would ever eat a Telugu version of the Middle Eastern hummus, but TTT’s menu had me loving the pickle-topped Muddapappu hummus, made with traditional toor dal.
Another place that has been bringing me back from time to time is Tuya in HITEC City. Run by Chef Surender DC, who has worked in Bangkok, the South Indian restaurant serves overlooked dishes.
While it offers traditional dishes from across the region, Tuya also serves unusual Telugu foods. The traditional Telangana snack, Sarvapindi, a savoury pancake, is served with avocado Sarvapindi as a starter. Similarly, as highlighted by Chef Surender, the staple street-food, Batani Muntha Masala, and the famous Nellore Fish Curry are served with a twist.
Apart from restaurants, I’ve also had the pleasure of attending a few experimental Telugu dinners in Hyderabad. Chefs are increasingly taking an interest in playing around with the taste profiles of traditional Telugu dishes. I have one such invite for this weekend, and I have no idea what to expect, but I am looking forward to it.
But no conversation on the topic is complete without a special mention of my friend, Chef Pragati Mitta, who runs The Long Table, a Hyderabad-based farm-to-table supper club. She had a mango-based menu that I tried in 2024, and one of the dishes on it was based on Avakaya (raw mango) pickle, which once again made me reconsider what constitutes “Telugu flavours”.
Of course, I will always love a classic Andhra meal and don’t get me wrong, new and old places serving traditional food are around. Those will not go out of style. But this welcome change in experimenting with food only adds to what Hyderabad has to offer and will help us keep up with cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
After all, Hyderabadis love to eat traditional food. So, here’s to hoping this new change is less of a trend and more a permanent fixture to Hyderabad’s food scene.
Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist whose work primarily focuses on politics, history and culture. He tweets @YunusLasania. Views are personal.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)