Telangana includes on every food lover’s bucket list of places to visit in India. When it comes to the well known traditional food of Telangana, these dishes generally hog the limelight, but there are many more interesting regional flavors to Telangana cuisine. Telangana food by a slightly sour taste because of the extensive use of tamarind. Accordingly with tamarind, other items like sesame seeds, peanuts, dry coconut, red chilies, and asafetida in a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes of Telangana. Additionally from the staple rotte to easy snacks and festive sweets, here are some of the famous local specialties you must try.
Famous Food of Telangana:
1. Jonna Raagi/ Sajja Rotte:
Millets-based food dominates Telangana cuisine. Although rice in this South Indian state, millets are the staple food of Telangana. Also this dry state that sits on the Deccan land grows millets like jonnalu, ragulu, sajjalu amply, and its preparation mostly makes use of this local produce. Although the tasty and healthy rotte made with jowar flour, or pearl millet flour forms an essential part of a traditional Telangana dish.
2. Pachi Pulusu:
A quick fix for that morning where you’re too sick to cook or you’re longing for Rasam, but you are idle to carry out the whole process of making; Pachi Pulusu will come to your save. So, the basic difference in the middle of Pachi Pulusu and Rasam is that the former has very little “cooking” involved and uses the gas only to temper the seasoning. Altogether the commonality is their elements. While tamarind requires for rasam, it only needs to cook in lukewarm water for this dish. The simplicity of the dish sure helps our lazy selves to have healthy food once in while!
3. Sarva Pindi:
For a healthy breakfast/snack option, Sarva Pindi is an very good option as it with at least one item of each stage of the food pyramid.
4. Sakinalu:
Who doesn’t love some firm, deep-fried snack every now and then? Sakinalu is one of those grubs that Indians have been improving over the years in numerous parts of India and giving it different names like murukku, chakli etc. But Sakinalu is not the same as the previously mentioned items although they do share a bit alike preparation. Its two chief items are rice and sesame seeds and is lacking of spices, therefore making it a mild snack that is also easy to prepare. Made during the festival of Sankranti or during marriage.
5. Chekodilu/Chegodilu:
A tea-time backing, Chegodilu is a crispy snack item that is almost impossible to stop chewing on after the first bite. Basically brown sesame seeds are the special feature in this deep-fried snack giving it a distinctive mad taste that goes well with the mild spiciness.
6. Golichina Mamsam:
Finally, a non-vegetarian dish for the meat-lovers! Golichina roughly translated means “fry” in Telugu. As Telangana cuisine is well-known for its spices, this dish absorbs juicy pieces of mutton into a deep gravy that with locally grown spices and cooked over low flame for hours so the meat can truly soak the essence of the curry. It with chapatis, rice or dosa.
7. Thunti Koora:
Thunti Koora is a spicy vegetarian curry made of Red Sorrel leaves. Red sorrel is extremely healthy with a good amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Protein. This curry with Jowar or Bajra chapatis.
8. Potlakaya Pulusu:
Another example of a traditional vegetarian, Telangana style preparation is Potlakaya Pulusu or snake gourd soup. This is another wholesome preparation, loaded with Vitamin C. Do you know that snake gourd is beneficial for diabetic patients?
9. Rail Palaram:
Rail Palaram is a chiefly popular breakfast dish or a snack in Telangana. Rice flour dumplings in the idly steamer and then sauteed with curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal, mustard and cumin seeds, coconut and of course, lots of chillies.
11. Puntikura Chana Dal:
Puntikura or Gongura is another leafy vegetable popular in Telangana cuisine. This leaf can comparatively pickle or cooked with Chana Dal into a curry.
Traditional Sweets of Telangana:
1. Shahi Thukda:
Also named as Double ka Meetha, Shahi Tukda is a special dessert prepared with fried bread soaked in milk. Concurrently people are just crazy about the taste of Shahi Tukda. You must try this style dessert consequently.
2. Jauzi Halwa:
Jauzi Halwa is one of the most luscious, sweet dishes from Hyderabad. The iconic taste of Jauzi Halwa has taken over the country and you should not miss the taste of this delicious sweet while having a tour to Telangana.
3. Shahjahan Mithai:
If you are visiting Telangana, then don’t miss Shahjahan Mithai-a special dessert of Telangana that is prepared with fresh tomatoes. This unique halwa will offer you a superb taste in its every bite.
4. Ariselu:
This sweet dish is specially prepared on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and is prepared from rice flour and jaggery. It looks like a poori and also named as kajjaay in Kannada.
5. Semiya Paayasam:
This is one of the popular Telangana sweet dishes that are prepared almost in every house. Prepared from rice, jaggery, milk, saffron, roasted cashew and semiya, this dessert has captivating aroma that you must try.
6. Akkaravadisal:
This sweet dessert is also popular as typical Brahmin recipe and is prepared from rice, milk and jaggery. It is quite similar to Sakkara Pongal but prepared in milk with loads of ghee.
7. Brown Rice Paaysam:
This sweet has no comparison and it very luscious in taste. It is prepared with brown rice with roasted cashew nuts that offers a special touch to the dish and taste as well.
8. Mix Fruit Paaysam:
This is prepared with a condensed milk with a variety of boiled fruits in it. The dish looks very attractive and taste well when served chilled.
9. Garijalu:
With a crispy exterior, Garijalu also called Kajjikaya has a sweet filling consisting of dry grated coconut, sugar and hints of cardamom. It and its shape resemble Karanji, a sweet dish of Maharashtra. The crispy shell of Maida and rolled out into circles, which after the filling and the shape resembles a half moon. Although the origin of Garijalu is not known and has between different states of India, the people of Telangana have been enjoying making these for generations over the years.
10. Malidalu:
What do you do with leftover chapatis? Reheat it the next day and have it with sabji? What if there is something useful that can with leftover chapatis that is not only tasty but also healthy and sweet? We Indians have a knack for making the most out of situations and this dish is one of the outcomes of that habit. Malidalu of chapati pieces combined with a mix of jaggery, cashews, pista and ghee and shaped into a small ball. Fully packed with nutrients, it is the best solution for anyone craving for a sweet after a meal.
11. Polelu:
Ultra-thin flattened Indian bread with a stuffing made of jaggery, Channa dal, cardamom powder and ghee, Polelu is a go to recipe for special festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. It in sweet shops in sealed plastic packets and can at home.
Street Food of Telangana:
1. Biryani:
Thanks to the major influence of Nizams in the state, Biryani has come to be known worldwide as one of India’s jewelled food items. It is of two types: Kachchi gosht ki biryani and Pakki biryani. Marinated meat in layers of rice in a big handi which with flat dough that eventually rises due to heat; indicating that the biryani is ready to. With two different cooking methods producing mouth-watering results, the biryani has transformed over the years to satisfy everyone’s taste buds and it even has a vegetarian version.
2. Haleem:
Haleem is a street food in Telangana which in a plethora of areas, each one being better than the other. Being immensely popular when it in the city, this is an Arabic dish which boasts of traditional spices thereby giving it a local touch. Lentils pounded wheat and meat to make the stew and then a thick paste which is a hot favourite amongst the locals during the holy month of Ramadan.
3. Botti Kebab:
These delectable and meaty kebabs are just what you need to turn a bad day into a great one. These kebabs are intensely marinated lamb pieces which on sticks and are a must-try for any meat lover.
4. Iranian Chai with Biscuits:
This is a light-coloured tea which consists of ¾th parts of whole milk and 1/4th parts tea decoction and is in the face of a superb dessert in a cup. Served with some of the butteriest and melt-in-the-mouth biscuits, this Iranian Chai is a very popular Telangana Street food.
5. Fruit Flavoured Ice Cream, Cassata and Falooda:
Being a popular Indian dessert, which boasts of vermicelli in milk and rose syrup, falooda with sweet basil seeds and jelly pieces. To this, a scoop of ice-cream to make it a heavenly delight. No matter how full you are after a scrumptious meal in Telangana, you will always find some place for this dessert in your stomach!
6. Andhra Dosas:
Simply head to any of the tiffin stalls which throughout the city and order the dosa of your choice – masala, paneer, cheese and much more. Even if you have cooked dosas at home before, they will simply be no match for the ones served here. One of the Telangana famous streets foods, which as breakfast in the state, these dosas are healthy and yummy at the same time. Also, do try the Pesarattu Dosa which is a nutritious variant made of moong dal and with mouth-watering ginger chutney.
7. Mirchi Ka Salan:
As popular as the Biryani, Mirchi ka Salan is a side dish which with this flavourful Biryani in the best street food places in Telangana. Made with its main ingredient which is long hot chillies, it also contains peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds and is quite spicy yet really tasty. Some of the locals will advise you to eat this side dish with the main dish of Biryani to get the perfect taste of Telangana cuisine.
8. Lukhmi:
Lukhmi is a non-vegetarian variant of the age-old snack item in India, samosa. Being a unique Telangana Street food, which boasts of spices infused lamb meat minces which is quite tangy to eat. The outer layer is crispy and fluffy while the inner layers contain the meat mix which is soft and delectable. Popularly served at all Telangana weddings, it is a must-try when in the city.
9. Chaats:
Telangana street food is just incomplete without the variety of snacks that it serves from pan India. Be it the regular samosas, masala puri, hot Mirchi bhaji, kachoris, missal pav or simply anything under the sun which will make a chaat lover fall in love with chaat all over again!
10. Nihari:
Nihari is a mouth-watering lamb stew which is an Eid speciality and is just going to leave your tastebuds asking for more. The marrow and the brain of the lamb when cooking Nihari. Cooked overnight and even buried underground to allow the spices and flavours to seep deep into the meat, this is one dish which you simply cannot miss, especially if you are a meat lover!
11. Keema Samosa:
This is the Telangana version of the famous Indian snack which has a filling of mutton keema in it. Available at the best street food places in Telangana, Keema Samosa can just about anywhere in the city and is sure to be as tasty as ever.
