Regional cuisine takes the spotlight as city restaurants revamp their menus

Don’t just ask for wings. Ask for Karimnagar Wings Fry. And instead of the regular Chicken Malai Tikka, opt for Gandikota Chicken Tikka. Restaurants in Hyderabad, especially those with special thali menus, are innovative, inspired by the two-year pandemic and its many lockdowns.

Many restaurants have revisited their menus, using the time to research regional cuisine and new recipes to transform themselves. As a result, a large number of relatively unknown delicacies from the districts of Telangana and Andhra are in the limelight. Abdul Karim of Anna Native, a restaurant serving regional cuisine with a modern presentation, says, “The restaurant’s chefs constantly want to introduce new dishes. With the apparent increase in demand for local flavours, it is always exciting to offer dishes that are new to discover, name and taste.

regional focus

While Tengi Nellore Chepala PulusuKebabs and Hyderabadi Biryani have always been favourites, now they are facing stiff competition from the delicacy called Golconda kodi (Chicken) Roast, Telangana mamasampulusu (A Tangy Meat Curry), Kurnool Fried Wings, Kakinada Chicken, Palakolu kodi casseroleGadwali kodi casserole and Bhimavaram kodi casserole, The variation in spices and cooking method is making them very fond of.

Ankapur Chicken Curry, which is becoming increasingly popular, is a spicy chicken gravy curry made with wood-topped hand-ground dry red chilies and a strong garam masala. This spicy dish made from indigenous chicken is named after Ankapur village in Nizamabad district of Telangana. On weekends, hotels in Ankapur that offer this chicken curry have a wait time of up to 30 minutes. It is on the menu of few restaurants in the city.

what’s in a name?

Ravi Raju of Telugu thali specialty restaurant Vivah Bhojanambu explains how flavors differ within Andhra and Telangana depending on the level of spice, condiments And even the dish in which it is usually made. “For example, we serve Bhimavaram Kodi Vepudu, which is A dry starter made from lots of spices. He mentioned that this deep-fried chicken dish is different from the usual Kodi Vepudu From the ingredients used in the curry to the way it is made.”

opposite of this, Karimnagar Chicken Wings Fry And Kurnool Fried Wings Deep fried tarts are the hot starter; Both take inspiration from the food and drink vehicles of their respective regions. Says Ravi, “The kebabs seem to have fulfilled their demand. So finding something new was the priority. My chef and his team come from different regions of Telangana. We also traveled to different places to try these dishes before adding them to the menu.

He says some names such as Ongole Chicken Fry (inspired by the flavor in Ongole, AP) are only used to raise the curiosity bar. Chennur Biryani, Kakinada Reddy Palav, Nellore Riyaz Palava are served in their respective regions. “These come from eateries that specialize in casseroles; Some are prepared in Tahari style, some in alliance. Bagara Rice Stuffed with fragrant meat. ,

Reddy Palava | photo credit: special arrangement

Rajesh Dave, General Manager, Quality Inn in Lakdikapul says, “The cuisines of Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar in Telangana are being featured in the new menu. The food of Mahbubnagar is hot and not easy for the first time foodie. Imagine using a dish that uses 1/4 or more chili powder and garam masala as the main ingredients, but restaurants serve it because some diners enjoy the level of spice that makes their eyes stand out. Tears come,” he says with a smile, “Such dishes can be used for any food challenge!”

casserole front

Dum Biryani in Hyderabad will never go out of demand. However, recently, there is an increasing number of people taking pulao from the Godavari belt of Andhra Pradesh, especially from Bhimavaram and Rajahmundry. YouTuber Ravi Teja of Streetbite (1.05 million followers), who shoots videos of various regional food items only in Telangana and AP, says, “The kodi (chicken) Palvi Variation in spices used in their preparation; Hence their taste and appearance (colour) differ. Satti Babu Biryani at Kukatpally specializes in all Andhra style palavs (Not made in Dum style). Fry Piece Joint Palav (a casserole of chicken with a spice-coated, deep-fried joint) is a particular favorite with non-vegetarian lovers. ,

Taste of Telangana and AP Cuisine | photo credit: sanjay borra

a kind of search

Author and Telangana food expert Jyothi Valaboju feels there is more that deserves attention; Telugu cuisine has not been fully explored even within the states nor explored by other states. She claims that the vast range of preparation methods (dum, open cauldron cooking) and utensils (eg degchi, clay pot, handi) used to prepare them make it one of the most unique dishes. Jyothi adds, “Telangana cuisine is not explored by restaurants and chefs from Hyderabad. The taste profile of food items from different regions like Karimnagar, Nalgonda will be hit.”

As a result, she says a lot of chefs are using local chilies, homemade spice powders and batter mixes that don’t contain corn flour.

will it distract Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, Stone Workshop And double ka sweet, No way, the more the merrier.