Telugu cuisine facts for kids

Telugu cuisine is the traditional food from the Telugu people. They live in the states of Andhra, Telangana, and Yanam in South India. This food is known for being tangy, hot, and spicy. The way it's cooked changes a lot because people live in many different areas.

In the Telangana region, people mostly eat bread made from millet, called rotte. But in Andhra and Rayalaseema, where there's more water for farming, rice is the main food. Ragi (finger millet) is also popular in Rayalaseema. Many dishes like curries (called koora), snacks, and sweets have different names and ways of being made.

Andhra Pradesh grows a lot of red chili and rice. Telangana is a top producer of millet. This is why Telugu food uses so many spices, making it some of the spiciest in the world! You'll find many vegetarian dishes, plus meat and seafood in coastal areas. Ingredients like tomato pappu, gongura, and tamarind are used a lot in curries. Spicy pickles are also a very important part of Telugu meals. The food from the Guntur area in Coastal Andhra is known as the spiciest. This is because they use very hot red chilies grown there. Pickles called avakayas are also made with these Guntur chilies.

Andhra Bhojanam Thali

Regional Food Styles

Telugu food changes a lot depending on where people live. We can divide it into three main areas: Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, and Telangana. The food has also been shaped by the eating habits of Hindu royal families and Muslim Nawabi families. Because Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are close to other parts of India, their border areas have even more diverse food. Different communities have their own special ways of cooking. In rural areas, people still use cooking methods from hundreds of years ago.

Coastal Andhra Cuisine

Coastal Andhra is near the Krishna and Godavari rivers and has a long coastline along the Bay of Bengal. So, rice, lentils, and seafood are common foods here. This region has its own special dishes, but most are made with rice. This area grows a lot of rice and chilies. The Nellore region in the south has unique recipes, different from those in the north. Ulava charu is a famous soup made from horse gram. Bommidala pulusu is a seafood stew that is a special dish from Andhra Pradesh. You can find Andhra food in restaurants all over Andhra Pradesh and in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, and New Delhi.

Vegetarian ordinary meals made in a house in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Food from Uttarandhra

The Uttarandhra region includes the northeastern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam. This area borders the state of Odisha. While Visakhapatnam's food is similar to the rest of Andhra, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam have their own unique flavors. People in this region often like their food a bit sweeter than in other parts of Andhra Pradesh. They often cook lentils with jaggery, calling it bellam pappu. This is enjoyed with butter and steamed rice.

They cook vegetables in sauces made from menthi kura (fenugreek seed paste), avapettina kura (mustard seed paste), or nuvvugunda kura (sesame paste). Ullikaram is another popular dish. It flavors vegetables or corn seeds with shallots or onion paste.

Poori and Patoli are popular for breakfast or festivals. Patoli is made from soaked and ground chickpeas (Senagapappu or chana dal). It's seasoned with coriander seeds, onions, and sometimes cluster beans. Uppupindi is a steamed dish made from coarsely broken rice and vegetables. People eat this on feast days when they fast during the day. Attu, also called dosa, is a common breakfast in Andhra Pradesh. It might come with coconut or tomato chutneys. Idli is also very common.

Inguva Charu is a sour and sweet stew made with tamarind and hing. You can eat it with rice or uppupindi. Bellam pulusu is another flavorful, thick sweet stew. It's made from rice flour, jaggery, corn cobs, and whole shallots.

The pickles here are different from other Andhra regions. Avakaya is a mango pickle that is a standard part of an Andhra meal. They sun-dry mango pieces with mustard powder, red pepper powder, and salt. Then they soak it in sesame oil to make it last longer. This method helps the pickle handle the high moisture from the Bay of Bengal coast. The result is a darker, sweeter pickle.

Karappoddi is a popular curry powder. It's served with idli, dosa, and upma.

Rayalaseema Cuisine

Rayalaseema, in southern Andhra Pradesh, has some very unique dishes. Its food is known for being spicy. This is because they use a lot of chili powder in almost every dish. Seema karam is special to its dishes. Main meals include rice, jonna (jowar), and ragi roti with neyyi. Raagi sangati is usually served with spinach or pulusu. Uggani is a dish unique to Rayalaseema, especially Ananthapur, Kurnool, and Kadapa districts. It's also called oggane in Karnataka. It's made from boiled paddycorn and is yellowish from a lot of turmeric powder. It's usually served with mirapakaya bajji (chili bajji). Uggani Bajji is mainly a breakfast food but also eaten as a snack. It's spicy and a traditional dish of Rayalaseema and Eastern Karnataka.

Attirasaalu or Attirasa (rice-based vada with jaggery), pakam undalu (steamed rice flour, ground nuts, and jaggery), Borugu Undalu (a sweet of jowar and jaggery), and rava ladd are special sweets. Masala borugulu or nargis mandakki (snacks), and ponganaalu (fried wet rice flour with carrot, onion, and chilies) are other savory snacks.

Telangana Cuisine

The Telangana state is on the Deccan Plateau. Its land means more millet and roti (flatbread) dishes are eaten. Jowar and bajra are very important in their food. Because it's close to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and northwest Karnataka, it shares some food styles with the Deccan plateau.

Main Telangana Foods

Telangana food often features roti made from millet. Examples are jonna rotte (sorghum), sajja rotte (penisetum), Sarva Pindi, and Uppudi Pindi (broken rice). In Telangana, a gravy or curry is called Koora. A sour dish based on Tamarind is called Pulusu. A deep-fried, reduced version is called Vepudu. Kodi pulusu (chicken curry) and Mamsam (meat) vepudu (meat fry) are popular meat dishes. Vankaya (Brinjal) koora or Baingan Bhartha, Aloogadda (Potato) koora & fry, and Bendakaya (Okra) pulusu & fry are some vegetable dishes. Palakoora pappu is a spinach dish cooked with lentils. It's eaten with steamed rice and rotis. Peanuts are often added. In Karimnagar District, cashew nuts are added too.

Popular Telangana curry dishes (Koora) include Boti, made from mutton, and Thunti Koora, made from Red Sorrel leaves. Potlakaya pulusu, or Snake gourd stew, is a daily dish. Sakinalu and Garelu are popular fried snacks made from rice flour during festivals like Dusshera and Sankranthi. They are very tasty and unique to South India.

Telangana Vegetarian Foods

In Telangana, tamarind, red chilies (koraivikaram), and asafetida are used a lot in cooking. Roselle is a main ingredient used widely in curries and pickles.

Moong-dal Pulusu made at home in Andhra Pradesh

Various types of lentils (pappulu) and millets for sale in a market

• Sarva pindi: A spicy pancake made with rice flour, chana dal, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, curry leaves, and green chiles. It's a common breakfast.
• Puntikura Chana Dal: A vegetarian dish where chana dal is cooked with spices and tempered with mustard and curry leaves.
• Bachali Kura: A tangy spinach curry cooked with tamarind paste.
• Pachi Pulusu: A spicy, raw rasam made with tamarind, chili, and onions. It's mostly made in summer.
• Rail Palaram: A traditional food made from rice flour. Steamed rice flour balls are stir-fried with soaked chana dal, curry leaves, green chillies, onion, and grated fresh coconut.

Some other famous Telangana foods include:

• Jonna Gatka
• Makka Gatka
• Ambali
• Sajja Rotti
• Makka Rotti
• SarvaPindi
• Upudu Pindi
• Kudumulu
• Rail Palaram
• Passham (sweet): Made with jaggery and milk, or with dough balls.
• Odapa
• Pyalalu
• Sabhudhana upma
• Antuvuls (also called bajji): A pulusu with vegetables.
• Kadambam
• Makka Gudaalu
• Bebarla Gudaalu
• Sala Pachi pulsu
• Challa Charu: A dish made by tempering buttermilk.
• Atukulu: Poha.
• Makkajona Garelu
• Ponganallu
• Sajja Kudumulu with onion chutney.
• Sadhulu: Different types of rice, cooked for the Sadhula Bathukama festival. Flavors include sesame, groundnuts, Bengal gram, coconut, tamarind, lemon, mango, and yogurt.
• Guddalu: Prepared with different beans, blackeye beans, corns, chana, and sprouts, with spices and onions.
• Sakinalu: A rice flour snack.
• Garje: A sweet filled with sugar or jaggery and lentils.
• Rotu Tokkulu: Famous pastes made by semi-frying vegetables and grinding them, then adding tempering.
• Kallegura (mixed vegetable curry): Usually made during the Sankranthi festival.

Telangana Non-Vegetarian Foods

• Ooru Kodi Pulusu: Telangana's special flavorful country chicken curry.
• Golichina Mamsam: A spicy mutton fry.
• Ankapur chicken: A very spicy country chicken curry.
• Boti curry: Curried lamb gizzards.
• Kaalla kura (paya): Goat leg curry.
• Mutton curry

Snacks and Savories

Sugar madugulu is a sweet made with milk and butter with a sugar coating. Pharda pheni is another sugar-coated crispy wafer sweet. Recently, Telangana foods have become popular in Hyderabad restaurants. You can find Telangana thali dishes for lunch.

Andhra Breakfast

A typical Andhra breakfast includes a few items. It usually has idli, garelu (also called vada, which are deep-fried lentil dough), and minapattu (also known as dosa, a rice- and lentil-based pancake or crepe). People sometimes drink tea, coffee with milk, or just milk with these dishes. The most common dishes are:

• Idli: Steamed dumplings made from urad dal and rice. Often eaten with fresh chutney or with neyyi and sprinkled with karrap podi (chili dal powder) or chutney and sambar.

Pesarattu served with ginger pachadi

• Andhra Dosa: A pancake or crepe made from rice and urad dal. Eaten with chutney and sambar.
  • Minapattu (also known as dosa): A rice- and lentil-based pancake or crepe fried in a flat pan with oil. Served with chutney and sambar.
  • Pesarattu: A green gram-based pancake or crepe fried in a flat pan with oil. Usually served with ginger chutney. Sometimes pesarattu is filled with upma, called Upma Pesarattu.
  • Dibba Attu (Idli batter-based dosa): Idli batter poured into a thick, deep-frying dish and fried until crispy and brown.
  • Atukula dosa: Dosa made from atukulu (also called poha).
  • Rava dosa: Dosa made with sooji dough with chili, coriander leaves, onion, and pepper.

Wheat Upindi upma served with curd

• Andhra Upma
  • Godhuma Uppindi: upma made from broken wheat flour.
  • Pesarpindi Uppindi: Dry porridge made of green gram flour. Often served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle.
  • Pulusu Uppindi: Dry porridge made with rice flour, peanuts, and tamarind extract. Often served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle.
  • Beeyam Rava Pesasara Pappu: Made with broken rice and hulled green gram. Often served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle.
  • Varipindi Uppindi: Dry porridge made of rice flour and hulled green gram. Often served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle.
  • Uppudu Pindi or Uppindi (also called upma): Porridge made from broken sooji flour, ghee, and vegetables. Often served with buttermilk or spicy powder.
  • Saggubiyyam (Sago) Upma: Uppma made from sago (saboodana).
  • Semiya Upma (vermicelli) Upma: Upma made with vermicelli.
• Vada

Punugulu

• • Garelu (a type of vada): Deep-fried lentil-based doughnut, or regular deep-fried dal mixture.
  • Punukulu or Punugulu: Bonda, a deep-fried dish made from idli/dosa batter.
  • Gunta Punugulu: Made from rice and dal batter, fried in a half sphere-shaped pan.
  • Saggubiyyam Punugulu: Vada made from sago (saboodana).
  • Mung Dal Punugulu: Bonda, a deep-fried dish made from idli/dosa batter.
  • Thapala Chekkalu: Deep-fried rice and dal-based flat vada with onions, curry leaves, and chili.
• Atukulu or Poha
  • Atukulu: Also known as poha in northern states, moist rice flakes sautéed in a little oil.
  • Atukula dosa: Dosa made from atukulu (poha).
  • Atukula Upma: Upma made from atukulu, replacing atukulu with sooji.
• Bread and Roti
  • Nokulu annam: Made of jowar and jaggery.
  • Chapatti: Flattened wheat dough heated in a flat pan. Served with dal or chutney.
  • Puri: Wheat dough deep-fried in cooking oil. Served with potato bajji or chutney. Even though it's a North Indian dish, it's made on some occasions and found in all restaurants.

Andhra Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner are big meals in many Telugu homes. In most city homes, food is served on steel or porcelain plates. But in traditional and rural homes, it's served on a banana leaf. Banana leaves are used for festivals, special events, and for guests. Many restaurants in smaller towns also use banana leaves. Sometimes, a vistaraaku (a larger plate made of several leaves sewn together) is used. For long journeys, people traditionally pack food in sun-dried banana leaves.

A full vegetarian Andhra meal includes rice with ghee, pulihora, chapati or puri, pappu (lentils), sambar, chaaru (rasam), fried and wet curries, appadam (papadum), odiyalu, chutney, pachadi, avakaya, yogurt, and a sweet. Food in the Vijayawada-Guntur region generally has more chili and spice mix than in other parts of Andhra Pradesh. Rice is usually the main dish, and everything else, like curry, pappu, sambar, and rasam, are side dishes eaten with rice.

Vegetarian Dishes

Okra plain curry made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Dried capsicum for chili-based food in Andhra

How Food is Served

Pappu (dal/lentils) and kooralu (curries) are placed to the right of the person eating. Spiced pickles, pachadi (chutney/raita), a sauce with dahi (yogurt) and vegetables, pappulu podi (powdered dal and dry red chili), and neyyi (ghee) are placed to the left. Sometimes, special items like pulihora (tamarind or lemon rice) and garelu (vada) are placed at the top right. A large scoop of annam (plain white rice) is put in the middle. Small amounts of neyyi are added to the rice. Aavakaaya mango pickle and gongura roselle leaf pickle are two types of pickles that show the spice and flavor of Andhra food.

Meal Courses

Dibba rotti or Minapa rotti is a classic Andhra dish served as breakfast, brunch or evening snack with a good chutney or pickle. It is prepared with urad dal and rice rava batter.

Rice is the main food, usually mixed with other dishes using the right hand. It gives energy (carbohydrates). Spiced pickles, pachadi, podi, and papadum (appadam) are common side dishes.

A meal starts with modhati muddha (first bite). This is an appetizer of spiced pickle. Then comes a pappu, which can be made with vegetables or eaten plain with a pickle. This is the main source of protein for vegetarians. Next are a couple of koora varieties (curry/main dishes). These can be vegetarian or a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian for vitamins and minerals. A pappu or rasam (Telugu: charu), usually kadi, is the third course. The fourth course is either perugu (curd or yogurt) or majjiga (buttermilk). This is eaten with a spicy pickle or other side dishes.

After the meal, paan or somph (areca nut and betel leaf) is offered in traditional homes. On festivals or special days, a sweet, usually paravannam, is served with the meal. This is usually eaten first.

Koora (Main Dishes)

Pulihora made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Brinjal with onion curry made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Gobi Manchuria fry made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Banana with Onion curry made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Pulihora, a Tamarind sour fried rice of Andhra Pradesh

Koora is a general word for a dish with protein. The actual dishes are named after what's used and how they're cooked. Different cooking methods include:

• Vepudu (Fry): Crispy fried vegetables like okra (bendakaya), ivy gourd (dondakaya), potato (bangaladumpa), and colocasia.
• Pappu Koora (Lentil-based dish): Boiled vegetables stir-fried with a small amount of half-cooked lentils (dal).
• Podi (Powdered dal-based seasoning): Mixed with rice and a spoonful of ghee or sesame oil.
• Gujju (Gravy): A sauce made with tomato or coriander seeds, adding drumstick, brinjal (gutthi vankaya), okra, etc.
• Pulusu (Sour paste or gravy):
  • Pulusu Koora/Aava petti Koora (Stew dish): Boiled vegetables cooked in tamarind sauce and mustard paste. Some types include potlakaya, anapakaya, bendakaya, gummadikaya.
• Kaaram Petti Koora/Koora Podi Koora (Dish with curry powder): Sautéed vegetables cooked with curry powder or paste. Vegetables can be stuffed with curry powder and cooked whole.
• Pappucharu (Thick dal broth) or charu (more diluted than sambar).
• Chaaru (also called "rasam"): A clear soup.
• Ooragaya (Pickled): Like avakaya, gongura, nimmakaya.
• Pachadi (Pasty/saucy condiment or Chutney): Made from coconut, tomato, Gongura, dosakaya, gummadikaya, allam (ginger).
• Other gravy-based curries are mainly made with vegetables cooked in tomato sauce and onion with coriander and cumin powder.

Pappu (Dal)

Ridge gourd with Moong-dal Pappu made in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada

Pappu (dal/lentils) is usually Toor Daal (Kandi Pappu) or Moong Daal (pesara pappu). It's cooked with a vegetable or green. No special spices (masala) are added to the dal. In some areas, garlic and onion are used for seasoning. Other areas prefer asafetida (hing/inguva). Kandi pappu is often cooked with leafy vegetables like palakura (spinach), gongura, malabar spinach, and fruits or vegetables like tomato, mango, or aanapakaya. Sometimes, instead of cooked dal, a roasted and ground version is used. Examples are kandi pachadi (roasted toor dal ground with red chilies) or pesara pachadi (soaked moong dal ground with red or green chilies).

A very popular Andhra combination is mudda pappu (plain toor dal cooked with salt) and avakaya pickle.

Pulusu (Sour Stew)

Moong-dal Pulusu made in a house of Andhra Pradesh,Vijayawada

Pulusu (meaning sour) is a stew that is usually sour. It's cooked with tamarind paste. Other common bases are tomatoes or mangoes. The mixture can be flavored with mustard, chilies, curry leaves, jaggery, onions, or fenugreek. Fish, chicken, and eggs are common meat additions. Pachi pulusu is a cold version of pulusu, usually made from mangoes or tamarind. It's eaten during warm months.

• Majjiga pulusu: Sour buttermilk boiled with channa dal and coconut paste.
• Menthi challa/Menthi majjiga: Sour buttermilk seasoned with ginger or green chili paste and menthi seeds fried in oil.
• Mukkalu pulusu: Made with aanapakaya.
• Chammagadda pulusu: Made with Colocasia.
• Kanda Pulusu: Made with yam.
• Perugu: The last item of the meal. Perugu (curd) is usually eaten with a side like pachadi or pickle.

Pickles

Pacchadi and Ooragaya are two main types of pickles eaten with rice. Pacchadi is the Telugu version of chutney. It's usually made from vegetables, greens, or lentils and roasted green or red chilies. It's flavored with tamarind and sometimes curd. It's made fresh and eaten within a day or two because it doesn't last long. Ooragaya is made in large amounts during certain seasons. It uses a lot of chili powder, methi (fenugreek) powder, mustard powder, and peanut or sesame oil. For a typical Andhra person, no meal is complete without this important item. It's eaten on its own mixed with rice, or as a side dish with pappu/koora.

Non-Vegetarian Dishes

Andhra Chepala Pulusu, or Andhra tamarind fish curry

Many people in the state eat non-vegetarian dishes. The state has a lot of seafood and a big poultry industry. Lamb meat is also a traditional food, cooked with old recipes.

Besides Hyderabadi biryani, the rest of the state has its own recipes, generally known as palaav or Andhra biriyani. Kodi (chicken) palav is one of the most enjoyed dishes across the state. Royyala palav, made with shrimp, is a special dish in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Mutton biriyani and mixed biryani (chicken, mutton, and shrimp) are other popular biriyani dishes found in restaurants. There are many local types like kaaja kiryani, kunda biryani (pot Biryani), avakaya biryani, ulavacharu biryani, and panasa biryani.

Kodi (chicken) koora and mutton (lamb) koora are two popular dishes. They are often made with many spices. The gravy is usually made from onions, tomato, coriander, tamarind, and coconut. These gravies are mixed with steamed rice during lunch. Pepper is also used on fried meat dishes. Popular dishes served in Andhra-style restaurants include spicy Andhra chilli chicken, chicken roast, and mutton pepper fry. For seafood, a tamarind base is widely used. The state's large shrimp farms make shrimp and prawns widely available.

Andhra restaurants are very popular in other states because of their wide variety of meat dishes.

• Talakaya Kura: A rich, country-style meat gravy with strong flavors. This dish is made with lamb's head, coriander, and spices.
• Chepala Pulusu: A delicious fish curry with fresh ground spices and tamarind juice.
• Endu Chepala Vankaya: A flavorful dry fish gravy cooked with brinjal.
• Royyala Kura: Prawns cooked in a tangy paste of tamarind and onion.
• Gongura Mamsam: A spicy curry made with tender lamb pieces cooked in a gravy of Gongura (roselle leaves) and fresh green chili paste.
• Kodi Gudllu Pulusu: Egg curry with chopped onions, green chillies, and bright bits of coriander.

These curries are usually served with steamed rice, bagara khana (Basmati rice cooked with spices), sajja roti (millet flatbread), or jonna roti (jowar flatbread).

Andhra food also has some local non-vegetarian snacks like Kodi Pakodi (Chicken Pakora), chicken 65, Peetha Pakodi (Crab Pakodi), Chepa Vepudu (Fish Fry), and Royyala Vepudu (Shrimp Fry).

Other snacks inspired by Indo-Chinese food, like chicken 65, Chicken lollipop, and Chilli Chicken, are also widely available. But they are usually changed to use lots of spices and chilies.

Bhimavaram town in West Godavari District is famous for its unique non-vegetarian pickles. These include Chicken Pickle, Shrimp Pickle, and Fish pickles.

The forest area near Rajamundry and Araku is very famous for Bongu chicken (Bamboo chicken) curry.

Snacks

Uggani bajji, a favorite snack in Rayalaseema region

Ravva Dosa served at a Hotel in Guntur.

Samosa vendor on the streets of Hyderabad

At home, many savory snacks are made. These include:

• Upma – ఉప్మా
• Boondi – బూంది
• Kaarappoosa – కారప్పూస
• Ponganalu – పొంగనాలు
• Bajji and Bondaalu or Punukulu – బజ్జి, బోండాలు or పునుకులు. These are stuffed with spices, dipped in chickpea batter, and fried with spicy dips (allam pachadi).
  • Types: Mirapakaya Bajji (chilli), a popular evening snack across the state. Also Vamu Bajji, Vankaya Bajji (Brinjal), Aratikaya Bajji (plantain), Urla Gadda Bajji (potato), and vegetable bonda.
• Pakodi – పకోడీ
  • Types include Royallu Pakodi, Kodi Pakodi, Ullipakodi (fritters made with sliced onion and spices in chickpea batter).
• Gaare – గారె. This is spiced deep-fried dough.
  • Types: Perugu gaare/Aavadalu – ఆవడలు (gaare soaked in yogurt sauce), Bellam Garelu, Rava Garelu, Ulli Garelu, Pulla Garelu.
• Murukullu or Jantikalu – జంతికలు
  • Types: Pesarapappu Jantikalu, Challa Murukulu, Chegodilu (చేగోడీలు), Sakinalu or Chakkidalu – చక్కిడాలు, Chakli, Chekkalu or Chuppulu – చెక్కలు or చుప్పులు, maida chips, molocasia chips, Plain papadam, Aam papad.
• Maramaraalu or puffed rice: Usually mixed with tomatoes, onions, coriander, lime juice, and chili powder.
• Bean/Pea Snacks: Includes Senagala Talimpu, Guggillu – గుగ్గిళ్ళు.
• Mixture: Boondi mixed with chopped onions and lemon juice.

Sweets and Savories

Appachulu, snack in Andhra and Telangana

Bobbatlu, a snack made from wheat or sooji filled with jaggery and lentils

Chakodi, a Telugu snack

Boondi mithai or karakajjam

Sweets and savories are a big part of Telugu culture. They are made for festivals and special occasions. People give them to relatives who visit. Some savories are also made for evening snacks.

• Pootharekulu: A sweet where sweet powder with cardamom flavor is put into very thin pancake skins made of rice flour. Pootharekulu were first made in Atreyapuram, a village in Andhra Pradesh.
• Kaaja: Different types of this sweet, like Madatha kaaja and Kakinada Kaaja, are enjoyed across the state.
• Sakinalu: One of the most popular savories. It's often cooked during the Makara Sankranti festival. It's a deep-fried snack made of rice flour and sesame seeds, flavored with ajwain (carom seeds or Vaamu in Telugu).
• Kajjikayalu: Fried dumpling stuffed with suji, dry coconut powder, and sugar. It's usually made during Deepavali.

Other sweets and savories:

• Sunnundallu: Laddu made with roasted urad dal (minapappu) and jaggery (bellam) or sugar. A lot of ghee is added for taste.
• Ariselu
• Boondi Laddu
• Poornam Boorelu (also called Poornalu): Chenna dal is cooked until soft, then cooled. Jaggery and cardamom powder are added, and the mix is rolled into balls. These balls are then fried in batter. The batter is made from urad dal. This sweet is usually served during festive lunch.
• Rava Laddu
• Bhakshalu or Bobbatlu or Polelu
• Tapeswaram Kaja
• Pulagam (also called Pongali): A sweet made on a festive morning as an offering to a deity. Soaked rice is cooked in a lot of milk. When the rice is cooked, jaggery is added, and it's finished with ghee and fried dry fruit.
• Payasam
• Gavvalu
• Chakodi
• Chakkera pongali (sugar Pongal)
• Laskora Undalu (coconut laddu) or Raskora Undalu (coconut laddu)
• Boondi
• Palathalikalu
• Ravva Kesari
• Pappuchekka
• Jeedilu
• Malai Khaja: A traditional Nellore sweet.
• Kobbari Lavuju: Grated coconut flesh in melted jaggery or sugar syrup.
• Vennappalu

Rural Cooking Styles

In rural Andhra Pradesh, farming is the main job. Some cooking methods from hundreds of years ago, like using mud pots, are still used. However, steel pots are becoming more common. In the past, recipes in each village were mostly based on what was grown and available locally. In drier districts, jowar (sorghum), bajra (millet), and ragi are still eaten. Eating rice is seen as a sign of being well-off. In the Delta and coastal districts, rice is a very important part of cooking.

Images for kids

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  A vegetarian Andhra meal served on important occasions