Telugu Cuisine: Best dishes and recipes of Andhra Pradesh
The Telugu cuisine, a mouth watering blend of the South and the North Indian culinary traditions, is distinguished by its spicy non-veg dishes. Find out how to prepare some of the best recipes of Andhra Pradesh easily at home!
The Telugu cuisine is said to be something that "tickles the plate and woos the heart". The rich cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh is incomplete without its distinctive Telugu cuisine. Hot enough to go to the moon without a rocket, the recipes of Andhra Pradesh is not for the fainthearted. Be prepared for a hot, rich and spicy time before embarking onto this gastronomical adventure. On the basis of the recipes, Andhra Pradesh can be broadly classified into 3 regions, Kosta (Circar), Telangana and Rayalaseema. Factors like crops grown, eating habits and preferences play a major role in the evolution of the Telugu cuisine of each region.
The coastal region is endowed with plenty of natural resources, hence the cooking and preserving methods are highly sophisticated. The recipes of Andhra Pradesh coastal regions consist of sea foods mainly, along with cereals and lentils. In costal region the poor and rich enjoy rice as a staple food. Rayalaseema has its own culinary delights. Due to the region's dry and arid areas, the level of pungency and spice is enough to send your senses reeling. On the other hand, due to the Islamic dynasties reigning over centuries, the Telangana region has a distinct Mughlai flavor. In the Telugu cuisine of the Telangana region, meats play a dominating role.
The Telugu cuisine is also known for its pickles worldwide. Any recipe of Andhra Pradesh is better served with a bit of pickle. Each family has a traditional recipe for pickling and these are passed down from generation to generation. That is why perhaps no Telugu cuisine seems to be complete without a pickle. For a Telugu, podis, a mixture of various ingredients which are dried or broiled and powdered, are as important as pickle. These homemade podis are sprinkled over rice, and a dollop of pure ghee is offered, which is also mixed with the podi and rice and eaten. Usually a Andhra ends his meal with "Perugu" (yoghurt). Every Andhra household prepares "perugu" daily which is an inseparable part of the Telugu cuisine. The old fashion way of making "perugu" is very time consuming. Milk is reduced to less than half the quantity by cooking slowly and keeps stirring constantly, till the milk becomes thicker, then yoghurt starter (culture) is added to the milk and left to set. Often rice is mixed with curd and eaten along with a pickle. Top recipes of Andhra Pradesh of the Telugu cuisine
In general, the variety of the Telugu cuisine is really mind boggling. Here are some of the best recipes of Andhra Pradesh from the distinctive Telugu cuisine. Don't forget to let us know if you like them or not!Chapa Vepudu: The fish lovers' Telugu cuisine
One of commonest recipes of Andhra Pradesh, Chapa Vepudu is a spicy, marinated fish fry. Chapa means fish in Telugu, and this fried Murrel fish preparation has been an evergreen choice for the admirers of the Telugu cuisine. Find out how to make chapa vepudu at home and surprise your family and friends! Ingredients to make chapa vepudu
Fish fillets - 8 Nos
Turmeric powder - 3 tsp
Chilli powder - 4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Ginger garlic paste - 10 gms
Lemon - 4 Nos
Oil - for shallow frying of fish
Tamarind - optional
Curry leaves - 1 springHow to prepare chapa vepudu at home
1. Clean, wash fish fillets rub the fillets with turmeric powder and salt, and wash the fillets again in running water.
2. Mix the left over turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, make a paste.
3. Apply the paste (marinade) over the fillets and allow them to marinate for 1.5-2 hours.
4. Heat a griddle or tava, sprinkle little oil and shallow fry the fillets to golden brown.
Garnish: Lemon wedges, friend curry leaves.Uragai Mamsam: Andhra's special pickled boneless mutton delicacy
Another spicy non-vegetarian recipes of Andhra Pradesh, is Uragai Mamsam, a delicious dish where tender morsels of lamb are cooked to perfection in pickled masala. Mamsam means meat in Telugu, and this non-vegetarian preparation has been a trademark dish of the Telugu cuisine. Find out how to make uragai mamsam at home and surprise your family and friends.Ingredients to make uragai mamsam
Lamb cubes - 800 gms
Ginger garlic paste - 8 gms
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Chilly powder - 1½ tsp
Chilly powder - 1½ tsp
Oil - 125 ml
Mustard seeds - 3 gms
Red chillis (Dry) - 8 Nos
Methi seeds - 3 gms
Jeera - 3 gms
Kalonji - 20 gms
Tomato puree - 400 gms
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Chilli powder - 4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Geera powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind extract - 20 ml
Salt - to taste
Vinegar-05 mlHow to prepare uragai mamsam at home
Pre-preparation Method:
1. Clean & wash mutton cubes, pat them dry, rub in ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder and leave aside for 2 hours.
2. Boil the lamb cubes till 3/4 done. Strain keep the stock separately.
Preparation Method:
1. Heat oil in kadhai, add mustard seeds, kalonji, dry red chillies, methi seeds, jeera and curry leaves. When the tempering starts crackling, add fresh tomato puree and keep cooking till the oil starts leaving the sides of kadhai.
2. Now add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and stock to the gravy and cook the gravy till raw flavor of the powder go.
3. Now add boiled mutton pieces to the gravy and allow the gravy to reduce.
4. Now add tamarind extract check for seasoning, finish with vinegar.Kotimira Kodi: mouth-watering chicken curry form the Telugu cuisine kitchen
Here is another non-vegetarian recipe of Andhra Pradesh, Kotimira Kodi, an all time favorite chicken curry preparation made by using coriander leaves paste. Kotimira means coriander and Kodi means chicken in Telugu, and this famous Telugu cuisine is well known at all places. Find out how to make kotimira kodi at home and surprise your family and friends.Ingredients to make kotimira kodi
Oil - 60 ml
Green chillies - 15 Nos
Coriander leaves - 300 gms
Poppy seeds - 10 gms
Cashew nut - 20 gms
Grated coconut - 25 gms
Cinnamon - 2 gms
Cardamom - 2 gms
Cloves - 02 gms
Turmeric powder - 2 gms
Onion - 2 Nos
Ginger garlic - 10 gms Paste
Salt to taste
Tamarind Pulp - 15 ml
Chicken - 800 gmsHow to prepare kotimira kodi at home
Pre-Preparation Method:
1. Clean and wash the chicken
2. Marinate the chicken with green chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, salt & turmeric powder. 3
3. Clean & wash coriander leaves and keep aside.
Preparation Method:
1. Heat oil in a kadhai, add the remaining green chilly poppy seeds, cashew nuts, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coriander leaves saute for sometime and make a paste of it.
2. Heat oil, dd chopped onions, when the onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw flavour goes, now a the grounded masala to the onion and cook till the oil leaves from the sides. Adjust seasoning, now add chicken to the gravy.
3. Allow the chicken to get cooled.Vankai Koora: taste-bud tickling Telugu cuisine dish of stuffed brinjal curry
The curry preparation recipes of Andhra Pradesh are always a delicacy. Vankai Koora, a traditional Andhra curry dish, is an easy Telugu food recipe that can be made with tender and fresh brinjals. Vankai means brinjal and koora means curry in Telugu, and this famous Telugu cuisine is very simple to make. Find out how to make vankai koora at home and surprise your family and friends.Ingredients to make vankai koora
Tender small brinjals – 18 Nos
Peanuts - 50 gms
Dry red chillies - 16 Nos
Coriander seeds - 25 gms
Jeera - 5 gms
Methi - 5 gms
Til seeds - 30 gms
Channa dal - 15 gms
Urad dal - 15 grns
Tamarind - 25 gms
Oil - for frying brinjals
Dry coconut - 30 gms
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 5 gms
Jaggery - 10 gmsHow to prepare vankai koora at home
1. Cut brinjals from the stalk side as well as bottom. Check for insects, put in turmeric water.
2. Dry roast peanuts, dry red chillies, coriander seeds, jeera, methi, till seeds, channa dal, urad dal, dry coconut, and powder the ingredients finely.
3. Mix little oil in the powdered masala, and stuff brinjals both sides and tie the brinjals with twine.
4. Deep fry the brinjals in oil, and keep aside.
5. Heat oil, add the remaining powdered masala and make thick gravy, add if water is required.
6. Finally leave the deep fried brinjals into the gravy after removing twine.
7. Check for seasoning, finish with jaggeryKothimira Annam: finger-licking coriander rice dish of Telugu cuisine
Rice dishes of Andhra Pradesh are always irresistible, and Kothimira Annam, an easy to make Telugu food recipe is made with coriander leaves, spices and rice. Annam means rice in Telugu, and this famous Telugu cuisine dish is healthy, tasty, and versatile rice preparation. Find out how to make kothimira annam at home and surprise your family and friends.Ingredients to make kothimira annam
Rice - 250 gms
Ghee - 60 ml
Onions - 2 Nos (Big size)
Cashewnut broken - 20 pcs
Mustard seds - 3 gms
Urad dal - 8 gms
Channa dal – 8 gms
Dry red chillies - 10 Nos
Ginger garlic paste - 5 Nos
Chopped coriander leaves - 100 gms
Slit green chilies - 5 Nos
Salt - to taste.How to prepare kothimira annam at home
1. Pick, wash and soak rice.
2. Cook the rice till almost done and keep separately.
3. Heat ghee, add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies, when tempering crackles, add sliced onions and cashew nuts.
4. Saute till onions turn translucent.
5. Now add ginger garlic paste and cook for till raw flavour goes.
6. Now add slit green chillies and cook for few seconds, add chopped coriander leaves.
7. Now add rice and toss the rice in the above mixture.
8. Check for seasoning.
