There is so much to Telangana cuisine that most of us aren’t aware of
With wide usage of tamarind, sesame seeds, red chillies and asafoetida, food from the Telangana region of India is usually spicy. Millet bread/roti is a staple and so is Roselle, which is used to make curries and pickles. While Telangana is famous for its biryanis and Karachi biscuits, you just cannot miss trying these fabulous dishes from the state:
SarvaPindi and its food pyramid
SarvaPindi is a pancake made of rice flour, chana dal, peanuts and chillies. Usually cooked in a deep, round shaped pan, it is cooked with adding one component at each stage, making it a food pyramid. SarvaPindi is also called GinneAppa because of its preparation.
Malidalu - sweet and savoury
Usually when there are leftover chapatis, we all tend to reheat it the next day and have it with sabji. However, when in Telangana, they are used in making something healthy and sweet. Malidalu is made with chapati pieces which are mixed with jaggery, dry fruits and ghee and turned into small balls.
Sakinalu - easy to make
It is a crispy, deep-fried snack made of two chief ingredients - rice and sesame seeds. With no spices, Sakinalu is a mild snack that is easy to prepare. Made mostly during the festival of Sankranti, it is also offered during marriage.
Garijalu - shared between different states of India
Garijalu, also called Kajjikaya, has a sweet filling of dry grated coconut, sugar and cardamom. It is deep fried and its shape is like Karanji; a sweet dish of Maharashtra. Garijalu’s shell is made of maida, which is then folded after stuffing is filled inside it. While this dish is shared between different states of India, the Telangana people have been making these for generations.
PachiPulusu - quick fix for morning
PachiPulusu is very similar to Rasam and the only difference is that the former has very little “cooking” involved and uses it to temper the seasoning, however, their ingredients are common. The simplicity of the dish is what makes it wholesome and nice.
Chegodilu - tea-time accompaniment
It is a crunchy snack item that you will keep munching on and the main ingredient of it is the toasted sesame seeds, which give this deep fried snack a unique nutty flavour. Chegodilu is a must-have.
Polelu - go to recipe for special festivals
Made of jaggery, chana dal, cardamom powder and ghee, Polelu is an ultra-thin flattened Indian bread, which can be easily made and found mostly on festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi.
