Andhra cuisine

Spicy and hot varieties of pickles are also an important part of Andhra cuisine, including avakaya (ఆవకాయ).

The eating habits of Hindu royals and Brahmins have historically had a heavy influence on Andhra cuisine.

Andhra Pradesh's proximity to Western, Central, and Eastern India influenced the diversity of those border regions' cuisine as well, as the Telugu-speaking population spread into neighboring states.

Different communities have developed their own variations, and rural areas still follow centuries-old cooking methods and recipes.

Coastal Andhra is dominated by the Krishna and Godavari river delta regions and is adjacent to the Bay of Bengal.

Ulava charu (ఉలవచారు) is a soup made from horse gram,[1] and bommidala pulusu (బొమ్మిడాల పులుసు) is a seafood stew that is considered a specialty of Andhra Pradesh.

The Uttarandhra region is composed of the northeastern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam in Coastal Andhra.

Lentils are often cooked in jaggery, a dish referred to as bellam pappu (బెల్లం పప్పు) and are usually served with butter and steamed rice.

Patoli is composed of soaked split black chickpeas (senagapappu (శనగపప్పు) or chana dal) ground to a coarse paste and seasoned with coriander seeds, onions, and sometimes cluster beans (goruchikkudukaya) (గోరుచిక్కుడుకాయ).

Attu (అట్టు) also called dosa (దోశ) is a standard breakfast in Andhra Pradesh, which may also include coconut or tomato chutneys.

Bellam pulusu (బెల్లం పులుసు) is another flavorful, thick, sweet stew made out of rice flour, jaggery, corn cobs, and whole shallots.

This method helps preserve Uttarandhra pickles better amidst the high moisture from the Bay of Bengal coast.

Rayalaseema, in the south of Andhra Pradesh, is well-known for the spiciness of its cuisine due to the liberal use of chili powder in almost every dish.

Some of the main courses include rice, jonna (జొన్న) (jowar), ragi roti (రాగి రోటి) with neyyi (నెయ్యి), and raagi sangati (రాగి సంగటి), usually served with spinach or pulusu.

Uggani (ఉగ్గాని) is a dish unique to Rayalaseema, especially Ananthapur, Kurnool, and Kadapa districts, as well as in Karnataka, where it is called oggane.

Masala borugulu (మసాలా బొరుగులు), nargis mandakki, and ponganaalu (పొంగణాలు) (wet rice flour fried in oil, with carrot, onion, and chilis) are other savory specialties from the region.

The most common dishes consumed for breakfast are: Great effort is put into preparing lunch and dinner in many Telugu households.

A complete vegetarian Andhra meal typically consists of rice served with ghee, pulihora, chapati or puri, pappu (lentils), sambar, chaaru (rasam), fried and wet curries, appadam (papadum), odiyalu, chutney, pachadi, avakaya, yoghurt and a sweet for dessert.

The fourth course of the meal is either a perugu (curd or yoghurt) or majjiga (buttermilk) accompanied by a spicy pickle or other condiments.

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

Pachadi is the Telugu version of chutney, typically made of vegetables/greens/lentils and roasted green or red chilis, using tamarind and sometimes curds as a base.

Andhra restaurant chains and hotels are very popular in other states due to the extensive variety of meat featured on their menus.

Some common Telugu snacks include: Sweets and savories are typically made on festive and auspicious occasions, and are served to visiting relatives.

In the drier districts, jowar (sorghum), bajra (millet) and ragi are still in use, while eating rice is seen as a symbol of prosperity.