How Hyderabad chefs are going beyond biryani and championing Telugu micro-cuisines

Hyderabad’s food scene is changing. A city long defined by its signature dum biryani is slowly moving beyond a one-dish identity. No, it is not making way for mandis, but widening the table. The culinary conversation now includes totakura liver fry, nimmakayya guddu bonda, seena roast, chepala pulusu, natu kodi, mutton pulusu and more. A biryani-obsessed crowd is warming up to aromatic pulaos, pacchadis and regional desserts that feel desi, beyond just gulab jamuns.

It is also becoming apparent that Telugu cuisine is more than podi (gunpowder) and avakaya pacchadi.