Think home-style food and the memories of pigging out at your favourite grandmother’s house come to mind; our mind has a knack of recalling familiar fragrances of podi and ghee mixed with annam , chepa fry and kodi vepudu.
This and more are on offer at the Pakka Telangana Ruchulu food festival at Rayalaseema Ruchulu outlets across the city.
Home chef Jyothi V is in-charge of the spread and she’s more than happy to regale diners with the stories of her childhood. At the Jubilee Hills outlet, there’s a full-fledged buffet where dozens of excited diners skip sitting down after entering, instead heading straight for the buffet to prep their stomachs for the delights to come. What’s remarkable is the age bracket of the diners; they’re all between mid-twenties and early-forties.
- Jubilee Hills outlet: Telangana special buffet: Veg ₹599 plus taxes, non-veg ₹799 plus taxes
- Hitec City, Ameerpet & Lakdikapul outlets: Telangana special thali: Veg, non-veg and seafood starting at ₹249 plus taxes
Turning to the zestiness of the diners around us, Jyothi explains, “These are the people who love home food, whatever lifestyle they lead. These food items remind them of home.”
First, as any hospitable thali event would kick off, have some buttermilk and some fresh lime water before moving onto the hot soups. Jyothi has been avidly recommending the mamsam bokkala shorva, a light and intensely fragrant concoction derived from the goodness of mutton.
Pesaru gaare with creamy white and unsalted venna | Photo Credit: Divya Kala Bhavani
Working with the Rayalaseema Ruchulu in-house chefs, Jyothi keeps a sharp eye on the balance of salt, karam podi, jeera and more. She also says, “I’m very particular about how the vegetables are cut. If you want to keep it authentic, green chillies and onions have to cut the way people are used to at home.”
This food festival has equal shares of consideration towards vegetarians, non-vegetarians and pescetarians. The starters are not oily at all as one would expect but some items do offer some buttery goodness. Don’t miss out on kodi miriyala vepudu and the kodi rekkalla vepudu; the cuts are succulent with mindful doses of masala. The pesaru gaare with creamy white and unsalted venna are also a treat, and Jyothi encourages all to try the diet-friendly homemade butter.
The rice — the binding dish across the board — is what makes or breaks a thali and here, you can choose between bagara annam, steamed rice or mamidikaya pulihora. Mix these with the podis on offer with a generous splash of golden ghee and your meal is almost set. What completes it, apart from the dozen of katoris of curries and pappus, are the tomato and beerakaya chutneys.
Chef Jyothi V at Rayalaseema Ruchulu in Jubilee Hills | Photo Credit: Divya Kala Bhavani
To round off the experience, head straight for the dessert. I don’t think Jyothi will let diners leave without indulging in the gummadikaya halwa and bellapannam. The halwa’s texture is slightly crunchy and isn’t sickeningly sweet.
What’s her own culinary journey been like? The vetted home chef chuckles as she says, “15 years ago, I didn’t know how to make a perfectly round and flat roti.” Now she has penned a few Telugu books including Andhra Special Vegetarian Vantalu about a corner in the culinary world that’s being propelled by women home chefs. “I love that there is more appreciation and the position of women as home-makers is gearing towards becoming home-chefs. It’s important because before it was frowned upon if we worked. Now it’s become a space for business.”
Pakka Telangana Ruchulu will be running at Rayalaseema Ruchulu outlets until April 20.