A wave of Andhra restaurants captures Palates Hyderabadis. | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur
The taste of Andhra of the kitchen is cooked on a low flame in the city, dominated by the royal strata Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Since mixing Masala in the style of Guntur to the coastal delicacies Andhra Pradesh has captured a wave of Andhra restaurants.
Military Hotel Rajanna now has four branches in Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur
The KPHB branch manager at the Rajanna Teja Military Hotel saw this shift close up. Starting with one outlet two years ago, the hotel now has four branches around the city. “People come here for food that reminds them of the taste of Nellore, Guntur and Vijayawada,” he says. The hotel offers regional favorites such as Hoskote Donne Biryani made from Chitti Mouthyal Rice and Guntur Biryani, Masala, a rich contrast to the layered version of Hyderabadi. “Andhra will never change food. The taste is in our blood,” he explains.
Sattibabu biryani in mosapeta from Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur
This sentiment is an echo around the city. Sundeep Guntur, a former software engineer and now restaurant owner, assures that these restaurants are not only playing a nostalgic card. During the pandemic, he founded Naida Gari Kunda Biryani, his takeover of Kacchi Dum Biryani with a ghee-coated chicken chicken in a clay pot became a hit. “For ten years it was butter and naan. Now people are ready to explore their roots,” he notes. Its drain Gachibowli turns into a full coastal kitchen Andhra with experimental dishes such as jackfruit biryani, tiger shrimp and more.
In the mosapet, sattibaba biryani from Raveja, was opened by a restorer who became a restorer, emerging from eight months at the street level. “We shared more than 4,000 sampling boards for truck drivers, guards and delivery workers to improve their taste,” he says. “I personally went 800 km to different places to better understand the biryani. Our biryani won’t leave your hands greasy or your stomach.” This is a magic, more than influential charm.
This appeal is not limited to biryani. CEO Krishna Godavari Flavors Dhananjay Rao curated dishes from the belt of Krishna and Godavari, where you can see a strong example of coastal influence. “Our Tawa Vanjaram and Madeenaguda Mamsam Pulao are unique,” he says. “People are coming to ask for specific meals. We try to balance this memory.”
Then there is Bhimavaram Bhojanal, where software engineer Balamurali Krishna has changed the modest street stem in the buzzing of hotspot for Andhra Meals. “I serve food near my heart,” he says. With a 25-point combos and four types of rice, the restaurant attracts both the bachelor and families. His USP is the quality of tricks. “People can eat biryans once. But they come to my place twice a day.”
Despite some skepticism surrounding the blogging of food and its fleeting trends, everyone acknowledges that social media play a role in terms of visibility. “It’s better to hear” my friend told me “before” I saw it on Instagram, “says Dhananjay.
4 in the morning biryani runs
Some trends eventually find a permanent place in the urban food environment, such as the Iconic 4 AM Biryani from Hyderabad. Biryani serves as a refuge for hunger and becomes a morning tradition for bachelors, techniques, groups of friends and food lovers. With smoke plates from places like Shanta’s 4 am Biryani and Sikant’s Hoskote Donne Biryani, people stand up before dawn. “It’s a fun experience for taste buds; these kinds of places really enrich your experience in urban life,” shares Rahul, frequent early morning devotion to Biryani.
While trends can come and leave, the roots of Andhra the kitchen in their brave spices and the soothing essence of someone’s culture is here to stay. Whether it’s Kura’s homemade Kura, Gongura Pachadi, or Biryani’s morning plate, the food of the region continues to carve its own niche to the Hyderabad food scene, giving rise to a sense of acquaintance, nostalgia and tastes.
Published – 6 June 2025 23:24
