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Located in Andhra Pradesh, the city of Eluru is perhaps best-known for its religious prominence, being the site of the famous Dwarka Temple. The city’s religious and cultural significance is further enriched by its thriving food culture. Some classic culinary offerings of Eluru include simple but wholesome dishes, such as pulihora and rasam. Pay a visit to the local establishment Anu’s Kitchen to indulge in Eluru special pulihora.
Over time, Eluru was governed by various dynasties, including the Mauryas and the Cholas. All these dynasties have left an indelible mark on the cuisine of the city, which is defined by its use of native spices, grains, and fresh vegetables. The food of Eluru is also characterised by extensive use of green chillies, which infuse the local dishes with a robust and a smoky flavour. Additionally, vegetarian dishes abound in Eluru.
Check out some of the top culinary offerings of Eluru.
Utappam
Image Credits: Freepik
Utappam is type of South Indian pancake that’s crafted from fermented rice and urad dal batter. The batter incorporates a host of spices and vegetables, such as chillies, red chilli powder, onions, and tomatoes to make for a flavourful and multilayered dish. Not to be confused with its thinner and crispier cousin, the dosa, utappams are typically thicker and fluffier. This dish is popularly savoured as breakfast in South India alongside various chutneys.
Recommendations: Idlys Food Corner
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹150, approx.
Mirchi Bajji
Image Credits: Freepik
Mirchi bajji is a lip-smacking snack and street food of South India. The main ingredients of this dish are green chillies and gram flour, as the name indicates, with “mirchi” meaning chillies and “bajji” translating to gram flour. This dish is prepared by coating the chillies in a gram flour batter and deep-frying the concoction to form crunchy and delicious chilli fritters. Mirchi bajji is typically served with a tamarind or a peanut chutney.
Recommendations: Sri Ayyappa Bajji Mixcher
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹100, approx.
Pulihora
Pulihora is a comforting rice-based dish that is prepared from tamarind paste, ground nuts, and curry leaves; to this effect, the dish is also referred to as “tamarind rice.” The dish is usually garnished with peanuts to give it some crunch. A festive favourite, pulihora is a staple during South Indian celebrations and special occasions, including weddings. Pulihora is also traditionally served as prasad in several Andhra temples, infusing it with a religious fervour.
Recommendations: Anu’s Kitchen
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Rasam
Image Credits: Freepik
Rasam is a subtly sweet and slightly sour soup-like dish originating from South India. This aromatic dish is made using tamarind juice as well as a range of spices, including turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander, and curry leaves. Ingredients, such as mustard, sesame oil, hing, garlic, and tomatoes are also incorporated in rasam. Andhra joints serve rasam as an accompaniment to rice and sambar; papads and pickles are also typically served as part of this meal.
Recommendations: Devi Bowls
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹400, approx.
Ulavacharu
Like the aforementioned rasam, ulavacharu is a soup-based dish hailing from Andhra Pradesh. The main ingredient of this dense and filling concoction is the lentil horse gram, known as “ulava” in Telugu, from which the dish derives its name. To craft this dish, cooked lentil water is blended with tamarind paste and various tempered spices, including dried red chillis, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Ulavacharu is typically relished with plain buttered rice.
Recommendations: Krigo
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹450, approx.
Bobbatlu
Image Credits: Freepik
Also known as “bhakshalu,” bobbatlu is Andhra Pradesh’s version of the timeless puran poli sweet dish. This delicacy is composed of a flatbread that is pumped with a sweetened jaggery and chana dal stuffing; ingredients, including maida, ghee, and cardamom powder also go into creating this melt-in-the-mouth delicacy. Bobbatlu is a festive food, being a fixture during Pongal celebrations across South India. This dish is usually savoured with a dollop of ghee, and occasionally, milk.
Recommendations: Sweet Magic
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹500, approx.
Kakinada Kaja
Image Credits: By B.K.Viswanadh - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
Although this sweet dish originated in the neighbouring Andhra stronghold of Kakinada, it’s quite treasured in Eluru and across Andhra Pradesh as a whole. To make this luscious dessert, dumplings, which are typically prepared using a maida batter, are deep-fried till they’re golden brown and crispy; subsequently, they are doused in a sugar syrup before serving. Ingredients like ghee, cardamom powder, and sugar are also used in authentic Kakinada kaja recipes.
Recommendations: Sweet Magic
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹500, approx.
