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Having stayed in Hyderabad for almost 10 years now, I know that there’s so much more to regional cuisine in Andhra and Telangana. There are quite a few restaurants in the city that serve authentic regional cuisines and one of them is Telangana Spice Kitchen. Some time back, I had a delicious lunch at Telangana Spice Kitchen and this is going to be my review.
The world sees the two Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana more or less as one. However, what they don’t know is that both these states pack in a gastronomical galaxy within themselves. For anyone outside of these states, all they know is that there’s Biryani and spicy food here in Telangana and Andhra. It’s not their fault as the other regional dishes haven’t quite travelled outside of the two states.
Telangana Spice Kitchen – Ambiance
Telangana Spice Kitchen has multiple outlets in Hyderabad now, there’s one in Banjara Hills and the other one in Secunderabad. I have been to the Banjara Hills which is located at the end of a road. The restaurant has paid great attention to the vibes of the place. All the elements from wall paintings to props have been chosen to be in line with the theme of the state. Since I had gone during Ganesh Chaturthi, they had an idol placed under a tree on the premises.
The restaurant is fairly large in size and has multiple seating options. There’s plenty of outdoor seating – within the premise, balcony and terrace seatings – which makes it a great place to dine. We were seated in the balcony area that overlooks Hyderabad city and provides a magnificent view. Overall, the ambience is good for an outing with friends and family.
Vegetarian Lunch at Telangana Spice Kitchen – Review
The restaurant serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes along with alcohol which makes it much more attractive for many people. The vegetarian food is a mix of Telangana flavours, North Indian and Chinese as well. Since the restaurant is all about Telangana cuisine, we decided to focus on those items. One thing that I must tell you is that the food is spicy from the word go. For localities, it’s ok but if you are someone like me who cannot tolerate too much spice, make sure to call it out while placing the order.
Fiery Starters
For starters, we had a pretty good spread. Kurkure Paneer, Golichinna Mushroom, Spring Rolls, Hara Bhara Kebab and Chinna Garelu with Tomato chutney. Kurkure Paneer as the name suggests had a crispy layer around soft paneer. The paneer itself didn’t have much flavour though. Golichinna Mushroom was fiery but I loved the flavour. Even with tears in my eyes, I gorged on it. A Must-have for sure.
Spring Rolls and Hara Bhara Kebab were good, like any other place. But the stand out dish had to be Chinna Garelu with Tomato Chutney. These were small corn fritters served with tangy Tomato chutney. The pairing was perfect and the combo is a must-try. It was so delish that I got myself an extra plate for home.
Flavoursome Main Course
We were already full with starters so we went it for a fairly simple main course. The dishes that we ordered were Guthi Vankaya Pulao, Steam Rice with Pacchi Pulusu and Mudapappu. The Guthi Vankaya Pulao – Brinjal Pulao – was extremely flavoursome. The rice was aromatic and the Vankaya was tender and full of flavours. This was much better than the one I had at Pakka Local. Pachi Pulusu on the other hand was loaded with onions and was extremely tangy. Nonetheless, I loved it.
The MuddaPappu – yellow dal – was simple and hot and perfect with the white rice. Served with a spoon of ghee and pickle, the mix of rice and dal had an elevated taste. One that not only the locals enjoyed, but even I also did. I mean I can go back here with my family for having just this rice and dal with pickle and ghee. I know I could have tried other main course dishes including curries and rotis, but let’s save it for next time 😉
Desserts and Drinks
Lastly, we gulped in quite a few mocktails too. We had Panakam, Iced Tea, Chilly Guava and Berrylicious cooler. The Panakam came in alcohol and no alcohol versions. I had the latter one. It was refreshing and perfect for the hot and humid day. Iced Tea and Chilly Guava were nice and packed a punch. Berrylicious cooler was something that I liked just because it wasn’t excessively sweet! Kudos to the mixologist for this.
For desserts, we had desi varieties on offer. From Angoori Gulab Jamun, Ras Malai, Gajar ka Halwa and the local favourite Double Ka Meetha. Ras Malai was pretty good. It was rich and flavoursome. Double Ka Meetha was loaded as always and potent enough to kill you with the sweetness. So yes, desserts were like any other place, nothing special.
Final Verdict: Good Vegetarian Options
Being a vegetarian and teetotaler, finding a restaurant that serves good vegetarian food isn’t easy. Especially when it comes to regional cuisine. A few months back I was at AnTeRa Kitchen and Bar where I felt the vegetarian variety was less. Telangana Spice Kitchen has a good variety and the food is flavoursome too. It has the rustic, local flavours that most of you would like. However, the spice quotient is something that you need to be wary of.
3 things that you must have here are the Golichinna Mushroom, Chinna Garelu with Tomato Chutney and MuddaPappu and Pachi Pulusu with White Rice. So that’s about my Telangana Spice Kitchen Review.
Think anything I should have tried or have thoughts on Telangana Spice Kitchen? Let me know in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Instagram or Get In Touch.
