What's In A Traditional South Indian Breakfast: Telangana Edition

6 Min

24/03/2026

Telangana’s Traditional South Indian Breakfast:
Sarva Pindi
, Paaya And More

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Quick Summary

Telangana is the youngest state in India, but its food has been around for considerably longer than its statehood. This is the state where a village woman from Warangal district accidentally created one of the region's most beloved breakfast staples. Where the Nizams of Hyderabad slow-cooked goat trotters, which were ready by the crack of dawn. Move beyond the usual idlis and dosas that dominate a traditional South Indian breakfast and find more such delicacies below.

Deep Dive

Telangana's food in the region, like the Deccan plateau, which covers most of the state, is semi-arid and historically dependent on jowar, bajra, and ragi more than rice; though rice dominates in the lower-lying districts. The state’s cuisine splits broadly between the Telugu agrarian heartland and the Nizami Muslim tradition of Hyderabad, which absorbed Central Asian, Persian, and Mughal influences over three centuries of rule by the Nizams. Both traditions show up at the breakfast table, often in the same city. Here are seven dishes that trace the full range of what morning eating looks like in Telangana.

Crispy Indian flatbread with assorted ingredients displayed

Sarva Pindi

This is a pancake-like dish made with rice flour, soaked chana dal, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, and often onions, crushed peanuts, turmeric, and red chilli powder. This traditional South Indian breakfast originated in Bollepally village in the Warangal district of Telangana, where it emerged as a resourceful snack in rural households. The dough is pressed directly onto a cooking vessel with small holes, then slow-cooked on low heat with a lid on. It's dry and crunchy, known as ‘tappala chekka’ in the Warangal area and ‘sarva pindi’ in the Siddipet region.

Kodiguddu Popannam

Popu Annam is a yellow-coloured fried rice with a unique taste. ‘Popu’ means tadka, the tempering, and it is a traditional breakfast staple in Telangana. The egg version, Kodiguddu popannam, uses day-old rice tempered in hot oil with mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, dried red chillies, garlic, and turmeric, then scrambled eggs are worked in, and the whole thing is tossed over high heat. It is sharp, garlicky, and finished in under fifteen minutes. Typically made with leftover rice, it is the Telangana kitchen's practical answer to what to do with last night's pot.

Atukulu

This is Telangana’s version of poha or flattened rice and a healthy traditional South Indian breakfast. Atukulu is the Telugu name for flattened rice made from parboiled rice, pounded into flat flakes, and dried. The everyday breakfast version is soaked briefly, then sautéed with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, garlic, onion, peanuts, and turmeric. Lord Krishna is said to be fond of beaten rice, so dishes made with atukulu are a key part of Janmashtami naivedyam offerings. The Telangana version is spicier than most with more chilli, more garlic, less sweetness, and uses thick atukulu, which holds its shape.

Pachi Karam Garelu

Garelu is the Telugu word for vada, and ‘pachi karam’ refers to the spiciness from raw green chillies. The Telangana version is made with urad dal, moong dal, or a combination, ground coarse and fried into crisp, doughnut-shaped fritters. They are noticeably spicier than the South Indian vada standard, with more use of red chilli and garlic. The moong dal version is called pesaru garelu, which is typically served with fresh homemade butter.

Pesarratu

A traditional South Indian breakfast staple, MLA Pesarattu got its name in the 1950s when the upma-stuffed pesarattu became a secret favourite in Hyderabad's MLA Quarters restaurants. It was served only to prominent members, with the upma hidden inside so other customers wouldn't notice. The dosa is made from whole green moong ground with ginger, green chilli, and cumin, no urad dal, and no fermentation required. The standard accompaniment is allam pachadi, ginger chutney. It is gluten-free, high in protein, and has been eaten for breakfast in Telangana considerably longer than the wellness industry has been interested in mung beans.

Khichdi-Khatta

The Hyderabadi khichdi is made from rice and masoor dal, not the moong or toor dal used elsewhere in India, and the grains are separate and slightly dry rather than soft and wet. Whole spices include shah jeera, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaf, which go into the tempering. The essential partner to this Huderabadi khichdi is khatta: a sour preparation made from tamarind, onion, and chillies. The classic Hyderabad version is til ka khatta made with roasted sesame and peanuts ground into a paste with tamarind water, raw onion, and a tempering. The combination of khichdi, khatta, and kheema is something everyone visiting Hyderabad should try at least once.

Paaya

Paaya is a Hyderabadi delight which is made by slow-cooking goat trotters in a broth perfumed with potli that has the masala, with considerably more chilli than the Lucknow or Delhi versions. Shah Ghouse in Hyderabad starts serving at 5 AM and sells out multiple handis of paaya before 10 AM. It is served with char koni naan, a square-shaped, Hyderabad staple, alongside kheema, gurda, and kaleji. A full paaya breakfast with Irani chai and an Osmania biscuit to finish is, practically speaking, all the calories needed until dinner.