Till 1952, Tirupati was a part of Tamilnadu state. Later on, it became a part of Andhra Pradesh. That is why we can see a mix of Tamil and Telugu cuisine in Tirupati. Being a religious region, you won’t find too many non-vegetarian food options here. The staple food here is rice and the common spices include tamarind, ginger, coconut, peanuts, cardamom, black pepper, curry leaves, mustard, etc. Following are some of the popular dishes in Tirupati.
Pulihora
It is also known as tamarind rice in many parts of India. In this dish, the cooked rice is seasoned with tamarind paste made from curry leaves, peanuts, green and red chilies, and turmeric. It is a traditional dish of Andhra Pradesh and is also called as chintapandu pulihora or ava pettina pulihora.
Payasam
It is a classic dessert made with milk, sugar, and rice. It is rich and creamy and is prepared in many special occasions in Andhra and other parts of India.
Murukku
Murukku is a savory and crunchy snack from Tamil cuisine. Twisted in Tamil language is called as Murukku and because of the shape of the snack, it is called so. Its main ingredients are rice and urad dal (lentil) flour.
Pongal
Pongal is yet another popular rice dish of Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. In Telugu “pongu” means to ” boil over” and because of the process of making Pongal dish, it is named so. It is a common breakfast in the region. Another popular variant of Pongal is Chakkara Pongal, which is sweet.
At least once, you should eat the Venkateswara temple prasadam. The prasadam meal generally includes daddojanam (curd rice), Pulihora (tamarind rice), Vada and Chakkara-Pongal (sweet Pongal), miriyala-Pongal, Appam, Payasam, Jaggery, Murukku, and Sheera on the platter. You can also book an AC cab in Tirupati for your entire trip and enjoy your food trail hassle free.
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