[spadix]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

My only grouse with all the chaat guys in Hyd is that they are a bit wee too customised to the local palate maybe? and thereby they have killed the original taste and palate.No harm in serving up what runs and what people like,but I think the original ones also must peacefully coexist

Almost all the panipuri guys in Hyd serve up only puchkas.Non of them use the ragda filling in their puris.Puchkas are more popularly found or rather only exclusively found in Kolkota with their Aloo & black channa filling.I personally dislike them and am a great fan of the ragda filling which is common in the Delhi,Mumbai,Indore etc.Even Bangalore only serves up Puchkas

What is the difference?

I like the Hyderabadi-style pani puri filling, but after living in Blr I became a fan of the Calcutta-style puris and filling. The latter is much more "available" in Blr than in Hyderabad. Kesava Reddy sweets in Kondapur and a few others make the Calcutta-style pani puris. So I have found a marked difference between what's available in Hyd and Blr. That's one point of confusion.

I don't know if the pani puri served by the likes of Om Sweets in Gurgaon counts as ragda or puchka but I like them and they are closer in taste to the Kolkata-style rather than the Hyderabadi-style pani puri.

Also from your post, it seems to me that the Hyderabadi-style and Calcutta-style fillings are the same (both puchka) but I found them very different taste-wise, with the latter being closer in taste to what's very popular here (Om Sweets and equivalent).

So now I'm thoroughly confused.

Anyway, try Kesava Reddy's offering once.

Regards,
spadix

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by spadix

Anyway, try Kesava Reddy's offering once.

Regards,
spadix

Ragda is a filling of white peas,while puchka has a filling of Aloo and at times black channa.Let me try the keshava reddy one.Fingers crossed.Or the next time you are in Mumbai try the panipuri available there and you would be able to differentiate between the puchka and the ragda filling.

[hyd_traveller]

Prashanth,

Which Kesava Reddy?

Edit : Okay, Kondapur. Missed reading in the first instance.

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

This must count as my first post on this thread though, I am a self-confessed foodie.

Ok - to get to the point, was at "Kerala Kitchen" on the opp side of the road to the much-favoured "Hadippa" a few days ago and absolutely loved the authentic Kerala food. We had the veg thali, appams, stew, korma, kerala parotta .... and it was all very delicious, very authentic. At the initial stages of my career, some 13-14 years back, I was working in Kochi for a few months - and the taste of 'Kerala Kitchen' brought back memories of some really good home-style Kerala cuisine !

Highly recommended ... and more posts to follow on this thread !

Welcome!!!

Try out Utupura behind City Centre Mall (entry from a lane opposite Rainbow Hospital on Road No. 10 in Banjara Hills) and let us hear your views about the food there (Caution : keep aside the ambiance aspect and let only food taste and food quality talk).

Awaiting more and many more posts!!!

[RoadTiger]

Thanks, hyd_traveller. Will try out Utupura.

Btw, any good recommendation for good veggie Chennai-style food in Hyd ... I am a big fan of Sarvana Bhavan (the original Chennai chain - sadly, no outlet in Hyd!) Have heard a joint called "Aviyal" open up close to Cyber Towers but havent seen reviews.

On the panipuri topic, I personally love the aloo-black chana variety and the best ones IMHO are :
1. Keshava Reddy, Madhapur - super tasty and pretty spicy water
2. Bikanervala - Pretty decent delhi-style
3. Sardarji chat, Gachibowli

The white-peas variety is supposedly pretty good at Maharaja chat, Madhapur (havent tried but lots of people love it) ... Btw, its pav bhaji is mindblowingly good - better than a whole lot of Mumbai joints !

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Ragda is a filling of white peas,while puchka has a filling of Aloo and at times black channa.

Now, I do not understand this. Where in Hydie chat bandis did you find only aloo / black chana filling in paani puri?

I have seen the black chana and aloo filling only at places like Dadoos / Bikanerwaala / Balaji Grand bazaar and some outlets on MG road.

Every regular chat bandi in Hyderabad serves the ragda filling (made of peas and aloo) and on request - they heat it up and add the spices before dipping the puri in the water. There is a little aloo too in the peas filling but I have not seen even one bandi which serves only aloo and chana filling. You might occasionally find these guys who put up a stand of puris and the filling (not the bandi types - these guys typically can set up shop anywhere - it is like a moble chat bandi) and they serve what you are talking about but go to any regular 'chat waala', you will agree with me.

Coming to the chat bandis at Bangalore, the less talked about, the better. They use a tasteless filling of peas and some thick liquid, there is no tamarind taste in the water, no hint of aloo and I am talking about the regular bandis. The 'famous' places in Jaya Nagar / Indira Nagar etc are just like the Dadoos / Bikanerwaala of Hyderabad, aloo / chana filling.

Whether it is called a gol guppa / paani puri or puchka it is about the puri, not the filling and whatever I regularly eat at the normal bandis is fantastic.

Lets catch up sometime and do a live tasting. A pani puri meet perhaps?

[jayded]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Will try out Utupura.

Btw, any good recommendation for good veggie Chennai-style food in Hyd ... I am a big fan of Sarvana Bhavan (the original Chennai chain - sadly, no outlet in Hyd!) Have heard a joint called "Aviyal" open up close to Cyber Towers but havent seen reviews.

Utupura is pretty decent. The lane leading towards the hotel is a bit narrow and if you are reaching there by car, you would have to park it on the main road (not sure if parking is allowed on that stretch).

Have been to Aviyal 2-3 times and was pretty decent. Tried Idly (with coconut chutney), Porotta, and Kothu porotta. While Idli and Porotta was really good according to me, the Kothu porotta was a bit too dry and had to literally chew on it for more than I would have liked. Did you try Chutneys? I've heard you get good chennai-style dishes there, but I've not tried them yet.

Went to Hadippa with 4 other friends on Sunday night around 10 PM. The restaurant was literally empty and I guess it was because of the heavy rain. We had the following
1x Chicken Fried rice: Tasted really good
1x Veg pulav: Tasted a bit more like fried rice than pulav, but still good
1x Chilly garlic rice: Decent
1x Hadippa special Tandoori chicken Full (though it looked different from the Tbhp meet lunch, I guess they brought us the regular ones): Juicy and tasted really good.
1x Mutter mushroom masala: I'm not a fan of mushroom, but others said it was OK
8x Tandoor roti: Good
5x Lassi: Really good
We were offered a 15% discount on the bill and total including taxes for 5 came to 1,655/- (after the discount and including 3 Rotis + a chicken curry parcel)

Overall, we were a bunch of satisfied and really sluggish group after the dinner

[LonelyPlanet]

Originally Posted by jayded

Went to Hadippa with 4 other friends on Sunday night around 10 PM. The restaurant was literally empty and I guess it was because of the heavy rain.

Overall, we were a bunch of satisfied and really sluggish group after the dinner

I was there along with 2 other friends at the same time. Were you on the table close to the entrance?

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Thanks, hyd_traveller. Will try out Utupura.

Btw, any good recommendation for good veggie Chennai-style food in Hyd ... I am a big fan of Sarvana Bhavan (the original Chennai chain - sadly, no outlet in Hyd!) Have heard a joint called "Aviyal" open up close to Cyber Towers but havent seen
!

" aviyal " near cybertowers is okay. Meals is Tamil Nadu style with sambar kara kuzhambu poriyal kootu but very spicy, do not expect HSB standards. Service is very slow. Complained
about this to the owner who are a lovely couple listened to me patiently and told they will try to speed up things.

[racer_ash]

This thread is better than the times food guide to Hyderabad city.

Anyway. my 2 cents. Had been to this place called angeethi. Its in the reliance classic complex, on the 7th floor just opposite to Fusion 9 on road no.1. Its got a dhaba type ambience which is quite good. Rates are also reasonable for such a kind of restaurant.

My wife being a veggie and me being a forced veggie did not have much choice for starters. But among the list, we thought we would order a dish named siraji gobi (thought it would be like gobi manchurian type starter). But we were in for a shock. The dish was cooked in mustard oil sesame oil and God knows what oils. Absolutely yuck. My wife could not even eat one bit of it whereas I thought it was decent and ate a couple of pieces. The result, stomach upset for the next 2 days. So a caution to you guys going to this place. Try this dish at your own risk.

Apart from this, the pulao, raitha and veg kolhapuri were decent.

[CtrlAltDel]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

any good recommendation for good veggie Chennai-style food in Hyd ... I am a big fan of Sarvana Bhavan (the original Chennai chain - sadly, no outlet in Hyd!)

there is an "independent" Saravana Bhavan in Paradise in the lane adjacent to Autofin (PG Road side). They serve Chennai style food. I have not taken meals there but I have eaten tiffins like idly dosa idiyappam etc there. The taste is reminecent of Chennai esp the sambar, so different to the sweetish udupi stuff most people are familiar with. Try the meals there and let us know how it is.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

there is an "independent" Saravana Bhavan in Paradise in the lane adjacent to Autofin (PG Road side). They serve Chennai style food. I have not taken meals there but I have eaten tiffins like idly dosa idiyappam etc there. The taste is reminecent of Chennai esp the sambar, so different to the sweetish udupi stuff most people are familiar with. Try the meals there and let us know how it is.

Its kind of lost the touch. I would not recommend the place anymore.

Last had some stuff about 5 months back.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Btw, any good recommendation for good veggie Chennai-style food in Hyd

If it is only for pongal, idli, vada and / or upma / tomato bath, you need to eat at Iyer's on Dharam Karam Road in Ameerpet opposite Hockey Ground. He opens at around 8:15 and is reputed to run out of pongal by 8:30 odd and other stuff many a times. Note that there is no board announcing the venue, there is no seating and you need to jostle in the crowd to manage to get your hand on the food. I eat there twice a month and ensure to reach by 8:30/8:45. All dishes are priced @ Rs. 20 each.
Exact Location on Google Map : https://maps.google.co.in/maps?daddr...sz=19&t=m&z=15
Landmark : There is a Sai Balaji Tiffins just before Iyer's and the crowd hanging around Iyer's eating out of plantain leaves cannot be missed.

[bblost]

I though I saw a Chennai Idliz sign board somewhere on the Madhapur Main Road.

The same font and color as the old one that used to be in Ameerpet.
I don't use this road anymore and hence did not follow up on it.

[RoadTiger]

Originally Posted by jayded

Have been to Aviyal 2-3 times and was pretty decent. Tried Idly (with coconut chutney), Porotta, and Kothu porotta. While Idli and Porotta was really good according to me, the Kothu porotta was a bit too dry and had to literally chew on it for more than I would have liked. Did you try Chutneys? I've heard you get good chennai-style dishes there, but I've not tried them yet.

Chutneys - I've been there a zillion times by now. For some reason, most of relatives visiting us love the place ... I, for one, feel the place serves decent food but is overhyped. They serve 5-6 types of chutneys that are the same all days of the year - they are pretty decent but no great shakes. Also, the sambar is slightly sweet - Now despite being in Hyd for nearly half a decade I havent (and hopefully will not) develop an acquired taste of sweet sambar !!! The dosas etc are pretty decent - no complaints.

Pls note - Chutneys is just not chennai-style south indian !

[gauravdgr8]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

If it is only for pongal, idli, vada and / or upma / tomato bath, you need to eat at Iyer's on Dharam Karam Road in Ameerpet opposite Hockey Ground. He opens at around 8:15 and is reputed to run out of pongal by 8:30 odd and other stuff many a times. Note that there is no board announcing the venue, there is no seating and you need to jostle in the crowd to manage to get your hand on the food. I eat there twice a month and ensure to reach by 8:30/8:45. All dishes are priced @ Rs. 20 each.
Exact Location on Google Map : https://maps.google.co.in/maps?daddr...sz=19&t=m&z=15
Landmark : There is a Sai Balaji Tiffins just before Iyer's and the crowd hanging around Iyer's eating out of plantain leaves cannot be missed.

The name of the shop is Iyer Coffee Works. Very close to my place. I too visit it every alternate sunday.

Their must eat includes the Vada which you will literally fight to get, if you are not in the 1st row. The guy who serves is Naresh. Just keep shouting his name and you will get hold of some after waiting atleast for 20 minutes.

Timings: 8 am - 11 am, however after 9:30, you would hardly get some leftover Upma.

Evenings: 4 pm - 7 pm: Only Dosa, Uttapam and Pesarattu.

Everything is Rs:20.