The Hindu : `Pesarattu' steps out of your kitchen!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

`Pesarattu' steps out of your kitchen!
By K. V. S. Madhav

HYDERABAD, FEB. 16. The quintessential Telugu snack whose presence on the breakfast table is indubitable is set to get a permanent place in the wired world of the Internet. That roasted brown, spicy, melt-in-your-mouth treat that can stimulate the senses, `pesarattu', is going to be hosted on the net soon.

And the pitch ..er... pan is being readied by the State Tourism Department for the launch of a website on the Andhra favourite, pesarattu, to be served hot on the net.

"We are making all efforts to add as many details as possible about the dish on the site, including 60 different ways of making the snack," says the Director, Tourism, G. Kishen Rao. After all, `pesarattu' has a reputation built over generations and still lingers long on millions of taste buds. "Like gongura, pesarattu is as Telugu as it can get," he smiles.

The idea floated by the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, at one of the review meetings of the department set off Project Pesarattu with the Tourism officials scurrying out for the ideal recipe, master chefs in Andhra hinterlands and of course, webmasters who could host the website.

"If Tamil Nadu can bring imageries of soft white idlis to the mind, Kerala fluffy `idiappams' and Karnataka sweet n' sour `bisi bele bath', we thought why not Andhra Pradesh have its own distinct culinary identity," says Mr. Rao. After all, "pesarattu is the Andhra contribution to the varied and stimulating Indian cuisine."

The panacea for the hungry stomach on the breakfast table which comes with liberal sprinkling of green chillies, ginger, onion, `jeera' and the filling `upma' which is a dish in itself -- it comes with coarsely ground rice powder that is seasoned with mustard, onion, lentils and curry leaves - is surely set to travel well beyond your kitchen!

And in the process, give the famed Hyderabadi biryani company which till now has been the sole torchbearer of Andhra food in the Indian cuisine arena, though not a true representation of Andhra cuisine. "Biryani is more a Hyderabadi delight with its aroma spread far and wide, but that does not make it synonymous with the entire State. Hence, Operation Pesarattu," explains Mr. Rao.

The design of the website has been completed while content is still being developed. "Our aim is to popularise and give `pesarattu' a place in posterity. And what better way than an exclusive website devoted to the mouth-watering snack!

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Naidu throws the duster at engineering staff in Erramanzil

`Pesarattu' steps out of your kitchen!