Why Bhojanam’s Telugu Thalis Feel Like Home

The idea, says co-founder Pranavi Chekuri, came from lived experience rather than market research. “This is the food I grew up eating and cooking. It’s familiar to me. I know it well,” she says, explaining why Telugu cuisine felt like the most natural direction after experimenting with other formats. The earlier concept had ambition and scale, but it didn’t quite settle into people’s routines. “The crowd liked the food, but we realised we needed something more comfortable, something familiar.”

That familiarity is exactly where Bhojanam finds its strength. Telugu food, despite being one of the most loved cuisines in the country, is often reduced to a generic label when it enters restaurants. Everything gets grouped together as South Indian, with a predictable set of curries and rice dishes. Bhojanam quietly pushes back against that idea by doing something deceptively simple. It breaks Telugu cuisine down by region.

Here, the food is divided into Rayalaseema, Telangana, Krishna and Godavari. Each thali reflects the character of its region, drawing from dishes that are specific, rooted and recognisable to those who grew up eating them. “If you go to most places, it’s all just South Indian together. But Telugu food is not one thing,” Pranavi explains. “Every region cooks differently. We wanted to showcase that.”

The thalis are the heart of the menu and also what most people come back for. They are unpretentious, filling and designed the way meals are eaten at home, with rice at the centre and supporting dishes that change daily. Pappu charu, sambar, podis, pickles and chutneys come together in a rhythm that feels instinctive rather than curated not to mention the non veg specialties like Talakaya Kura, chicken 65 biryani, chepala pulusu, pachi mirchi chicken. I am told, under vegetarian, the bestseller is the pot biryani, made fresh on order by the chefs in an earthen pot which gives it a distinct taste. Try mushroom pulao or pachi mirchi paneer biryani. The food is deliberately light on oil and masala. “We wanted it to feel like home food. Something you can eat often, not something that feels heavy,” reasons Pranavi.

Many of the recipes are Pranavi’s own, tried and tested over years of cooking for family and friends. That personal touch shows in the details. Pappu charu tastes exactly the way it should. Broad beans fry arrives without excess garnish. Even the vegetarian dishes feel complete, never treated as an afterthought. Bhojanam also understands that not everyone wants a full thali every time, so the menu includes smaller plates that let diners sample flavours without committing to a full meal.

Despite Telugu food being deeply domestic, Bhojanam proves that it is also what people want to eat when they step out. “We have repeat customers. That’s how we know it’s working.” The most ordered dishes are thalis and pot pulaos, the latter cooked slowly and patiently in sealed pots, much like they are in homes across Andhra and Telangana.

The restaurant stays focused on food rather than spectacle. There is no attempt to compete with sprawling spaces or visual theatrics. As founder Teja Chekuri puts it, “We are not chasing big spaces or FOMO. Our focus is on a small, strong audience who come for the food.” That clarity reflects in Bhojanam’s calm confidence. It does not try to impress. It tries to feed.

In a city crowded with restaurants that prioritise scale, mood lighting and Instagram appeal, Bhojanam chooses something quieter and far more difficult. Consistency. Familiarity. Trust. It reminds you that Telugu cuisine does not need reinvention. It only needs to be cooked with care, respect and memory.

And when you finish a meal of hot rice, pappu, charu with neyyi and a simple kura, you realise why Telugu food, no matter how often it is cooked at home, will always be the most desired outside.