There is a lot more to Andhra cuisine than biryani; Antera shines a spotlight on the region’s delicacies

Experience diverse Andhra cuisine at Antera, a new Bengaluru restaurant offering regional delicacies from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Rayalaseema.

Andhra cuisine is notorious for its spice levels. But the region has much more to offer. At Antera, a newly opened restaurant in Bengaluru, the menu features regional delicacies from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Rayalaseema. Named after these regions too, the restaurant which originally launched in Hyderabad, now opens its doors in Marathahalli. 

It is a rainy afternoon when I head to Antera, braving traffic jams and waterlogged streets. Located on the Outer Ring Road, the space is welcoming, and kid friendly. The entrance and two floors are decorated with ethnic motifs.

The appetiser section is the most interesting. There are many spices and ingredients that are new to me such as ellipaya karam royyalu (prawns in a spicy garlic chutney) and thotakura liver fry (amaranth leaves with liver). We try the putta godugula vepudu, made of crisp batter-fried mushrooms tossed with curry leaf and chillies. The gongura paneer pockets are deep fried parcels stuffed with cottage cheese mixed in a gongura paste. (Gongura is a sorrel leaf that is popular in Andhra cuisine.) 

Kodi chips are strips of chicken dusted with spices; this dish is moreish and flavourful. We enjoy the kothimeera chicken, that has chicken tossed in a buttery sauce with a generous topping of coriander. One to try if you are not a fan of spicy food. The masala chicken wings have a spice-heavy coating made with chilies, curry leaves and a spice blend. 

The main course has biryani, but we decide to try something new. I have a comforting pappu annam (dal and rice), while my companion has ragi sankati with natu kodi (ragi balls with chicken). The pappu annam comes pre-mixed with a topping of avakaya (Andhra mango pickle), and dollops of ghee. It is served with pachi pulusu, a raw rasam made of tamarind and onions. This is pure joy and a summer staple. The ragi sankati is from the region of Rayalaseema, and is made with ragi flour and rice flour. Paired with the rich chicken curry, it is a must-try. 

The Raju gar kodi pulao comes highly recommended. The white basmati rice is cooked with chicken and topped with onion and nuts. The dish is simple and not overpowered by masala and spices, like a biryani.  

We wrap up the meal with Bobbatlu and jaggery ice cream. Bobbatlu, known as ubattu in Karnataka and pooran poli in Maharashtra is a sweet flatbread. Jaggery ice cream is the perfect match for it.