Hyderabad: Rajeshwari ammama serves ‘Gunta Ponganalu’ with a dash of love

At her humble stall in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet, Rajeshwari ammama serves lip-smacking Andhra-style Gunta Ponganalu along with idly, vada, dosa, poori, onion bondas, and uttapam

Hyderabad: In the age of bizarre food combinations like Dal Makhani ice cream rolls and Coca-Cola chicken, there are people who still enjoy traditional food made by their mothers and grandmothers. And for some reason, if you aren’t able to relish their delicacies, Rajeshwari ammama is here.

At her humble stall in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet, she serves lip-smacking Andhra-style Gunta Ponganalu along with idly, vada, dosa, poori, onion bondas, and uttapam. What’s her special ingredient, you ask? You can taste her love in literally everything she makes. Also, she sprinkles some mouth-watering putnala podi on her dishes.

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Ammama has been in the food business for the past five years and she greets her regular customers with a huge smile every time they visit.

“I was a sweeper at a car showroom for 12 years and when I couldn’t do that job anymore, I decided to start a food business. Although I enjoy cooking for people, this job is also tiring because I have to stand for long hours every day. My husband helps me in making the batter, but I do all the cooking, cleaning, and serving by myself,” shared ammama, whose origins are from Maddikera in Andhra Pradesh.

Be it the IT crowd living in hostels nearby, families, or passers-by looking for quick breakfast or evening snack spots, ammama’s dishes come to everyone’s rescue. Her Gunta Ponganalu has several takers because there are not many tiffin centres and eateries in Hyderabad that serve the melt-in-mouth dish.

“Before Covid-19, I had many more customers and I would finish more than 4kgs of batter in a matter of time. Now, things are a bit slower but my regular customers never fail to come. People relish my karam podi and putnala podi and often ask me to parcel some for them to take home. I think my dishes remind them of their childhood and their native places,” says Rajeshwari.

She is very particular about hygiene and uses only hot water to wash her dishes. Both her daughters are married and are busy with their kids and their own lives, and her son, who lives with her, works as an AC mechanic. Although they are always there when she needs something, ammama feels she needs to be independent in life.

Where: Prakash Nagar

What: Gunta Ponganalu

How to get there: After Brand Factory, take the left next to Prakash Nagar petrol pump. Go straight and you will find the stall opposite HDFC ATM.

Timings: 5 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm.

Price: Rs 25-30

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