Idlis & dosas can never go wrong at this 40-year-old tiffin centre in Hyderabad  

Hyderabad: Ask a Hyderabadi where you can eat the best breakfast on a budget in the city, and chances are high that they will point you to Pragathi Tiffin Centre near Pragati Mahavidyalaya at Hanuman Tekdi.  And if you haven’t yet tried idli and dosa here, then you’ve missed out on some good things in […]

Hyderabad: Ask a Hyderabadi where you can eat the best breakfast on a budget in the city, and chances are high that they will point you to Pragathi Tiffin Centre near Pragati Mahavidyalaya at Hanuman Tekdi.  And if you haven’t yet tried idli and dosa here, then you’ve missed out on some good things in life.

The eatery, well-known for crispy and crunchy dosas and fluffy idlis, was started around 40 years ago by brothers – Kumarayya and Kanakayya.  

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The duo’s father used to run a roadside sugarcane juice centre and the family survived with whatever he earned. Eventually, the brothers started the tiffin centre and the name for the centre was given by their customers themselves as it was right in front of the famous Pragathi Mahavidyalaya.

The success wasn’t easy though. They experienced many sleepless nights, crack-of-dawn tasks, and long, grueling days.  

“We persisted and we achieved,” Kanakayya says, adding that the eatery attracts hundreds of customers every day.

It all began with just sambar idli and upma and today they sell almost every breakfast item including dosa and upma. There was a time when even film actors including Prabhas and Uday Kiran visited the place to taste their tiffin.

The centre opens at 6.30 am and runs till 9.30 pm. You’ll never see this place less crowded, but don’t expect anything fancy. There is no seating. For ages, it has been the adda for college-goers. We recommend you to have butter paneer masala dosa and a plate of idli. For purists, there is masala dosa and onion dosa. Everything is served on a banana leaf with a side of coconut chutney, podi, and sambhar.

The owner believes that their quick service, quality, and modest prices are what keeps them close to customers’ hearts.

After having a light meal at Pragathi, don’t miss exploring the streets of Koti, the iconic locality. Shop your heart out for books, tech stuff, clothes, footwear, and lastly, don’t miss stopping by 50-year-old iconic chat joint Gokul Chat. Forever bustling with foodies, the place serves best cut mirchi ragda, masala puri, pav bhaji, and cold dahi misal.

 

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