Ordering food is one of the easiest ways to start using Telugu, because you already do it every day. A handful of words and a few ready-made sentences are enough to order like a regular at your local tiffin centre in Hyderabad, Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam instead of just pointing at a menu board.
What Are the Most Important Telugu Words for Ordering Food?
A short list of words covers almost everything you'll need at a restaurant, tiffin centre, or food stall.
Ivvanḍi (ఇవ్వండి) - Give
Example: "Chāy ivvanḍi" - Give me a chai.
Kāvāli (కావాలి) - Want
Example: "Extra sambar kāvāli" - I want extra sambar.
Waddu (వద్దు) - Don't want
Example: "Sugar waddu" - No sugar, please.
Ekkuva (ఎక్కువ) - More
Example: "Chutney ekkuva" - More chutney, please.
Takkuva (తక్కువ) - Less
Example: "Kāram takkuva" - Less spicy, please.
Koncham (కొంచెం) - A little
Example: "Koncham kāram ekkuva" - A little extra spicy.
Chālu (చాలు) - Enough
Example: "Annam chālu" - Enough rice.
Oka (ఒక) / Rendu (రెండు) - One / Two
Example: "Oka dosa, rendu idli" - One dosa, two idlis.
Vēyanḍi (వేయండి) - Serve, or put
Example: "Chāru vēyanḍi" - Pour some chāru (rasam).
Bill (బిల్) - Bill
Example: "Bill ivvanḍi" - Please bring the bill.
What Are Useful Telugu Sentences for Ordering at a Restaurant?
Once you know the individual words above, they combine into full working sentences. Here are a few that cover most restaurant situations.
Oka plate idli ivvanḍi (ఒక ప్లేట్ ఇడ్లీ ఇవ్వండి) - Give me one plate of idli
Swap "idli" for whatever you're ordering, and "oka" for however many you want.
Sambar extra kāvāli, chutney ekkuva ivvanḍi (సాంబార్ ఎక్స్ట్రా కావాలి, చట్నీ ఎక్కువ ఇవ్వండి) - I want extra sambar, and more chutney please
A common combination at any tiffin centre serving idli or vada.
Kāram takkuva (కారం తక్కువ) - Less spicy
Very useful in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where food can be famously hot. Say it upfront when you order.
Kāram waddu, koncham tīpi kāvāli (కారం వద్దు, కొంచెం తీపి కావాలి) - No spice, I want it a little sweet
Useful when a dish can be made either way, or when you want to adjust the spice level upfront.
Chāru vēyanḍi, annam chālu (చారు వేయండి, అన్నం చాలు) - Pour the chāru, that's enough rice
The classic combination during a meal - asking for a curry or rasam to be added, while stopping the rice.
Parcel chēyanḍi (పార్సెల్ చేయండి) - Please pack this to go
"Parcel" is used exactly like the English word, just with "chēyanḍi" attached.
Bill ivvanḍi, dhanyavādālu (బిల్ ఇవ్వండి, ధన్యవాదాలు) - Please bring the bill, thank you
A polite way to close out the meal.
What Are the Must-Try Dishes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and How Do You Order Them?
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a few dishes that are practically iconic to the region. Here's what to order and how to ask for it.
Hyderabadi Dum Biryani (బిర్యానీ)
Hyderabad's most famous dish. Rice and marinated meat are layered and cooked slowly in a sealed pot, and it usually comes with mirchi ka salan and raita.
To order: "Oka chicken dum biryani ivvanḍi" or "Oka mutton dum biryani ivvanḍi".
Pesaraṭṭu (పెసరట్టు)
On menus it's usually spelled pesarattu. A crisp dosa made from green gram, popular across Andhra Pradesh, often served with ginger chutney. The "MLA pesarattu" version comes stuffed with upma.
To order: "Oka pesaraṭṭu ivvanḍi" or "Oka upma pesaraṭṭu ivvanḍi".
Idli Vada with Sambar (ఇడ్లీ వడ సాంబార్)
Usually two idlis and one vada, dipped straight into a bowl of sambar. A classic tiffin centre breakfast.
To order: "Oka plate idli vada sambar ivvanḍi".
Mirchi Bajjī (మిర్చి బజ్జీ)
Large, mild green chillies dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried, often served with chopped onion and a squeeze of lemon. A classic evening snack, especially on a rainy day.
To order: "Oka plate mirchi bajjī ivvanḍi".
Pulihōra (పులిహోర)
On menus it's usually spelled pulihora. Tamarind rice, tempered with peanuts and curry leaves, and often offered at temples.
To order: "Oka plate pulihōra ivvanḍi".
Gōngūra (గోంగూర)
On menus it's usually spelled gongura. A tangy, sour leafy green that is iconic to Andhra and Telangana cooking. You'll find it as gongura pachchaḍi (a chutney eaten with rice) and cooked with mutton or chicken.
To order: "Gōngūra pachchaḍi ivvanḍi" or "Oka plate gōngūra mutton ivvanḍi".
Haleem (హలీమ్)
A slow-cooked stew of meat, wheat and spices, and a Ramzan speciality in Hyderabad.
To order: "Oka plate haleem ivvanḍi".
Irani Chai (ఇరానీ చాయ్)
Sweet, milky tea served at Irani cafes, usually with a crumbly Osmania biscuit on the side.
To order: "Oka Irani chāy ivvanḍi" or "Chāy, Osmania biscuit ivvanḍi".
Double ka Meetha (డబుల్ కా మీఠా)
A Hyderabadi dessert of fried bread soaked in sweet milk and topped with dry fruits.
To order: "Oka double ka meetha ivvanḍi".
What Is a Traditional Andhra Meal and How Do You Order It?
A full Telugu meal in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, served on a plate or a banana leaf, comes with several items, followed by rice served in courses. Here's what's usually on it -
- Pappu (పప్పు) - dal, usually mixed into the first serving of rice
- Neyyi (నెయ్యి) - ghee, often poured over the first serving of rice and pappu
- Kūra (కూర) - vegetable curries, usually one or two varieties per meal
- Pachchaḍi (పచ్చడి) - a chutney or pickle, like gongura or tomato pachchaḍi, and āvakāya (mango pickle)
- Pulusu (పులుసు) - a tangy, tamarind-based gravy
- Sāmbār (సాంబారు) - a lentil and vegetable stew, poured over rice
- Chāru (చారు) - also called rasam in other parts of India, a thin, tangy, peppery soup, usually had after the first courses
- Perugu (పెరుగు) - curd, usually mixed with rice toward the end of the meal
- Majjiga (మజ్జిగ) - a glass of spiced buttermilk, served alongside or at the end
- Pāyasam (పాయసం) - a sweet, milk-based dessert, served in a small bowl
- Appaḍam (అప్పడం) - a crisp papad, usually served on the side
How Do You Ask for More, Less, or Enough During an Unlimited Meal?
Unlimited meals work on refills, and the server will keep coming around asking if you want more of something. A handful of words make this exchange easy -
Ivvanḍi (ఇవ్వండి) - Give
Example: "Annam ivvanḍi" - said when the server asks if you want more rice.
Vēyanḍi (వేయండి) - Serve
Example: "Sāmbār vēyanḍi" - asking for sambar to be served onto your plate.
Kāvāli (కావాలి) - Want
Example: "Pāyasam kāvāli" - I want some pāyasam.
Waddu (వద్దు) - Don't want
Example: "Pulusu waddu" - No pulusu for me, thanks.
Chālu (చాలు) - Enough
Example: "Majjiga chālu" - That's enough buttermilk, when the server is pouring and you want them to stop.
Put together, a typical exchange sounds like this - the server comes around with rice, you say "Ivvanḍi," they serve, and once it's enough you say "Chālu". Same pattern for sāmbār, chāru, kūra, or anything else being served - "vēyanḍi" or "ivvanḍi" to start, "ekkuva" if you want more, "takkuva" if you want less, "chālu" to stop, and "waddu" if you'd rather skip something entirely.
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Thank you, or as we say in Telugu - Dhanyavādālu!
