3 weeks ago
Hosa Hyderabad Showcases South India's Micro-Cuisines Beyond Dosa and Idli
Most people think South Indian food is just dosas and idlis.
A new restaurant called Hosa in Hyderabad wants to show there is much more.
The head chef, Harish Rao, travelled for more than twenty years to learn old family recipes.
The restaurant cooks food from five southern states: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Some dishes are very old and almost forgotten, like a pineapple curry that comes from a temple in Udupi.
Others look surprising, like a coconut dish that feels like calamari but is vegetarian.
The drink makers also use South Indian flavours like mango, chilli and herbs instead of artificial syrups.
The people behind Hosa want to keep these food traditions alive for young chefs.
They say the most important thing is simple, honest home food, just presented more beautifully.
Hosa already has restaurants in Goa and Gurugram, and now it is serving its food in Hyderabad.
Hosa, an EHV International restaurant in Hyderabad, focuses on South India's micro-cuisines rather than only dosas and idlis.
Brand Chef Harish Rao spent over two decades researching regional recipes across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The menu features Udupi temple-style pineapple gojju, coconut stew with appam, Vadala Pulusu and a vegetarian tender coconut dish that mimics calamari.
Ninety per cent of the menu is described as simple home food presented with an elevated presentation, not dramatic reinventions.
Head of Bars Varun Sharma makes in-house cocktails with South Indian ingredients such as nanari, mango, Guntur chilli and jaggery.
- Who
- Brand Chef Harish Rao, Founder Chairman Rohit Khattar, Head of Bars Varun Sharma and the EHV International team
- What
- Opened Hosa, a Hyderabad restaurant focused on South India's regional micro-cuisines rather than only dosas and idlis
- Where
- Hyderabad, near the Hitec City area
- When
- Not specified in the article
- Why
- To preserve and celebrate South India's diverse regional cuisines and native ingredients, and to keep culinary heritage alive for younger generations
Key facts
- Restaurant
- Hosa
- Parent company
- EHV International
- Location
- Hyderabad, near Hitec City
- Brand Chef
- Harish Rao
- Founder Chairman
- Rohit Khattar
- Existing locations
- Goa and Gurugram
- Cuisine focus
- Micro-cuisines of five South Indian states
- Signature cocktails
- Hosa 75 and Rasam Mary
Quotes
Varun Sharma
Head of Bars at Hosa, responsible for the cocktail program.
“When we say South Indian coastal, it is not only about seafood. There are fishing communities, vegetarian communities and many others living together. Everyone has their own food. That is what we are concentrating on here at Hosa.”
deccanchronicle.com
“South Indian food is not only about dosas and idlis. Chef Harish travelled through regions and micro-regions to create dishes that people haven’t experienced before.”
deccanchronicle.com











