Royyala Iguru

Prawn stir-fry — fresh, medium-sized prawns (royyalu) cleaned and marinated with turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt, then dry-fried in a generous amount of hot sesame oil with mustard seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves, fried onion, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, and the Telangana masala blend until the prawns cook through and the masala clings as a thick, aromatic, near-dry coating. Unlike a prawn curry with a gravy base, the iguru is almost dry — the masala reduces completely into the oil that coats the prawns. The intense heat and rapid cooking preserve the prawns' natural sweetness; the sesame oil and the iguru masala's specific aromatics create a finish distinctive to Telangana coastal-influenced cooking. Eaten as a protein accompaniment to rice or jowar roti.