“I grew up in a small village in Kurnool District. We were extremely poor so my parents got me married early when I was just 13. My husband used to work in a small factory in Hyderabad while I would take care of household chores.

Life moved forward, and over time we had two children. Unfortunately, things went south when my husband suffered from a major eye condition which eventually led to his partial blindness. We were completely helpless, and I felt guilty for not being able to support my family during the crisis. That’s when I decided to step up to share the family responsibilities along with my husband. I was naturally good with cooking so I thought of starting a small roadside food stall on my own. I saved up a small amount and went ahead with my idea. It’s been more than 20 years since I started this affordable home-cooked food stall here at Raidurgam and there’s no looking back ever since.

Customers from all backgrounds such as auto drivers, daily wagers, software employees and families come to taste my food and one can relish the food until they feel full.

The Vegetarian meals at my stall cost just Rs 50 while non-vegetarian meals come at Rs 65. People like my Dal rice and chicken curry a lot alongside other veg curries and sambar. I wake up at 4 am, complete the household chores, and start cooking at 7 am. It takes at least three and a half hours to cook all the dishes. I reach here by 11 am and serve my customers till 3 pm.

My son and daughter in law also help me with the cooking process and they have their own roadside food stall at the highway road.

I enjoy my work the most and I guess that’s what comes with taking care of your family – you feel strong and determined when it’s their happiness on the line.”