Ep 23: Biryani-hopping in Hyderabad, and a day at the Kakinada fish market

Highway On My Podcast

In this episode, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant drive to a state that they claim is a driver’s delight, with beautiful roads running alongside paddy fields: a trip to erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh. Their travels take them to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Machilipatnam and Ongole.

After a beautiful drive to Kakinada, the team sleeps it off and sets off early in the morning for the famous local fish market. Its wares included bull sharks, octopus, eels, and all sorts of other sea creatures. Rocky talks about the women who primarily run the market, and the gang unanimously agrees that it’s a photographer’s paradise (check out examples in the newsletter!). They also recall the sutta the women smoked — locally-rolled mini cigars that were incredibly aromatic, though Rocky nearly passed out when he tried one. Kakinada’s signature dish is Kaaja, a kind of cylindrical jalebi.

Heading to Hyderabad, they had no choice but to try biryani in every nook and corner. Abhinandan and Rocky bring up Spicy Venue, a restaurant in Jubilee Hills, where the biryani made it to Abhinandan’s top five favourite meals across years of his travels. Prashant recommends a restaurant called Bahaar, a local legend, run by a patriarch who keeps an eye on the kitchen from his home through multiple CCTV cameras.

Rocky remembers spending several Ramzans in Hyderabad doing nothing but wandering the streets, eating Haleem, and having a good time. He and Mayur explain that their most favourite bakery in the country is in Hyderabad, and why it’s unmissable.

Moving on to Visakhapatnam, Abhinandan says the city has tremendous potential with its topography, since you can drive from a beach to a hill in less than an hour. They discuss the seafood at the Sea Inn, where an old retired couple serve the day’s fresh catch. The team moves on to Tirupati and then Vijayawada, where they meet a man who could fit surprising amounts of rice in his mouth at one go. They also discuss the Ongole bulls and what makes them so special.

All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.

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