- USP: South Indian combinations lost in time
- Where: Gachibowli-Miyapur Road
- Cost for two: Approximately ₹1000
Everytime I had passed by Kodi Kura Chitti Gaare (KKCG) at least a dozen times since it opened, I observed a parking lot teeming with waiting customers huddled below the prominent board with the quirky logo. Founded by Srikanth Nathani, a software professional who’s new to the restaurant industry, it’s clear once you step in, sit down and dig in, a lot of love and labour has gone into its conceptualisation — and no, this place is no homage to Chiranjeevi’s number Kodi kura .
People from all walks of life are drawn to the eatery: ten-strong families, lunching professionals and kids off school. When KKCG was in its nascent stage, the high demand for seats at the tables was met with a quick solution whereby the team purchased the set-up next door and simply expanded the premises to accommodate a total of about 150 hungry diners.
The interiors aren’t trying to be fancy, but there are some eye-catching handmade bull whips and cart wheels adorning the walls which are from Srikanth’s own village, showcasing an important home connection.
Masala all day
Oh, the food! KKCG offers up recipes that have been lost in time, namely recipes that according to Srikanth who went on a long-time trek years ago in search of these heritage dishes that restaurants don’t usually offer, proving KKCG was already deep-roooted in his mind
“I would note these dishes and recipes down,” recalls Srikanth, “and finding chefs with plenty of experience while being willing to learn how to prepare these dishes took a while.” To set the place up, food trials prior to opening the place took two rigorous months of constant revising until everything was ideal for the chefs and for Srikanth.
Set before us was an array of appetisers — each one fragrant with its own blend of rich spices: spicy mutton roast, royyala vepudu , karvepaku kodi and signature dish kodi kura chitti gaare , served with a fresh sanne pappu and ginger chutney. By the time we’d had two helpings of each, we were smacking our lips and licking the remaining masala from our fingers while downing water with utter satisfaction — the dishes are spicy but reasonably so, but I recommend you customise as per your tolerances. Props to the cheffing team for not loading these dishes up with oil; the flavours speak for themselves and the food fills you up at a good, even pace, provided you remember to breathe when gobbling all this up.
A dish many will not know about is the kodi gaare , which is pretty self-explanatory. Best served straight after cooking, these tasty appetisers are not to be delivered or had as a takeaway, but enjoyed fresh and in-house.
According to Srikanth, about 2,000 gaarelu are consumed every day, with a vat of fresh batter made every morning. In fact, with the high demand for these signature dishes, the cheffing team boasts its own gaare team whose jobs are to ensure the gaarelu keep coming out fresh; crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
While thalis are on offer at KKCG, the a la carte menu is more popular. For vegetarians, the thali option is common, but the spicy gaare biryani is a favourite. For our main course, we indulged in the gongura mutton biryani, which directly sent me into a mid-meal trance.
What of my concerns of having so much masala in this sure-to-be debilitating summer. To round off the tasty and masala-rich experience — and to alleviate my worries regarding heat-induced zits —a serving of daddojanam , and a glass of light and flavourful mango lassi coupled with a portion of sitafal rabdi calmed us down before we made our way out of the restaurant through the happy crowds.
