‘Hyderabadi dum biryani’ spreads its aroma in Vijayawada

Hoteliers leave no stone unturned to promote the cuisine and its original flavour

The lip smacking ‘Hyderabadi dum biryani’ is now a hot favourite of many foodies as the demand is catching up in the city.

Stroll into any by-lane of M.G. Road, Besant Road, One Town, Patamata or Autonagar, one can find restaurants offering biryani made with mutton, chicken, fish and prawns with the typical Hyderabadi flavour. Garnished with carrot, onion and green chilly slices, hoteliers are serving the yummy dish in copper and steel ‘handis’ with ‘dahi raita’ (yogurt and onions) and mirchi salan (green chilly curry) to woo customers. Further, the salad, including onion, carrot, cucumber and lemon slices is also served at on the plate to pep up the delicacy.

The hoteliers, on an average, are able to sell more than 50 plates of biryani, including parcels, everyday at a cost ranging from Rs.210 to Rs.300 per plate. Biryani made with prawns, fish, eggs and ulava charu (horse gram dish) are also offered at eateries thus leaving no stone unturned to enhance the flavour and aroma of the ever relished cuisine, says Brijesh Thakur, Executive Chef from a star hotel on M.G. Road. “Rice is a staple food in Andhra and offering biryani prepared with basmati rice and meat would always enable us to attract food lovers,” he says.

The hoteliers have also taken all care to retain the authenticity of the “king of the Nizams’ kitchen”.

“We do not want to take any chance with the taste and aroma. We make our chefs learn the techniques that have been followed by the Nizams’ chefs for ages. We ensure the cooks are well-trained before trying their hand with the dish,” he says.

Biryani festival planned

Plans are also afoot by a few hoteliers to organise biryani food festivals in Vijayawada shortly to promote the cuisine in the lesser known places, says another restaurant owner. Food lovers say they relish the food in Vijayawada when they were not in Hyderabad. “We have biryani at Paradise and Alpha hotel in Secunderabad and when we are in Vijayawada, we visit the restaurants to relish over the dish,” adds V.V. Ramana Raju, a marketing executive from Vijayawada.