Settling into a vibrant space with paintings of quaint village life adorning the walls, we were welcomed with a bowl of sheera to start off our delicious meal at Tadipatri Biryani. A steaming bowl of Badam Kodi Chaaru was brought in first with tender bits of chicken and sliced almonds in a light broth. A platter of assorted appetisers came in next, of which the Tagubotu Kodi stood out with deep fried chicken marinated in a spice mix and served with nice pickled onions. Soon, fresh banana leaves were laid out for the rest of our meal at Tadipatri Biryani.
We opted for the thali that featured gongura chicken, prawn curry and fish fry, along with all the staples of a well-curated South Indian thali, including Majjiga Charu and RotiPacchadi. We were recommended to start the meal with a few morsels of Vellulli Karam and ghee mixed with white rice. The spicy and nutty podi and ghee rice kickstarted our appetite for the huge thali laid out for us. Kushka Rice was highly flavourful on its own, which we think is a great marker for any spicy rice preparation. Nannari Soda, a woody and cooling drink made with the roots of Sugandhi kept the spice levels in check throughout the meal. We also tried the Nalli Kushka with extremely tender meat that fell off the bone.
“Our Tadipatri-style biryanis made with Chitti Mutyalu rice and all other preparations use spices and meat specially brought in from Anantapur to maintain the authentic taste of Tadipatri cuisine,” says Yamini Vemuri Thummallachetty, founder of Tadipatri Biryani. Our meal ended with Kobbari Oliga and Kova Oliga, both mildly sweet preparations that left us wanting for more.
Rs 2,000 for two. At Manikonda.