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Scurry for curry

Curry points are thriving by attracting people with a discerning palate, says Harjeet Kaur Allagh

READY TO EAT The array of delicacies is a big lure Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

Food is a universal need. According to G.B.Shaw, "love for food is sincerer than any kind of love'. It is very aptly said that one can live without love but not without food. In the entire stretch of South India, Andhra cuisine is considered the best, the USP being its pungency and rich colour. We eat food first with our eyes and then it goes into our mouth. Hence, food that looks appetizing sets the mouth drooling while bland food kills the appetite.

With the trend of eating out fast catching on in our laid back city, the very next obvious thing to happen be the `take away' joint. In the last couple of years, the city has witnessed proliferation of curry points at almost every street corner.

The pioneer among them is A.V.S.Prasad, a yoga teacher by profession, who began to supply raw food to his students. He studied the market and realized that there is a wide scope for good business in a take away joint. In January 2004, he opened Spicy Kitchen, a much sought-after place for students, bachelors, workingwomen and housewives who craved to relax and longed for a change in their daily menu to whet their appetites.

"Maintaining both quality and quantity in addition to reasonable pricing are the secrets of my success," says Prasad.

He caters to small gatherings and parties too. Despite many others trying to take a cue from him and setting up their own small units in the area, Prasad continues to be the leader.

Foodie's delight

The gourmet spread would appeal to any foodie. His specialties are crab fry- a rare delicacy, fish curry and an assortment of chicken and mutton dishes. For the vegetarians, he offers dal, vankai - batani (brinjal-peanut), cauliflower Iguru (cauliflower) and all varieties of snacks. A steady stream of customers scurries in and out in carrying bulky parcels of delectable curries.

Narendra, a bachelor working in a telecom company says he regularly picks up a non-veg dish and rice from here. Ramakrishna, another regular customer who depends on Spicy Kitchen to satiate his taste buds, visits because he has complaints against his wife's culinary skills. Bhushan and Kumaraswamy, while passing through Vijayawada, stumbled upon the place and couldn't resist asking for their favourite dishes, as they appeared delicious.

Serve it hot

For Yugandhar, a contractor living away from his family, bachelor life had never been happier with the Kitchen providing him the option of cooking only rice and picking curries from here. Malleswari is a beautician and is hard pressed against time. "It is like home cooked food and available close to my house. So, I can afford the luxury of not cooking and relying on these ready-to-eat packs after a hard day's work. All I need to do is grab it from the shop and serve it hot," she beams.

Almost every colony, including suburbs like Kanuru, has a curry point now. The 100 feet road leading to Autonagar has a number of curry points like Samprada, V.S. Curry Point and Sri Sai Curry Point. Then there is Curry Leaves, Drumsticks besides leading restaurants like Haveli having an exclusive take away counter outside.

The trend has set many women from the older generation wondering about what they view as `strange' ways of running a family by the modern woman.

Many of them remark with their tongue in cheek: "In their quest for equal status with men, women are drifting away from their core responsibilities like cooking for the family members."

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