VORACIOUS IN VIZAG

Andhra Pradesh's coastal city dishes up lively street fare, offering a glimpse of the region's exuberant flavour profile

- POOJA NAIK

As the Bay of Bengal swallows the sun whole, Vizag's streets are ignited by lampposts, and the buzzing MVP Colony gears up for a flamboyant show. The magicians, clad in simple checkered shirts and jeans, draw a ravenous audience that gather to witness a beguiling act. Except, the stage is replaced with a giant iron griddle and the wand with a ladle. The oil hisses and the batter sizzles upon contact with the hot surface. Chopped onions garnish the dosa, and a minute later, the crisp delish is up for grabs.

I patiently await my turn for a taste of the regional grub. My guide exchanges a quick word with the food vendor in Telugu and returns with a plate of aviri kudumu. The urad dal idli-served with piquant peanut and coconut chutneys-resembles a dosa in appearance, but is much fluffier in texture. I tear away one bite after another and they melt like butter in my mouth. If first impressions are telling, then Visakhapatnam's street food scene knows how to score brownie points.

Come evening, food trucks and stalls ubiquitously pop up in every corner of the city's centre. Bikers and pedestrians, locals and tourists swarm the stores that dish up crowd favourites: heaps of Mysore bonda, momos, biryani, keema dosa, and "Indianised” versions of Chinese noodles and fried rice. The scene unfolds almost identically every day.