Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its love affair with Biryani. Think Biryani, and you instantly conjure the image of Hyderabadi Biryani. While Hyderabad may be a part of Telangana now, the love affair for Biryani runs deep and wide across Andhra Pradesh up to Visakhapatnam. In Vishakapattanam or Vizag, you can find many Biryani shops offering you a selection of biryanis, but at The Spicy Venue, Jubilee Hills, you would find one of the most unique biryani preparations of all times, the MLA Potlam Biryani. The word Potlam or Potli means a Pouch. Here, the Biryani comes neatly wrapped inside an omelette, that doubles as a pouch. At the first glance, the dish may appear to be a Desi version of ‘Omurice’, a Japanese dish, where fried rice is wrapped inside an omelette. And concept-wise, yes, they are pretty similar but in terms of flavour, they are very different.
Which brings us to another, a rather peculiar component of its name...what does the 'MLA' in the MLA Biryani stand for? Was it created on special demand of an MLA or is it a recipe borrowed from an MLA? Well, neither is the case. It is said that it was simply called MLA to indicate the grandeur of the dish. It is the USP of the restaurant and thus required a befitting name. The first outlet of the Spicy Venue opened in Hyderabad in the year 2001, it was brought to Vishakapattanam by Mr. Sushant Temmula, where it scaled new heights of popularity.
The biryani stuffed inside the thin, golden-yellow omelette is also not your regular biryani, it is brimming with the goodness of juicy mutton keema and spicy prawns. The omelette is made in a heavy kadhai and seasoned with red chilli powder. Once cooked, it is carefully scraped out and placed on a plate, the biryani is placed right in the centre and the edges are folded and the entire omelette is used to nicely wrap the biryani. This ‘wrap’ is then served hot with a spicy curry or salan and raita.
Instagram creators @thehungryindians, also shot a video of this unique biryani which is going viral on Instagram. The video has clocked over a million views, and the comments section is filled with a range of reactions, some who love it or want to give it a try, and some who find it overrated.
What do you think of the biryani? Do let us know.