It is about 6 in the evening and Tenneti Park is caught between evening walkers and traffic. The young college crowd and foodies are out too. For, this is the best time when the food trucks line-up at the stretch and one can relish chicken pakoda, noodles with Manchurian and a refreshing cup of Irani chai. The hottest on offer now are fish.
In the middle of the winding street adjoining Tenneti Park is the food truck ‘Sri Venkateswara Sea Foods’ doling out varieties of fried fish and prawns. Barely four months since it opened, the food truck’s popularity has soared with a growing clientele. Every evening as the crowd swells around, Venkateswaramma hurriedly drops a handful of marinated prawns into a generous serving of oil, set to heat in an iron tawa. “The marinated mixture I use is very different from what others use,” she says and dribbles an orange powder on the sizzling prawns. In a couple of minutes, she scoops the deep-brown prawns and dishes out the plate sprinkled with chat masala and onion rings. It’s cooked to perfection with the spicy masala adding a crispy touch. This is easily one of the best fried prawns I have tried in the food trucks of the city. Savouring these sea food flavours as you watch the waves lapping the shore below is an experience!
The food truck belongs to Venkateswaramma’s family. Hailing from the fishing community, her husband Venkateswara Rao has been nurturing the dream of starting a family venture of sea food from quite some time. It was only recently with the support of the Department of Fisheries that he could get a subsidy to start his dream project. After getting a bank loan of ₹5 lakh, he finally inched closer to his dream. It took a year to set the truck in motion—getting licences, the design and the menu in place. King fish (vanjaram), mackerel (kanatadtalu), Asian sea bass (kans or bhetki), seer fish (konam), pomfret and crabs – all are neatly arranged in separate trays, slathered with masala, ready to be fried. “I do not compromise on the quality. The fish varieties vary every day. We get the fresh catch of the day and serve it here,” says Venkateswara.
As dusk sets in and the crowd starts to arrive, Venkateswaramma and her sister are on their feet, dishing out plates of fish fry. They dust the fish with red masala. “It has chilli and turmeric powder, and ginger-garlic paste,” she smiles, careful not to divulge the exact recipe. There are many regulars here, who visit the food truck at least twice a week. “I love the taste and the freshness of the fish here. It’s one of the best evening snack options in the city. I have brought my friends and they have fallen in love with the varieties here,” says Rajanya Rettadi, a B.Pharm student of GITAM University.
The prices vary depending on the size of the catch. A plate of fish fry starts from ₹50 onwards. The food truck rolls into the street by 4 p.m and wraps up by 10 p.m