APTDC plans to promote ‘bongu biryani’ and ‘bongu chicken’

Food lovers will soon to have the spicy flavours for ‘bongu biriyani’ and ‘bongu chicken’ (dishes made in bamboo logs), in Kadapa and Tirupati.

As an initiative by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), Chefs from both private and public sector restaurants in the districts had a training programme to cook ‘bongu biryani’ and ‘bongu chicken’, delicious dishes popular in local Andhra Pradesh. The event took place at the State Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (SIHMCTAN), in Tirupati.

“Bongu Biryani is prepared by stuffing rice and chicken mixed with required spices in a bamboo log, covering its mouth with leaves and burning it naturally on fire until its outer layer burns fully,” explained Sivaramakrishna, Chef, SIHMCTAN. “Bongu chicken also make in the same way”, he added.

“This is part of our plan to promote the nutritious dish, which is generally found in the Araku region of Visakhapatnam. In future, it will be made available to everyone via hotels of the tourism department, as well as the private hotels, those who are interested,” said RV Suresh Reddy, Divisional Manager, APTDC,

“We plan to make the ‘signature dish’ of the state available at least once in a week, initially, in APTDC hotels in the district” he added.

APTDC also has plans to conduct food festivals to propagate the local cuisines of the state.

Later, V Giribabu, Principal, SIHMCTAN and Nisar Ahmed, the Assistant Director, delineated the training programme and the government’s plan to popularize the dish.