Highway On My Podcast

In this episode of Highway On My Podcast, Rocky , Mayur and Abhinandan fly off to their first international destination for the show, Sri Lanka. During the first leg of their Sri Lanka tour, the men discuss their visits to Habarana, Sigiriya and Minneriya. Rocky sets the conversation going with the socio linguistic relevance of “bada bhai” (big brother) and “chhota bhai” (younger brother) with reference to Sri Lanka. Delving into what he thinks the essence of Sri Lanka is, Mayur talks about the spices, beaches, Buddhist culture, plenty of green cover, and the generosity and courteousness of people. On reaching the island nation, Rocky and Mayur decided on becoming Indian superheroes who would represent culture in a foreign land. This led to the birth of “Masala Man” and “Aachar Boy” (pickle boy). The duo reminisce about the lack of changing rooms during most of their travels and having to don their superhero costumes on top of the clothes they were already wearing. Talking about superheroes, the gang talks about how Masala Man and Aachar Boy saved a deer from being hunted down. Abhinandan is reminded of how pleasantly surprised he was by the extraordinary use of jackfruit by Sri Lankans for making a wide variety of exquisitely unique dishes. The team fondly remembers their first pit stop — Cinnamon Lounge, a beautiful property with tiny cottages where monitor lizards peacefully cohabited with guests. Next comes the trek up to the magnificent Sigiriya rock and the beautiful statues on the way. Once back down, the boys head to a nearby village where local hosts arrange a luncheon prepared by the villagers. While the food is cooking, the gang take two canoes and go boating on a local reservoir built by a king. Abhinandan is yet again stunned by the beauty and cleanliness that a place left completely to the locals reflects. The meal, like all meals prepared by locals, turns out to be scrumptious. Abhinandan talks about how similar it was to Indian Goan cuisine despite the stark differences. The men then travel to a national park where they see hundreds of Asian elephants in their natural habitat. They talk about red rice and a local preparation “Pol Sambol” whilst busting the myth about Indians never having invaded a foreign lands. Oh, and they also go hunting with a local tribe.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.  For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.

Has the coronavirus pandemic disrupted your plan to take that long trip? Is the ongoing lockdown making you crave going off-road? Fret not. If you can’t go to the highway, Rocky, Mayur, Prashant, and Abhinandan — the team behind shows like Highway On My Plate, Vital Stats of India, Jai Hind, and Rocky and Mayur's Food Xpress — will bring the highway to you!So, here goes the newest offering from Newslaundry: Highway On My Podcast. The creators of the much loved TV travel show revisit their travels across India, sharing stories, anecdotes, trivia, and — for when the roads are open and inviting again — recommendations on food, culture, people, and much more.In this episode of Highway On My Podcast, the gang sits across (virtually ofcourse! ) to read out mails written by some of the most dedicated and loving fans of all the shows the team has created over the years.Abhinandan asks his co-panellists to think of the people they still remember meeting during their travels. This opens an interesting can of anecdotes about some really interesting people.Abhinandan begins by talking about Sweeta who had shown the gang around a rum factory in Mauritius--‘the lady with the voice and face of an angel,’ as Abhinandan calls her. Meanwhile, Rocky is more interested in the Rum Baba, a dessert made with sponge cake soaked in rum, sugar, and spice...and all things nice.The team reads out a mail from Sovesh who suggests the team ought to make their next journey to Cuttack more satisfying than the last one with the Cuttacki biryani. Mayur is reminded of one Mr Raja about whom he promises to talk more in the Sri Lanka episode.Reading Sujay’s mail, the gang expresses their gratitude for fans who have become family over the course of years. Special shoutout to Abiraan who has been writing to Rocky and Mayur for a long time now. Another mail from a fan in Andhra Pradesh is loaded with recommendations for the two tsars of Indian food and travel. The mail lists Bhimavaram, the “Andhra of Andhra,” with its exceptional range of dishes on offer. The fan shares historical trivia about some of the places the team talked about in the Andhra episode. Then, Rocky goes on to narrate some behind the scenes anecdotes from one of the shows they hosted, called India’s Most Haunted. He talks about how Mayur nearly killed himself multiple times during the shoot at various locations.The conversation meanders across topics, from Prashant’s favourite soft spoken Jaat to a really sentimental story about Major Vikrant, a reminder for us to respect our differences and love one another to honour men like him who sacrifice so much for the country we call home.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.

In this episode of Highway On My Podcast, the gang — like all professionals playing on their home turf — hits it out of the park with recommendations and stories from Delhi. Instead of heading out of the city as they usually do, they drive through it, packing in as much as they can.Starting off with chaats and sweets, Abhinandan brings up Bengali Market. Here, Rocky has visited the same golgappewala for over 20 years. Prashant says the market is the most sanitary place to have street food as compared to other famous food streets across the country.Sticking with chaats, they list Delhi’s wide range, from Moong Daal Ki Chaat in old Delhi to UPSC Ki Chaat. Rocky comes up with multiple stories on how the legendary Gantewala came to be, and they end their trail at Daulat Ki Chaat, which Mayur calls the King of Chaats — though not before a heated argument with everyone else.Ustaad Chai near Jama Masjid gets a mention for the “best tea in the world”, with Prashant calling it an institution, while Rocky and Mayur think it’s one of a kind. They scoot off to Chandni Chowk, taking a food trail up and down the legendary street to talk about the incredible food that it’s been credited with serving for hundreds of years now. Shahi Tukda, Rahim Ki Nihari, Kareem’s, Halwa Paratha — there’s a veritable bouquet of delicacies that you shouldn’t miss if you’re ever in Chandni Chowk.Next up is the top three Chhole Bhature places in Delhi followed by Delhi’s greatest gift to the world: Butter Chicken. Rocky offers fundas on how the dish was invented and the team lists some of the best places to get Butter Chicken in Delhi now. Delhi is where all four panellists grew up and given the city’s incredibly varied palette, the group talks about some of the most famous late night places, the Delhi of the 1990s (it was definitely better!), and other food institutions that the devout must pay homage to when the roads are open and inviting again.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.  For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.

In this episode of Highway On My Podcast, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant head to the booze oasis bordering the dry state of Gujarat: the erstwhile union territory of Daman and Diu. They laze on beaches and drive across endless green pastures while sharing a drink, some laughs and lots of food! Starting off, Abhinandan talks about the beautiful road leading to Daman, with the ocean on both sides. Heading straight to grab a chilled one on a hot afternoon, they visit Veere Da Dhaba. Rocky describes a typical dhaba in Maharashtra and Daman and Diu: people sit on a “khaat”, drink cold beer, eat delicious fresh food, and listen to music. The team then visits Khajura restaurant, where Rocky tucks into a portion of Masala Shark. It’s a wonderful meal, he says, and though it isn’t widely known, shark is a popular food along India’s coastal belt. Meanwhile, Prashant has a more “civilised” (in his words) Pomfret. They then head to The Dara, where Mayur, as the sole vegetarian, makes up for all the seafood raving by describing an unusual okra preparation called Khaatu Bhindi. Rocky also mentions the delicious Bombil Salad here.Taking a break from an overdose of food, the gang visits some shacks on the beach, which mainly cater to those looking to enjoy a drink instead of a meal. They meet a group of kids playing cricket, which inspires Rocky to revisit his gymnastic days. Sadly, it ends with him on his posterior, which doesn’t allow him to sit in peace for the next three days.The group also visits a local fort, tries some great food at Daman Delight, and checks out a few not-so-special restaurants.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.  For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.

In this episode, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant head to India’s national holiday destination and now Mayur’s place of permanent residence — Goa. During their trip across the coastal state, they discuss food, alcohol, and Goan culture and how it has evolved over the years from when the group first visited the state years ago.Starting off, Mayur is urged to lead the troop which he does with nuggets of Goa’s history. Rocky reminisces about their first visit to the state for a shoot, when they spent a considerable amount of time looking for Cafreal, a spicy preparation that came to Goa through its foreign inhabitants.Prashant’s memories of their first shoot leads him to their interaction with Commander Dhonde, who circumnavigated the globe solo by boat, before a much-famed troop of women and Abhilash Tomy achieved the feat. Prashant describes the opportunity of sailing with the commander in the same boat used for the adventure, and a scrumptious meal they had on board in the middle of nowhere.The team lists famous, and not-so-famous, food joints in Goa that are unmissable, including Cafe Bhonsle, which Rocky raves about. Calamari is a restaurant that’s one of Abhinandan’s favourites for its potato jackets and vibe. Rocky says Calamari pioneered the “shack with a shower” concept, and explains how its burgers, cocktail and live music (and shower) make it legendary. Abhinandan then talks about the experience of shooting on a casino ship, and their pilgrimage to Britto’s. But what would define Goa’s food culture? Rocky and Mayur bring up Dhananjay Fish Curry, a nondescript shack that serves simple fish curry and rice along with a few other dishes. The team explains what makes it special and why the restaurant is worth a visit alongside the many fancy places that now make Goa attractive.The conversation also covers what kind of drunk each of them are, Abhinandan’s severe seafood allergy, Mum’s Kitchen, the socio-cultural mix that makes Goan cuisine so special, and breakfast at Leela Cafe.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.  For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.

In this episode, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant drive to a state that they claim is a driver’s delight, with beautiful roads running alongside paddy fields: a trip to erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh. Their travels take them to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Machilipatnam and Ongole.After a beautiful drive to Kakinada, the team sleeps it off and sets off early in the morning for the famous local fish market. Its wares included bull sharks, octopus, eels, and all sorts of other sea creatures. Rocky talks about the women who primarily run the market, and the gang unanimously agrees that it’s a photographer’s paradise (check out examples in the newsletter!). They also recall the sutta the women smoked — locally-rolled mini cigars that were incredibly aromatic, though Rocky nearly passed out when he tried one. Kakinada’s signature dish is Kaaja, a kind of cylindrical jalebi. Heading to Hyderabad, they had no choice but to try biryani in every nook and corner. Abhinandan and Rocky bring up Spicy Venue, a restaurant in Jubilee Hills, where the biryani made it to Abhinandan’s top five favourite meals across years of his travels. Prashant recommends a restaurant called Bahaar, a local legend, run by a patriarch who keeps an eye on the kitchen from his home through multiple CCTV cameras. Rocky remembers spending several Ramzans in Hyderabad doing nothing but wandering the streets, eating Haleem, and having a good time. He and Mayur explain that their most favourite bakery in the country is in Hyderabad, and why it’s unmissable.Moving on to Visakhapatnam, Abhinandan says the city has tremendous potential with its topography, since you can drive from a beach to a hill in less than an hour. They discuss the seafood at the Sea Inn, where an old retired couple serve the day’s fresh catch. The team moves on to Tirupati and then Vijayawada, where they meet a man who could fit surprising amounts of rice in his mouth at one go. They also discuss the Ongole bulls and what makes them so special.All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast. For more trivia and behind the scenes moments from Rocky and Mayur’s travels across India, sign up for the HOMP newsletter.