Visakhapatnam: The Hyderabadi dum biryani, which was once a favourite among Vizagites, is slowly being replaced by relatively new varieties to the port city Ulavacharu biryani and Avakai biryani.

Local restaurants are now offering a cuisine native to Vijayawada, tickling the taste buds of Vizagites. Suggestions are also pouring in to promote these two biryanis as Andhra’s special biryanis.

Among the two, Ulavacharu biryani is more in demand. The biryani usually comes in three flavours, with chicken being the most in demand.

Unlike Hyderabadi biryani, where boiled pieces are added to the rice, fried chicken pieces are marinated in a tangy Ulavacharu horsegram soup in this biryani variety.

Interestingly, Ulavacharu and Avakai (mango pickle) are native recipes of Guntur, but the biryani using both was first prepared in Vijayawada a few years ago.

“Seventy per cent of our daily biryani sale are of Ulavacharu and the remaining 30 per cent forms the other varieties like veg, prawn, mutton and dum biryani,”said N. Satish Babu of De Cabana beachside restaurant near Sagar Nagar.

“Though there are a few who still ask for dum biryani these days, most are asking for either Ulavacharu or Avakai biryani,” he said.

“I heard about Ulavacharu and Avakai biryani from my relatives and friends of Vijayawada, but only tasted it now.

That ulavacharu, coupled with aromatic biryani and fried pieces, offers a different taste. This is several notches above all the other biryanis I have ever tasted,” said Paramesh K. who lives in the US and is on a vacation in Vizag.