A sunny evening, a lively gathering, and the aroma of spices in the air — this is what The Avakaya Experience at ADI, The Leela Hyderabad, felt like. Guests were welcomed with evening snacks such as Mirchi Bajji, Chai, and refreshing summer coolers like Nannari Sarbath, setting the perfect mood for an experience rooted in tradition and nostalgia.
The event beautifully brought back childhood memories while creating an atmosphere filled with laughter, conversations, and warmth. Before the event began, we had the opportunity to speak with Naveen Salla, manager at ADI, and Chef S Kumar, who shared the inspiration behind this unique celebration.
“Everyone does cake mixing during winters, but when it comes to our traditions, avakaya mixing was almost like a festival during our childhood,” says Naveen, adding, “Right from plucking mangoes from the trees to cutting and drying them, and then preparing all the spices, the entire process would take one or two days. In villages, every household would compete with one another while making avakaya. Nowadays, people mostly buy commercial pickles from the market. ADI is a place where you can reconnect with your roots, and that is why we decided to host this experience here. We sourced all the mangoes from our owner’s farm.”
Speaking about the food served during the evening, Chef S Kumar says, “We prepared traditional dishes like Mirchi Bajji, Sarva Pindi, Mutton Keema Balls, Mamsam Keema Undalu, Erra Karam Podi, and several other Telangana delicacies.”
As we indulged in these flavours, the highlight of the evening soon began — the avakaya mixing. Bowls filled with freshly cut raw mangoes, aromatic spices, and oil were brought together, and everyone enthusiastically mixed the ingredients by hand while maintaining proper hygiene. The entire experience felt deeply personal and nostalgic, reminding everyone of the joy of celebrating traditions together.
Overall, The Avakaya Experience was more than just a culinary activity; it was a beautiful return to our roots.