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 special episode of Highway On My Podcast, Rocky, Abhinandan, Mayur, and Prashant take a trip down memory lane, and recount some of their favourite experiences together in the past years.

The team recounts their memories of witnessing Onam at the ancient Thrikkakara Temple in Kochi, Kerala. While the festival is celebrated by people of all religious backgrounds — both devout and otherwise — no one wants to kill anyone, which according to Mayur truly showcases India at its secular best. From costumed elephants and quarrelsome bulls to a never ending feast, the port city does not disappoint the discerning travellers. 

The panel also reminisces the magical interconnectedness between the Himalayan town of Darjeeling and Mount Kanchenjunga, visible through every window frame, doorway, and verandah. Although they missed a ride on the iconic toy train, they did visit some of the town’s most celebrated eateries, including Glenary’s Bakery and Pub and the original Keventer’s which serves what is arguably India’s best continental breakfast.

Later in the episode, the gang remembers their trip to Mandvi, a small but historic town in Kutch, Gujarat. Mandvi is home to India’s most exclusive and most talented dabeliwala, the now-late Gababhai. Talk of the quaint, medieval shipyard in the beach town evokes in Rocky and Mayur memories of the time they replicated the iconic ‘king of the world’ move from the movie Titanic.

And since any journey across India is as rich a gastronomical tour, the group also recalls some of their favourite meals together, including the royal wazwan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the theatrically-prepared chaat at Indore’s legendary Sarafa Bazar, and in Nagpur and Tezpur, chillies hot enough to make your life flash before your eyes. 

All this and more, only in this week’s episode of 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In this episode, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant take a swift trip across multiple locations. But this time, they take their cues  from some of our wonderful listeners, who have written in with their travel experiences. 

Starting off, Abhinandan reads an email from Atharva, who recommends visiting the Irani restaurants in Mumbai and trying a wide variety of dishes. Atharva says the podcast helps him get through daily chores during the lockdown. 

Picking up from Atharva’s city of residence, Abhinandan describes a visit to INS Hamla in Mumbai, which is the Logistics Training Institute for the Navy. Rocky remembers how the people at INS Hamla prepare an “electric” lemonade. Abhinandan and Prashant reiterate that the Army, Navy and Air Force know how to look after their own, though Prashant thinks the Navy has an edge over the others. 

Next up is an email from Ashok, who says the podcast has become a staple while he jogs. Ashok details a trip to Sikkim, replete with photographs. Prashant points out how it’s interesting that we often remember things that go wrong during our travels — they make up some of our strongest memories from trips. Rocky adds his two cents on what he loves about Sikkim, and why we need to respect the diversity that India has to offer. The gang reads an email from Prabhjot, who also talks about a Sikkim trip, and discusses a local favourite along the Northeast, Thongba, which is a drink made from fermented rice. 

Abhinav writes in to offer his patronage to his “food gods”, as he puts it, and why he loves Rocky and Mayur, with their show and now podcast being his steady companion through the years. Abhinav is from a fauji background, so Abhinandan and Prashant take listeners to Bengaluru, where the army’s chefs are trained, and the knife skills they witnessed.

Rocky brings up the Floating Islands (an egg white preparation) and cold coffee from the NDA and IMA that he loves. Prashant talks about jelly custard, another standard dessert that he associates with the Army. Rocky jumps back in to salute yet another dessert that the forces make like no one else: the tipsy pudding.

The gang wraps up with emails from Shashank, Rohit, and a few others, and what they’d like their last meals to be.

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.

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In the light of the loss of 20 Indian soldiers killed in action in the Galwan Valley, Highway On My Podcast decided to dedicate this episode to our men and women who survive extreme conditions for our safety and well-being. 

So, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant take you to various defence campuses across the country, which they had the fortune to visit during their 24-episode stint of Jai Hind. They travel from the freezing cold of -25° Celsius locations to excruciatingly hot terrains where army personnel train in 49° Celsius heat.

The conversation begins with the group discussing their reactions to the Galwan Valley deaths. Rocky corrects Abhinandan when he uses the term “martyred”, explaining that he prefers the army terminology of “KIA”, or “killed in action”. Prashant remembers how cold, dark and harsh it gets in Galwan, and says, “I can’t imagine what they went through.”

Skipping his usual cheeky approach to life, Rocky, who lost his father in action during the 1971 war, passionately speaks about the futility of war. He describes the loss of reality that looms over talking heads calling for war from television studios, and the sheer respect he has for the forces. At any point of time, an army man is ready to fight for his country. But, he adds, “If you need to go to war, have a very good reason for it.”

On a visit to the Eastern Air Command in Shillong, the group reminisces about a funny story involving Rocky’s broken leg, made worse by Abhinandan’s miscalculated bravado. While talking about shooting somewhere in the desert, Prashant describes the minimalism of the fauji lifestyle and why army men stand apart from a crowd. Speaking of the desert, Abhinandan remembers being around one of the world’s only mounted cavalry, and also how a platoon erected a kitchen and a dining area in the middle of the desert in no time.

Another memorable experience was a formal dinner with the para commandos, made special by the tradition and discipline enforced. According to protocol, Abhinandan explains, the main seat is taken by the senior-most officer, and nobody starts eating until food is served to the last person in the room. Once the food is served, the senior officer raises a toast to the president, who is the head of the army, along with the others in the room. Only once the officer picks up his spoon do the others begin eating. The coordination runs like clockwork, with everyone functioning in tandem.

Towards the end of the podcast, Rocky and Mayur recollect the various times they underwent training during their travels, and Rocky’s experience of firing a medium machine gun while shooting with the Garud Commandos. They also talk about sitting around a bonfire with jawans and swapping stories and singing songs, and the glorious time they spent with men and women around the country who make up the most efficient institution this country has ever had.

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.

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In this episode of Highway On My Podcast, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant drive off to Abhinandan’s home state of Uttarakhand. 

Abhinandan starts off by expressing his disappointment at how Dehradun has become cluttered with traffic and urbanisation. The team then visits the Indian Military Academy, one of the most efficiently functioning institutions in the country. They describe how a sense of “nation first” is instilled in young cadets here — and how nobody lays out a party like the army does! Rocky also explains why first-year cadets can’t ride bicycles to commute from one place to another. 

The team leaves the academy behind to visit places that hold nostalgic value for Abhinandan and Rocky. First up, they remember a Bhaang Ki Chutney they sampled in Dehradun, where weed is abundant. Abhinandan takes listeners to his alma mater, the Doon School, before the team heads to Ellora’s bakery in Dehradun to have lemon tarts and lemon custard. Hopping on to another food favourite, the group goes to Kumar’s, next to the Ghanta Ghar, where Mayur remembers the unconventional Lauki ke Laddoo. 

Driving towards Mussoorie, the team halts at Rose Restaurant on Rajpur Road where a gentleman serves delicious Pakodas. In Mussoorie, they debate what makes the Lovely Omelette Centre famous across India. The discussion spans ghosts, and softies, hot chocolate and Kalimpong Lollipops at the Chic Chocolate cafe. Heading to the neighbouring area of Landour, Prashant brings up the Devdar Woods restaurant, one of his favourite places in the region, with its coziness, scrumptious wood-fired pizzas, and fantastic coffee. 

Moving on to Haridwar, the team looks out for Mathura Walon Ki Pracheen Dukaan, a place famous for its pumpkin preparations. They attend the evening aarti at Haridwar, with its mystical atmosphere on the banks of the river as the sun sets. They then head to Kathgodam, the last train station in this region, where they visit Lee’s restaurant. They also discuss boating in Nainital, the Patal Bhuvaneshwar caves, and sift through Rocky’s list of secret places across Uttarakhand.

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.

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