Hyderabad, Sept. 26 -- I have an experiment for you. Go vegan for a day.

No, hear me out before trying to think of a way out of this. Go vegan for a day and visit any food spot in Hyderabad. Your options will be a salad or a juice at the very least.

In a city world-renowned for its meat-heavy biryanis, slow-cooked haleem, and spicy kebabs, attempting to eat plant-based sounds less like a lifestyle choice and more like a punishment. Back in 2019, when PETA named Hyderabad India's "Most Vegan-Friendly City," locals raised their eyebrows. Seven years later, the scene tells a far more complicated story, one that alternates between surviving on dry lettuce leaves and stumbling upon brilliant jackfruit biryanis.

To understand where Hyderabad...