Offering interesting food festivals all throughout the year, Café Delhi Heights is back again with a festival of the country’s staple – “Rice Above The Rest”

In our culture, rice goes beyond just being a staple, it  holds a ritual significance as well. From weddings, to prayers, the annual harvest cycle of rice determines the calendar of festivals.  

“The versatility of rice makes it the most loved grain all over the world. Right from the Khichdi, to simple Pulao to fragrant pots of rice and spice meats called biryani, rice is a feast beyond compare. Hence We at Café Delhi Heights thought of curating a special menu to celebrate this very super food,” says Vikrant Batra, Founder Café Delhi Heights.

Bringing in flavours from different parts of the country, the festival has something for all. The menu had been designed keeping in mind the rice acceptance in different states in different forms.

“Although Rice is high in glycemic index but still it is considered to be the most Good Grain,

owing to a lot of variety available including fibrous variants like Red rice etc. We have added the dishes in the menu, which have their origin from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and more. From the belt of Andhra / Karnataka one can enjoy the Rice varieties like Curd Rice, Hyderabadi Biryani, Bisi Bele Bath,” says Aashish Singh, Corporate Chef at Café Delhi Heights. 

We started off with the Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani. Made of sela basmati, this one was a flavourful perfection. The spices are mixed well with the soft mutton and rice, and made for a slightly spicy dish. Served with raita on the side, we couldn’t stop ourselves from having more helpings. 

Next we moved on to a completely different taste palate with Jadoh from Meghalaya. Plated beautifully, this one is a stark difference from the spicy biryani we just had. The red rice is served with a brothy mix of chicken with chillies, green onions. A little different from the Jadoh we had elsewhere, this one is perfect for those who like mellow flavours. 

Moving on to try another refreshing variety, we had the Goan Pilaf. The aroma of this blew us away, before we could even taste it. Made of Ukade (Goan Short Grain red rice), the light spiced dish has coconut milk and prawns in it. Also garnished with coconut, this one was a welcome break from having the rice varieties we are used to having in the city. 

The best part of the festival is that all the rice is sourced from the particular states giving it an authentic touch. 

We downed our food with a Mai Tai and some wine, before moving on to our last from the menu – the Yakhni Pulao. This Kashmiri favourite, is of a rice variety called Musk Budij. Made with chicken and a lot of other spices, this one is quite flavourful as well. 

Too full to try anything else, we were recommended to have their Banoffee Pie in a jar, ending things on a sweet note.  

The café is also hosting their Winter festival, along which has a wide variety of cuisines along with drinks

Review on invitation 

(Cover: Hyderabadi Mutton Biriyani)