Having a meal at Khiva gives you a feel of royalty. The elegant interiors, the finely carved karigari on the chairs and the brass utensils add that touch of class to your experience here.

Khiva isn’t a random name, nor a random place. Khiva is an experience rooted in history. Khiva is an actual city located in Uzbekistan. The word ‘Khiva’ is actually an adaptation of ‘Khey vakh’, which is literally translated as ‘What a pleasure!’ That feeling is exactly what this restaurant plans to bring to it’s patrons.

Situated at the 3^rd floor of Phoenix Marketcity, Khiva takes work to step into; but once you do, you can sit back and await your royal feast. The cuisine they serve is a mix of Bukhara and Peshavari. A lot of emphasis has been laid upon using authentic spices and techniques, rather than dishing out typical North Indian fare. Undoubtedly, claypot cooking is an important aspect of many of the dishes served here. So you can expect a lot of kababs and grills.

As soon as you are seated at Khiva, you are served with PARRA (long strips of fried dough) accompanied by no less than 6 dips! I must say that all the dips have a distinct flavor and can be paired up with most of the appetizers served here.

To Begin with

The actual meal began with a Tamatar Shorba (Rs 155) which was bang on.

The Paneer Peshawari Tikka (Rs 475) comprises of grilled paneer with a yellow chili marination and the Cheese Kurkure (Rs 440) are infact a minced mushroom mix encased in a cheesy phyllo pastry. These were decent preparations; but failed to hit that excellent mark.

The appetizers that really stole my heart were Mutter Aur Cheese ka Tikka (Rs 440), Makai Seekh Kebab (Rs 455) and Khumb Khazana (Rs 440). Each of these preparations was par excellence and should be on the must order list for every vegetarian who dines here.

The MUTTER AUR CHEESE KA TIKKA comprised of a well spiced green pea mixture stuffed with a generous amount of cheese. Yum Yum. Please try this with the Chikoo Tamarind dip that is served with the Parra Platter. Highly Recommended.

The KHUMB KHAZANA was unlike any other mushroom preparation I’ve ever had before. The stuffing of creamed spinach and cheese imparted a lovely flavor to the mushrooms which are served char-grilled. Highly recommended.

The MAKAI SEEKH KEBAB was made with corn and a perfect blend of spices, resulting in a very flavorful veggie version of Seekh. Yes, vegetarianism is evolving!

The Main Course

The one thing that hits you as soon as you taste the curries here is that everything is fresh! The vegetables are crispy, not overcooked. The 4 curries I had here are Meloni Tarkari (Rs 440), Dal Khiva (Rs 465), Paneer Khurchan (Rs 455) and Dhingri Mutter(Rs 440).

The MELONI TARKARI was a home style mix vegetable preparation. The DHINGRI MUTTER KASTOORI comprised of Button mushroom and green peas with cashew and brown onions gravy. Both of these were very fresh, very flavorful and very rich. Highly recommended.

The PANEER KHURCHAN is cottage cheese sautéed with tomato and capsicum and is essentially a dry preparation. I didn’t enjoy this much because my taste-buds do not agree with Paneer unless it is doused in gravy. I’m sure others would enjoy this dish though.

I’m a sucker for Dal Makhni and enjoy it in any form, and at any place. Undoubtedly, the DAL KHIVA (cooked overnight) appealed to me very much. Recommended.

Biryani Time!

Yes, vegetarians eat Biryani. And no, Our Biryani is not Pulao. Even so, I rarely find a vegetarian biryani to my liking. It is either lacking in flavor or there is an overdose of whole spices. The SUBZ BIRYANI (Rs 445) at Khiva though is well made and ticks all the right boxes. Recommended.

Sweet Endings..

It has never happened before that I try out 5 different desserts and each one of them turns out downright excellent! Yep, the desserts at Khiva are that good.

The LYCHEE KI TEHRI (Rs 210) is unputdownable (okay, maybe that’s not a legit word). You cannot, I repeat cannot miss ordering this at Khiva. Highly recommended.

The BAKED ANJEER HALWA (Rs 210) is an equally delicious and rich preparation and must be ordered if you plan on a second dessert. Highly recommended.

KHUBANI KA MEETHA (Rs 210) is a rich creamy preparation of dried apricots stewed in honey. Very flavorful, but strictly for those with a sweet tooth. The sweetness level of this dish is very high.

The ELAICHI JAMUN (Rs 195) and the ZAFFRANI ANGOORI RASMALAI (Rs 195) are delicious as well. But with so much to choose from, I wouldn’t order these unless I’m in a huge group and can order multiple desserts.

Overall Verdict:

Khiva is an excellent choice for dining with family and friends. Be it the appetizers, mains or desserts; everything is fresh, rich and full of flavor.

Happy Eating!!

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*Disclaimer – This meal was hosted by the restaurant. A huge thank you to Jerlyn & Imran for the same.