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Having done a staycation at Novotel HICC, I can vouch that not only their rooms but the food at the Food Exchange is particularly very good. Novotel HICC Hyderabad is known to organise the host many events. And I’m thankful to them that I get to experience almost all of them.
More recently I experienced the Millets Food Festival which was only for a day, the Punjab Food festival and the ongoing Sri Lankan food festival until the 13th of November. I was invited to experience the Lankan flavours on the opening day and this is going to be my short update about the event.
Sri Lankan Food Festival – What To Expect?
The Sri Lankan food festival organised at The Food Exchange at Novotel HICC is curated by Chef Anura Lenora from Colombo. Chef Anura from our neighbouring country is getting some traditional yet modern Lankan dishes to our plates. It has a variety of Sri Lankan starters, main courses and desserts with a good mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The menu is refreshed daily so you might get to experience different dishes based on when you visit.
The Sri Lankan food festival at Novotel HICC is on until 13 November and is available for dinner. Priced at Rs 2500++ this specially curated meal is available along with the regular spread.
My Experience at Sri Lankan Food Festival
I was fortunate to experience this on the very first day. Food junction was all decked up with elements from Sri Lanka, lights, colours, and obviously the sword-wielding lion. The music too is tweaked to suit the food festival, so don’t be surprised to listen to something new.
Also, Sri Lankan food is not very different from typical south Indian food, so don’t expect something too fancy in terms of flavours. However, the combinations of vegetables and the way of cooking along with the masalas are different. The chef also mentioned the use of coconut milk in a lot of preparations unlike the onion-tomato gravy popular in India.
For starters, we had Elawalu cutlets and Elawalu parcels. Both these were Lankan counterparts of the desi cutlet and puff. Chef Anura said that these were quite popular in Sri Lanka as a snack. There was also the Wattaka soup, a pumpkin soup that had subtle flavours.
The main course comprised Morunga Maluwa, Alanibithi curry and Bandakka Maluwa. Morunga is drum stick and it was a tangy curry laced with onions and tomatoes. Alanbithi curry was the pick of the night, it was a simple yet delicious dish made from potato and spinach. Bandakka Maluwa was a dry Okra curry that I liked. I had a couple of Appams along with the Morunga Maluwa and totally relished the combination.
On the rice front, we had Kaha bath and Kakulu bath. Kaha bath was yellow rice while Kakulu bath was brown boiled rice. For dessert, there was a variant of coconut burfi.
Overall, the food was simple and had homely flavours. The spices used were the ones that we commonly use at home, so there wasn’t anything particularly out of the world. That said, the combinations were unique. The Alanibithi curry (Potato and Spinach) was particularly very good.
Experience Sri Lankan Food at Novotel HICC
Relish the flavours of Sri Lanka until the 13th of November at the Food Exchange at Novotel HICC. With a revolving menu, you’ll get to taste something new every day. Also, if you’re a meat eater and a seafood lover, you’ll surely relish some wonderful preparations.
For reservations contact +91 9642326162
For further details and my experience, feel free to reach out to me in the comments below. Tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM me on Instagram or Get In Touch.
PS: This is an event-related blog post and hence this may be removed in the future.
