The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Sheikh Zayed’s food and nightlife scenes are shaping up to be something rather special over the next few months and one of the latest names to set-up shop at the increasing number of malls and dining complexes is Indian restaurant, Maharani, which has opened in Downtown Mall.

The venue is quite small and has linear seating arrangements of black tables and chairs, as well as couch-like seating along the wall. Colourful framed Indian images adorn the walls, but the most peculiar feature is a hanger of Indian costumes that customers can wear and take photos with if they please. Although the host was very welcoming and friendly, he was a little too keen to throw shade at another Indian restaurant, Maharaja, and accuse them of ripping-off their ‘original concept’. We want food, not drama.

We kicked things off with Vegetables Samosa (20LE) as an appetiser. The four pieces of very crispy pastry were generously filled with a mixture of a potato and peas; they were perfect in terms of textures and spices, but were under-seasoned in terms of salt.

For the mains, we went with three dishes; the Kadai Chicken (69LE), Butter Chicken (69LE) and Palak Paneer (60LE), alongside Kashmiri Pullao Rice (55LE), Vegetables Biryani (38LE) and Cheese Naan Bread (25LE).

The Kadai Chicken came as tender boneless chicken swimming in a tomato and pepper sauce that had a vibrant red colour and a chunky consistency which gave it bold sweet and spicy flavours in every bite. The sautéed onions added more sweetness and the fresh coriander on top was a perfect match for the flavours, but it was too little in terms of portion.

As for everyone’s favourite choice, the butter chicken, the chicken itself was just as moist and tender as the kadai chicken, and the sauce had a smooth and creamy consistency. However, the flavours of the spices were too toned down and overpowered by a little too much cream.

What really surprised us was the Palak Paneer – cubes of soft, milky and beautifully chewy cheese, served in a thick spinach and mixed spice sauce – had a slight heat to it. It’s definitely a great choice for vegetarians and cheese lovers.

Meanwhile, the sides had its ups and downs. The Kashmiri Pullao rice was cooked perfectly and topped with a decent amount of cashews and raisins, but was overall lacking in depth of flavour. The vegetables biryani was full of spices, but the vegetables didn’t seem completely fresh and played no part in the overall flavour. The cheese naan bread, meanwhile, was perfectly chewy with crispy edges, and the cheese flavour complimented without overpowering, but the portion was too little for even one person.

It’s no surprise that the Indian cuisine retains a heavy presence on Egyptian food scene. It’s got everything you could possibly ask for; lots of spices, wide variety and so much sauce. Although it didn’t necessarily wow us at the time of our visit, Maharani provides you with all of the above.