Daawat Delicious & Wholesome Cuppa Rice Review – 5 Meals Reviewed

There’s something about desi masaledar dishes no other cuisine can beat. Perfectly cooked lentils/dals in a flavor-loaded gravy paired with steaming rice, YUM! 

Daawat, a brand we associate with different varieties of rice, launched five variants of RTE cup meals. All significant parameters are discussed in Team Mishry’s Daawat Cuppa rice review. Are these all convenience, no taste? Let’s find out. 

Also Read – Daawat’s Rice Saute Sauce 

Here is a quick comparison of the five Daawat Cuppa rice variants we reviewed.

What are we looking for?

While reviewing the Daawat Cuppa rice, we were looking for taste, fresh home-style flavors and convenience. 

Following are the parameters we set for our Daawat Cuppa rice review. 

1. Convenience

Packaging – How are the contents packed? Are the rice and gravy offered in separate pouches?  Is the container sturdy enough? What about cutlery, is it included? Is the packaging travel-friendly? 

Preparation – As mentioned by the brand, these RTE meals require only 10 minutes. Do the contents turn edible within this time frame? Overall, is it a travel-friendly meal?

2. Taste

Packaged meals can go horribly wrong and taste industrial, lack freshness or have unbalanced flavors. We checked the meals for two things –

Flavors – Salt and spices, are the flavors appetizing? Do they marry each other well? What about the rice? Is it well seasoned or bland? When had with the rice, does the intensity match? 

Freshness – Do the rice grains taste fresh? What does the aroma indicate? The gravy, the veggies- are these fresh or do they emit an off-putting aroma?

3. Texture

Rice – Could we identify the type of rice used? Long-grained or short? Is 10 minutes sufficient time for the rice grains to develop the correct texture? Were they lumpy or fluffy? Underdone or just right?

Gravy – For the variants that were paired with dal/gravy, was the consistency too thick and creamy or did it feel watered down?

4. Nutritional Quotient

Main Ingredients – Identifiable, everyday ingredients, or chemicals and additives with unrecognizable names?

Calories – Are the cuppa meals calorie-dense or similar to homestyle ones? Are the macronutrients balanced?

5. Other Parameters

Shelf Life – These cup-based meals have a shelf life of nine months. 

Price – All variants are priced at Rs 80/-.

How did we test this? The suggested preparation instructions for all variants were the same- add hot water, keep covered for 10 minutes, stir and savor. After rehydration, the quantity results between 230-290 grams.

Our findings of each variant are mentioned below. 

Daawat Cuppa rice comes with a spoon which adds to the travel-friendly aspect and convenience.

PS- other than Rajma Chawal, all other cups had the water level indicator.

1. Rajma Chawal

Inspection of the product: There’s a blend of rajma and rice with some dehydrated masala. The legumes and grains are both small-sized. We observed a masaledar aroma that was predominantly laced with spice. The cup did not have the water level indicator. We added a similar quantity as other variants and waited for 10 minutes. The main ingredients include Basmati rice, Tomato, Rajma, Onion, Sunflower Oil, and flavor enhancers, among others. 

Our experience – 10 minutes later, an inviting aroma of ghee and masala enveloped our Test Kitchen. It had a homestyle appearance where the rice had fluffed up well, and so did the rajma. The masala was well coated.

The rice grains are well-cooked but have a bite to them and so does the rajma. The dehydrated onion bits uplift the texture even further. In terms of taste, this was pretty good! The salt, spice, and tanginess, all work in sync. Moreover, ghee enhances the flavors. 

2. Sambhar Rice

Product inspection – The characteristic Sambhar-like aroma hit our noses as soon as we opened the container. We saw small-sized rice grains with ocher-colored dehydrated sambhar masala. A few lumps of masala here and there. Additionally, there was a generous quantity of green beans and carrot bits. The main ingredients include Basmati rice, arhar dal, tomato, onion, sunflower oil, with vegetables, spices, and seasoning.

Our experience – Once ready, the Sambhar aroma intensified. The consistency is spot-on, neither too watery or oily, nor too thick. The rice grains fluff up decently. The veggies, on the other hand, were a little underdone. The beans feel partially raw and carrots retain a slight crunch.

The Sambhar flavor is soaked up quite well by the rice grains. Salt and spice were quite good. The classic flavors of mustard seeds and curry leaves added to the list of things we liked. The only drawback was the quantity of veggies, it is far too less as compared to the homemade counterpart. 

3. Schezwan Rice

Product inspection – The rice grains are so oily, they have a glossy appearance. The reddish rice grains are surrounded by some dehydrated greens and onions. Unlike other variants, the masala/seasoning in this variant wasn’t dried and powdered. Before adding water, an appetizing garlic aroma was whiffed. Basmati rice, onion, garlic, sunflower oil, dehydrated vegetable powder, sauces like red chilli paste, vinegar, soy sauce, and acidity regulators are some key ingredients.

Our experience – The rice grains have become plumper with a subtle soy sauce color. The khila-khila rice grains aren’t too dry, nor are they soaked in gravy. The aroma matches that of packaged garlic paste. The greens (chives) and onion bits add a subtle bite to the rice. Surprisingly, this doesn’t feel too oily on the palate. 

Schezwan rice is known for the heat that makes your eyes water. The heat in Daawat’s Schezwan rice was spot-on. The subtle tanginess made it even better. However, the garlic tasted too industrial, bringing down the overall experience.

4. Dal Chawal

Product inspection – In the pre-cooking stage, we noticed tiny rice grains that were coated with a mustard-colored powder. There were dehydrated green bits and some lentils. A tangy aroma was laced with hints of desi ghee. This is prepared with Basmati rice, a blend of dals like arhar, moong, masoor, and chana, with onion, tomato, desi ghee, and spices. 

Our experience – Once ready to eat, this tangy aroma intensified. Of the dals used, only chana dal retained a bite, the others turned mushy. Taste-wise, this has a natural sweetness that comes from onions. The salt is slightly more than we’d like. the spice is missing, and tanginess seems quite artificial.

Overall, this does not taste fresh or lend the comfort a homemade bowl of dal rice would. 

5. Dum Biryani

Product inspection – Long-sized rice grains are coated with masala and ghee (as indicated by aroma). As for vegetables, we saw uneven-sized, dehydrated green beans, dehydrated carrot bits, and dehydrated peas. Additionally, there were bits/slices of dark brown fried onions. The top five ingredients are Basmati rice, curd, sunflower oil, ginger garlic paste, fried onions, and desi ghee. It also uses flavor enhancers and acidity regulators. 

Our experience – An appetizing garam masala aroma covered the room with undertones of fried onions. The appearance and texture of the rice grains in this variant are remarkable. They were fluffed up well and had the khila khila appearance. Despite having absorbed the flavors well, the veggies lack freshness. Although the carrots retain a slight bite, the texture of the beans requires some improvement. 

The heat from garam masala was too overpowering for our palate. That said, the spice from green chilies was bang on! These intense flavors were accompanied by the natural sweetness of onions. The cardamom seeds add a punch of sweetness, but we would have appreciated lightly crushed cardamoms rather than seeds. The addition of cardamom seeds, instead of whole pods was slightly inconvenient.

Overall, the flavor is quite average and the proportion of rice to veggies is poor.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Daawat cuppa rice

Here you have it, Mishry’s take on Daawat Cuppa Rice variants. In Conclusion, of the five we tried, only one (Rajma Chawal) was collectively savored by the Team for its fresh, home-style flavors.

Some lacked texture, others lacked freshness or correct flavor. That said, we did like the style of packaging and convenience they offer. 

Have you tried these rice meals before?