PRODUCT REVIEW: COCOA GARDEN HOMEMADE CHOCOLATES

For all the joy of homemade chocolate with none of the effort

 

Any true connoisseur will agree nothing beats homemade. This winter skip the mass manufactured candy and order an assorted batch from Cocoa Garden, each chocolate is hand made and packaged in small batches. I inhaled my box within a day of receiving it. The dark chocolate and butterscotch were so good they vanished within the first couple of hours of receipt of possession.

Reach them at their facebook page here (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cocoa-Garden/)

PRODUCT REVIEW: RAWLEAF.IN

For when you're trying to be healthy but are also very lazy

I can't get over how well the city of butter chicken with butter naan is adapting to the healthy eating zeitgeist. My latest low cal discovery is Rawleaf, a service that allows you to order individual or family packs of fresh salads online. Rawleaf promises that their salads are made of fresh, pesticide free produce that has been harvested less than 48 hours in advance of being in your box. The individual packs are great for a working lunch and the family packs would make an ideal side for when you have company over.

 

Their portions are generous and the revolving menu makes sure you don't get bored. I really like the Ceaser and Hawaiian Salads and am looking forward to trying the Kale Grapefruit and Nicoise Salads. I'm very fussy about salad dressings - the dressing has to marry the flavors of the various fruits, vegetables and salad leaves without overwhelming any one of them. Also, nothing irritates me more than people being stingy with the dressing. You need to give enough to evenly coat the salad without leaving it dry or letting it get too sludgy. Rawleaf gets these proportions just right.

 

Packing and Paraphernalia

 

While the packaging is perfect, their delivery logistics are cumbersome. You have to order before noon to get delivery on the same day and even then the delivery can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours. It's a pain to try to get your order in every morning and it might be best to call them and set up a regular arrangement with them.

 

Find them at (http://www.rawleaf.in/)

PRODUCT REVIEW: HOKEY POKEY ICE CREAM

For troubled times

 

There are days that can only be survived with the aid of your most comfortable {and most tattered} pyjamas and a tub of ice cream. My preference is usually mango or in particularly dire circumstances, double chocolate. Nature’s Basket and Modern Bazaar are now stocking gloriously creamy tubs of Hokey Pokey for exactly those kinds of days. India’s answer to Ben & Jerry’s, Hokey Pokey’s quirky, yet delicious, flavour blends include Live and Laugh Brownie {Fresh Cream Ice Cream with Crumbled Brownies, Roasted Cashews and Dark Chocolate Fudge} and my current favourite, Manic Monkey {Chocolate Ice Cream with Almonds, Crunchy Praline and White Chocolate Fudge}. The adorable packaging and unabashedly rich ingredient layering all recommend Hokey Pokey over its more mundane, plain vanilla competitors {I can’t wait to try Cherry Chipchunks and the Black Forest Blend} but what really caught my eye was that the products contain no added flavours or preservatives.

 

A walk down HKV revealed that they’re opening up a full fledged ice cream parlour where you can realize all your ice cream fantasies but till then we’ll have to make do with their pint tubs!

 

Dig into a tub of Hokey Pokey and you’ll find the texture is palpably creamier than most Indian brands, and you don’t have to feel guilty about having bought a product with a larger carbon footprint than you. No added colouring and preservatives mean there’s less chemical gunk floating around in your system at the end of the tub. Crazy flavour combinations mean you’ll never get bored.

 

Available at Godrej Nature’s Basket  and Modern Bazaar stores across town.

Find more on their Facebook page, here.

Photos courtesy Hokey Pokey

PRODUCT REVIEW: JUGMUG THELA - ARTISANAL TEAS AND COFFEE

 

There’s more than one chaiwala gaining social currency in the capital these days. Jiten Suchede decided to put his talents as a designer to unexpected use by cobbling pallets into a makeshift thela that serves exceptional tea and coffee across the city.

 

Disgruntled by the step motherly treatment being meted out to tea shops in a city increasingly invested in café culture, Jiten decided to make the chai ki dukaan relevant again. Metamorphosing that run down, unglamorous fixture of our youth into a charming mobile dispensary of teas, {surprisingly} coffees, and homemade snacks, so Delhiites can reconsider rushing into impersonal coffee chains and reconvene at their favourite artisanal chaiwala.

 

 

Stop by for a cup of tea, a refreshing Vietnamese Iced Coffee, or the fiery Mattha. Unfortunately, till Jiten sets up his café, we have no option but to chase him down at the various exhibitions that’ll sprout up across the capital this winter. If you’re too lazy to bother, Foodcloud and Jaypore will home deliver you some Jugmug!

 

Making the conventional chai ki dukaan, relevant again, Jugmug Thela serves up teas, coffees and homemade snacks. Till they set up shop, catch them at exhibitions around the capital, or order online.

 

Follow them on Facebook page, here.

Shop online, here.

PRODUCT REVIEW: DIVIN-E-LICIOUS CUPCAKES

I'm a huge fan of the good work being done by the lovely sisters behind Divin-e-licious, Gayatri and Anushka Kakkar. They're an embodiment of my favorite modern fairy tale, both sisters fought off the siren song of filthy lucre to pursue their gourmand dreams and made a huge success of it. The princesses then lived happily ever after pursuing a lifetime of successful entrepreneurship.

 I'm not the biggest cupcake fan so I was really excited to hear they had decided to push the baking envelope and expand their menu to include a variety of mini jar cakes. Each eggless cake is baked into a little jar dripping in pearls and packed into a gorgeous floral box just in time for the festive season.

I tore through the classic chocolate, licked the jar of chocolate ganache clean and wept with joy over the red velvet. My personal favorite though was the chocolate nougat which made me feel like my mouth was surfing through waves of impossibly rich chocolate interspersed with perfect, little bursts of nougat-y crunch.

  

Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Divin.e.licious.cupcakes

Contact: 9811961572

PRODUCT REVIEW: COCOATEASE - CHOCOLATES AND CAKES

 

I don't know how to recommend these guys - I realize their website is desperately amateur and their facebook page is largely neglected but the chocolates they make are divine. This is not like every other plug for home made chocolates that proliferate lifestyle magazines and blogs these days. My favorites are the Dark English Chocolate, two layers of milk chocolate with a crispy, praline filling, studded all over with chunks of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts and the equally perfect White English Chocolate and I'm not even a fan of white chocolate.

These guys do a lot of corporate gifting and I first came across their confections last Diwali when I ate through half a box. They're a little tough to get a hold of but if you're overwhelmed by the crazy number of advertisements for chocolatiers these days, try Cocoa Tease. They are, in fact, incredible.

Try their website here (http://www.cocoatease.com/chocolates.php) or facebook page here (https://www.facebook.com/cocoatease).

PRODUCT REVIEW: I SAY ORGANIC

I choose a lazy person to do a hard job because they'll find an easy way to do it.

- Bill Gates

 

How cute is their van?

 

Trying to eat healthy often seems impossibly hard and I'm a very lazy person. Unfortunately my advancing age has made it obvious that I can't survive on a diet of just beer and cake. I try to order grilled chicken or fish when I'm eating out but I usually fail so the only option left is to try to eat as healthy as possible when I'm home.

From my conversations with nutritionists I understand the biggest problem with our diet is how little raw vegetables and fruits we're eating. The only way I can figure to add raw vegetables is to eat salads but ordering a salad at a restaurant makes for a pretty huge stomach bug risk in the summer/monsoon. Salad leaves aren't easily available in local markets and all of this makes I Say Organic a godsend - they have a wide range of organic produce, including fruits, vegetables, cereals and some miscellaneous seeds, honey etc. All of their products are organic and delivered straight to your doorstep. The website is super easy to navigate and you can either swipe your card or pay cash on delivery. My favorite feature is that you can choose the time slot you want delivery to be made - this way you can schedule exactly when you're home and want to get your groceries. Also, if you don't have any idea what to do with the vegetables you've ordered, check out their cute blog for healthy recipe ideas. You can order from their website (http://www.isayorganic.com/)

PRODUCT REVIEW: WINGREENS DIPS

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

- Oscar Wilde

 

 

Chips and dip are the easiest snack in the world but sometimes there isn't even enough time to mix hung curd and condiments. My quest for readymade dips led me to Wingreens which seemed readily available in grocery stores. On doing some reading I discovered that Wingreens is run by the Women's Initiative Network which works to empower women through training and sustainable employment in the agricultural sector. WIN also works on the conservation of water resources and on improving soil quality by helping farmers with drip irrigation, composting, water harvesting which also helps increase agricultural productivity.

Their products include fresh produce, potted herb plants (like fresh oregano, thyme, mint etc) and freshly dried herbs and spices. My favorites though are their dips. The Tomato Salsa, Rosemary Hummus and Garlic Dip are flavorful and punchy. The Basil Pesto, Dill Tzatziki I found oily and a little bland. Check out their website for more details (http://www.wingreens.in/).

PRODUCT REVIEW: BAKEBOX

 

 

 

  

I love that there are so many novel start ups mushrooming in the food industry but many of these entrepreneurs have a long way to go before their enterprises can be considered professional. I think Bakebox is a great idea - get a box of sweet treats put together by different bakers delivered to your doorstep every month. A really convenient way to try out all the great, smaller bakeries out there that aren't easy to reach otherwise.

 

The first time I ordered, my order got lost and I didn't get my box. Disgruntled but not inconsolable, I followed up and got my box a couple of weeks later. Bakebox has great packaging and each box has clearly been put together with great attention to detail but the bakers they covered in May "The Sugar Story" just aren't very good. Everything was too sweet, too dry and though not bad looking, hardly edible.

 

This is the problem - while I understand their model is to outsource the actual baking to others, the entire exercise fails if they don't rigorously scrutinize the bakers they pick. I don't want to gamble INR 850 (approx.) each month, unsure if the product I'm going to get is going to be worth it or not. If you want to try your luck though check out their website here.

PRODUCT REVIEW: FOODPANDA

Just discovered foodpanda, a convenient way to order home delivery from your laptop or cellphone, which is super helpful if you're stuck on a call or meeting and getting hungry. Unlike most new fangled online services foodpanda has its act together with lots of delivery options for each locality (which is a godsend because I cannot eat anymore Nirulas at work) as well as menus for each restaurant! If you don't have cash you can even swipe your card on the site! 3,500 restaurants across 25 cities means you don't ever need to wonder where to order from.

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: BAMBINO READYMADE IDLI MIX

 This idli experiment was unplanned - one Sunday afternoon my brother and I were foraging around the kitchen for a snack and discovered we were out of Maggi. This turned out to be a blessing because I wouldn't have tried using this mix otherwise.

 

I can't in good conscience not mention that I would have liked the idlis to be a little softer but they're hot, quick and easy to put together and require minimal prep and ingredients. With some yoghurt and lemon juice you'll be able to whip up a batch in under 30 minutes. The best part is the ingredient list contains no artificial coloring, preservatives or other nasties.

 

Recipe from the Bambino packet

What you’ll need:
 

 

1 portion Bambino Rava Idli mixture

1 ½ portions yoghurt

Juice of ½ lime

1 -2 green chillis (chopped)

Handful of chopped cilantro leaves

 

How to :

 

Basically follow the packet instructions, but after making 2 batches this is how I figured to do it:

 

1. Add the lime juice to the yoghurt and let the yoghurt sour for 10 – 15 minutes.

 

2. Add the idli mix and stir well. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. The mix will fluff up and start to bubble gently as follows:

 

 

Note: I was worried that the mix might become lumpy but it actually stirs up into a smooth paste quite easily.

 

3. Add cilantro leaves and chillies to the batter.

 

4. Pull out your idli stand and brush down the little idli cups with some vegetable oil. Spoon in the batter and put the stand into a pressure cooker with about 2 ½ cups of water in it.

 

Note: Make sure the last rung of your idli stand is well above the water because when you shut the pressure cooker, the water will boil and bubble up. You don’t want it to mix with the idli batter – you’ll end up with a lot of sludge.

5. Take the whistling thing off the top of your pressure cooker and shut it. Let cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or till you think the water has all escaped as steam.

 

6. Pop the idlis out of the cups and serve with chutney.

 

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: HALEEM HOME DELIVERY FROM PISTA HOUSE

Carnivores rejoice! Dedicated meat lovers can now order authentic, very satisfying, Hyderabadi haleem which Gati will deliver to your doorstep on the very same day. Currently Gati is delivering only to limited locations, you can find more details here.

 

For those who aren't familiar with it, haleem is a delicious, decadent meat, lentil and spice paste which comes vacuum sealed in 1 kg plastic tubs. Traditionally haleem can be served with chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, coriander, fried onions, chopped ginger and/or green chillies.

Call a few people over and arrange for some rotis or naan because one person should NOT be eating one kilogram of haleem on their own.

I think the most exciting part of ordering the haleem is the thought that we can now order food in from hundreds of kilometres away for perfectly reasonable prices. I've been thinking and talking about it for a week and I still can't really wrap my head around it! For INR 575 a kilogram, Pista House's haleem is far more affordable than a lot of dine in options in Delhi.

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE TEMPERAMENTAL CHEF

Love the adorable logo and packaging!

The Temperamental Chef’s new line of vegetarian snacks ticks a lot of very difficult boxes – healthy, vegetarian, time efficient and delicious.

 

I love that Srishti Handa and Siddharth Kumar (the brains behind the bites) have put so much thought and soul into their products, coming up with innovative flavours instead of piling more potato and paneer on to vegetarian’s plates. The same thought and effort extends to the adorable packaging and the insistence on keeping the calorie count of their products low.





She wouldn't endorse anything she didn't really believe in.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. A couple of weeks ago, I popped a pack of the Beet and Walnut Bites and the Spinach Bolts on to a pan and served it up to my critical cousins. The Beet and Walnut Bites were more popular but both disappeared quickly. They’re great by themselves but even better with a creamy dip. Alternatively, mash them into a roll, crumble them over a salad or serve it as an accompaniment to other dishes. Since they don’t need to be thawed they go straight from the fridge to the pan/oven and into guest’s plates with minimal effort. It takes less than 10 minutes to put together so they’re an easy option for appetizers even for larger groups.





The Spinach Bolts

Find the Temperamental Chef on facebook here or pick up a pack from your neighborhood grocery store, currently only in Delhi.



Walnut and Beet Bites