oatshoney.milk

✨ ’Tis the season to eat Modaks,
La la la la la,
Ganpati Bappa Morya! ✨

Parle G gets a DARK makeover! WHAT?!

A couple of days back when I saw a near-black, Oreo-like, biscuit in the iconic Parle G shape on one of my colleague’s IG story, I was awestruck! A black Parle G?! I knew I had to try it, immediately.

Parle G has remained a childhood favourite chai-time snack of mine that’s easy to get, anytime anywhere. It is always a nostalgic feeling when I dunk the biscuit in chai and take a bite out of the soggy soft part. For the longest time, I’d seen the classic biscuit in a malted-brown tint. Even in its other varieties, such as Gold, Oats & Berries, KisMe, and Royale, the look has stayed the same. But what made this one so intriguing?

India’s favourite glucose biscuit, that has maintained the same look, taste and design since 1939, gets a new-age makeover! Welcome Parle G DARK, the newest member in the Genius family. The addition of cocoa to their original recipe is what gives it a rich, chocolatey taste and the startling dark contrast against the classic malted-brown biscuit is what has sparked a wave of interest on the Internet.

Moreover, this invoked a mini obsession within me to learn more about the brand and the biscuit as well as taste test it against our OG Parle G. In the 2 days following this discovery, I’ve taste-tested with the dark twin in 4 different ways and these were my thoughts —

🍪 As it is ~ it has a hint of bitterness of the cocoa and tastes like an Oreo biscuit fused into the classic Parle G

🍪 Parle G Dark + Chai ~ this did not pair well at all for me as the chocolatey flavour of the biscuit failed to complement the milky-sweet kadakh masala chai

🍪 Parle G Dark + black Coffee ~ this was a nice combination as the bitter black coffee matched the sweet-cocoa biscuit, offering a decent balance of taste.

🍪 Parle G Dark + Water ~ the old school way, a soggy biscuit which didn’t differ much from the plain taste but delivered a soft bite

Parle G vs Parle G Dark which one would you choose?
Would you give Parle G Dark a try?
Drop a comment below. ⬇️

When Maa took farm-to-table a little too seriously; more like a farm invaded our kitchen :p

Presenting our little farm-to-kitchen produce, right from the foothills of Mahabaleshwar, hand-picked by Maa.🫶🏻

Swipe to see the assortment —
🍅 sweetest red Cherry Tomatoes
🍠 radiant bulbous Radishes
🥬 crinkly Savoy Cabbage
🍥 a huge head of a Cauliflower
🥬 one heck of a Danish Ballhead Cabbage (looks like a bald head haha)
🥦striking green Broccoli
🍓 sweetest red Strawberries

And then there’s Maa, in the farm, handpicking very seriously 👩🏻‍🌾

Finally, there’s me, overwhelmed with joy by the fresh produce overflow, overcoming not going to the farm FOMO, fantasising living in a farm. Aight, gotta snap back to reality, oh no! 🤦🏻‍♀️

A colorful assortment of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables lights me up and excites me like a little kid! 🥰

What a delightfully wholesome Sunday! ❤️

When Maa took farm-to-table a little too seriously; more like a farm invaded our kitchen :p

Presenting our little farm-to-kitchen produce, right from the foothills of Mahabaleshwar, hand-picked by Maa.🫶🏻

Swipe to see the assortment —
🍅 sweetest red Cherry Tomatoes
🍠 radiant bulbous Radishes
🥬 crinkly Savoy Cabbage
🥦 striking green Broccoli
🥬 one heck of a Danish Ballhead Cabbage (looks like a bald head haha)
🍊 gorgeous orange Cape Gooseberries
🍓 sweetest red Strawberries

And then there’s Maa, in the farm, handpicking very seriously 👩🏻‍🌾

Finally, there’s me, overwhelmed with joy by the fresh produce overflow, overcoming not going to the farm FOMO, fantasising living in a farm. Aight, gotta snap back to reality, oh no! 🤦🏻‍♀️

A colorful assortment of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables lights me up and excites me like a little kid! 🥰

What a delightfully wholesome Sunday! ❤️

✨🍛 After an exhausting walk through the markets of Goa in the scorching afternoon heat, the fam was famished. A frantic, last-minute search on Zomato led to Avo’s Kitchen being advertised with a 4.7-star rating and a Zomato Gold dining offer! And a 15 minute drive away! Perfect! Despite the place being house full and the 25 minute wait, we managed to get a seat with a nice breeze. We were welcomed by the kind staff and owners of the restaurant and were served the most delicious dishes really quick.

📍Avo’s Kitchen, Assagao, Goa

In the frame —
🔸 Prawn Caldin Curry
This creamy coconut-based yellow curry had an intense taste of spices and hints of tanginess. Combined with the fresh and juicy prawns, and the Goan rice, this was a soulful, sumptuous comfort meal!

🔸 Goan Rice
The earthiness of the rice, its thickness and its texture just makes it so much more better than white rice! The best pairing for a seafood dish!

🔸 Butter Garlic Goan Poee
This was a Goan spin on the popular Korean garlic bun with Poee. Loved the buttery garlic fragrance of it. However, it didn’t pair very well with the curry. A soft, warm plain Poee would’ve tasted much better.

- Frame 2 -
🔸Battered Fried Prawns
Tasted just like the classic prawn tempura, fresh, juicy, crispy and delicious!

And that’s how I discovered yet another gem for soulful Goan seafood in the heart of Goa. Has the most breezy, nature and ambient vibes and perfect for both friends and family! For anyone visiting Goa, this place is a MUST! ✨

🍫Vegan Chocolate Taste Test
D2P’s newest Tasting Officer is here to give a bittersweet review, so read on…👮🏻‍♀️

In the frame are 3 different India-made vegan chocolate bars at various price points. Here’s my honest feedback for each (swipe to each as you read):

🍫 𝗔𝗺𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲
Price: ₹25 for 40g

Taste test —
This had some deep and nutty notes of cacao and a smooth texture. It was mildly sweet with a mid finish. The cacao taste still remained in the mouth for over a few minutes. A classic Amul chocolate. Overall, based on its claims and the simple ingredients, it had a slightly rich taste, fair for the price point as well.

💫Rating: 4/5

🍫 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗹𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝘆𝗹𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲
Price: ₹199 for 50g

Taste test —
This one has quite some interesting ingredients such as oats, and cashews to make it vegan. This had a very buttery smooth texture with very little hints of cacao. The hazelnuts were not roasted properly and weren’t very fresh either. This left a very buttery sweet taste in the mouth, none of the cacao really. And I definitely couldn’t taste the oats as much. Given the overall taste, it doesn’t feel worth the price point. Overall, it’s an interesting sweet take on a milk chocolate which I wouldn’t mind consuming.

💫Rating: 3/5

🍫 𝗪𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗼 𝟲𝟬% 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 - 𝗡𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿
Price: ₹185 for 40g

Taste test —
Of all 3, this one had the most interesting packaging and details. At room temperature, this was the most solid. Upon my first bite, I got a very strong stale taste in my mouth. I don’t know if it was the stevia, but it overpowered the cacao. Couldn’t finish more than a small bite. I was very disappointed by the bad taste it left in my mouth. Overall, not worth the price at all.

💫Rating: 1/5

____________________________________________

👩🏻‍⚖️The verdict: Amul is the clear winner here as it had a richer, nuttier taste of the cacao close to a fine chocolate and was worth at a good price.

Shoutout to for appointing me as one of their tasting officers for this edition! Can’t wait for more!💫

📍Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery, Kala Ghoda

Amidst the bustling narrow streets of old Bombay sits a quaint 70-year old Persian bakery. Yazdani Bakery. Opened in 1953, by an Irani baker, Zend Meherwan Zend, it is popular for its varieties of breads such as Bun Maska and bakes such as the Mawa Cake and the Apple Pie.

I first encountered this place on a large frame, hanging on the wall at the Histories of Bombay exhibition by Anushka Gupta. Something about the place allured me. I'm not sure if it was the photography, its strong name, rich history or its striking red roof and blue painted walls. Perhaps also the fact that it sold a variety of breads added to my intrigue. Ever since, I'd been longing to visit this place to capture the same image that caught my attention. And of course try out their popular Bun Maska and variety of breads!

When I finally visited this place, I was surprised by how quietly it sat between a fast-paced city. The old typography and the various posters really caught my eye. One in particular was a German poster that read '𝟏𝟓 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭' (translated: 15 truly different varieties of Pfister farmer's bread). Although run down from the inside this bakery runs pretty well making their daily bread(s). The whiff of the freshly baked sweet buns is something one cannot miss.

The Bun Maska costs 60/- per piece. Slathered with a generous amount of maska aka butter, this is a MUST TRY. Unlike those packaged buns (which I strongly dislike) this one's soft and also has raisins inside (the cherry on top) which adds to the sumptuous sweet bites in between. All in all this bakery visit was a great experience.

Here are a list of items you MUST TRY:
🍞 Bun Maska
🍞 Brun
🍞 Mawa Cake
🍞 Multigrain Bread