Panaash is a Bombay sweet shop situated in the heart of Havelock Road. From the outside, it's a modest little joint with the bright pink signboard as its only giveaway that it might be tied to confectionaries. But within, you're subject to a treasure trove of sweet-meats of all kinds, all homemade and ready to go.
They have these special events on Sundays where you can indulge in samosas, chai, and jalebi at a great price. They usually advertise on Facebook which is how I got to know about this sweet deal, ha. I've been tagging myself as 'Going' whenever they post these events up, and have kept at this charade for the past 6 months or so. But only this last weekend did I actually get to go. And what a Sunday it was.
Samosa & Chai
For Rs. 220 a portion, you get two potato samosas with a small dish of imbli (tamarind) chutney, two jalebi and a small cup of masala chai.
The samosas are of the Punjabi variety: fat and bursting with soft, well-seasoned potato. The shell is crispy, and not too dense either. Paired with a nice big swoop of the imbli chutney provided on the side, these are lip-smackingly good.
The chutney itself isn't exactly the strongest but it's a decent, flavourful side. Notes of tamarind are evident, along with a light hint of what I'm assuming is chili.
The chai doesn't quite give you any ideas in its presentation. It's a simple paper cup filled up to 3/4ths with a slightly dark milk masala tea. It isn't sweet to taste, but it's certainly not half bad. The masala was a bit subdued, but that's probably because I'm used to stronger chai. All in all, a good way to wash it down.
I'll elaborate more on the jalebi, in the following segment.
Crispy Jalebi & Cream
This portion also costs Rs. 220, and comes with four large jalebi that are topped with generous lashings of rabri cream.
Safe to say, this stuff is delicious. The jalebi is crisp but harbours the right amount of syrup. The rabri cream adds to the flavour giving it a nice, creamy aftertaste.
Timings
They have these offers up from 12:30PM to 7:30PM. They're incredibly packed on weekends with faithful customers who come in from far and beyond for a portion or two. We went in a bit early, so we got lucky. As per their advice, I'd say call ahead and make a reservation for yourself.
Conclusion
If you've got nothing to do on a Sunday and are thinking of ways to while away some time, head to Panaash for some sweets and a chitchat. The lady over the counter is quite friendly, so you can chat with her all about their parent franchise: Royal Sweet Meat Mart.
