Bombay sweet paradise!

Saturday, 22 June 2013 06:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Panaash Delicacies serves up some irresistible Indian offerings

By Cheranka Mendis Blessed with mixed ethnicities, Sri Lankans have the privileged of enjoying various cultural and traditional experiences, among which food and dining take precedence. For those of us who love their quota of sugar, Indian sweets are a favourite with a wide variety of sweetmeats to choose from. Usually packed with sugar, milk, condensed milk and ghee, Indian sweets or Bombay sweets, as they are commonly known, have become a

must-have during the Ramazan season and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year even though it is widely available island-wide during all seasons. With the former close at hand, Weekend FT visited Panaash Delicacies, conveniently located down Duplication Road, right opposite Fashion Bug near the British Council. Entering the small but well organised sweet shop, one is easily captivated by the various coloured sweetmeats on display, yellows, orange, greens, reds and even purple. Two display cases show two different types; the traditional and the innovative with the latter consisting of confectionaries concocted by the owners during their experiments. Sharing his story, the owner of Panaash, Adnaan Dawoodbhoy acknowledged that setting up his own sweetshop has always been his dream. Coming from a family that have been in this business for over 70 years, Dawoodbhoy is certain that his interest was piqued while helping his family run the Royal Sweetmeat Mart in Fort, one of the oldest Indian sweetshops in Sri Lanka. “Having a concept shop has always been my dream,” he said, “it has been in my head for too many years. I wanted to mix the traditional sweetmeats with new ones, giving customers a unique experienced and a wider choice to choose from.” Having established Panaash one-and-a-half years ago, business has been good, he said and the response great. Served fresh, any remaining is sent to the main shop in Fort where the food moves faster. “We have poori made out of pure ghee and whole-wheat flour and hot jalebis served with strawberries and cream; a particular favourite among many as it is not widely available here in Sri Lanka.” There is mawa-cake, a blend of creamy milk on top with the bottom layer made out of sliced almonds, fresh cream and ghee, an extremely tasty delicacy which comes with a Cadbury button on top; and ‘Anarkali’, a delicacy with a sugary crust on top and layers of sweets in the middle. An absolute must-try is the Cadbury barfi, almost like extremely gooey brownies but better than any Indian sweet we have ever tasted. It can almost be taken off from the Bombay sweet list and placed in a coffee shop as it is extremely delicious without too much of a sugar rush. There are also sweets such as Alfonso mango barfi, delectable mawa-based squares, pineapple crunch; a fast moving delicacy that features pineapple and coconut layer on top and a barfi layer at the bottom, and anjeer katri, a diamond shaped Indian delicacy made with fresh figs and cashew nuts and topped with silver edible paper, no sugar added. There are pistachio and almond rolls, a particular favourite when it comes to weddings and malai pedas; delicious milk based mawa rounds, creamier than the original milk peda’s and ideal for tea, he explained. This is also a particular favourite among children along with laddoos. “The sweetmeats at the innovative counter are those that have been invented by us, my brother in particular. He is a recipe-genius. You will find him trying out various new sweetmeats and from one idea, stems two or three more sweetmeats,” Dawoodbhoy said. At the traditional counter you will find gulab jamun, red musket, green musket, nut and cashew musket, fig and cashew musket, special musket, mali jamun (traditional gulab jamun with fresh cream in the middle), mysoor paak, satahas, buundi, etc. There are over 50 varieties of sweetmeats at Panaash out of which, for a day close to 30 are served. There are also a range of milkshakes to choose from such as the more common vanilla, almond, rose, and nannami (made from iramasu or root beer), to the more innovative Cadbury barfi sensation, and various other milkshakes from Mars, Snickers, Kit-Kat, Ferrero Rocher, Oreo, and cashew; all successful experiments of Dawoodbhoy himself. Having lived in Malaysia for a short time period while pursuing his studies, he was quick to try the various milkshakes and other such drinks and has brought those experiences to Sri Lanka. For those who feel like something less-sweet, there are ghee puris, samosas with chicken or beef and Punjabi (potatoes and peas) samosas and chicken and vegetable rolls, etc. What is great about Panaash is that one can pick up more than what they bargained for as Panaash also offers a range of products directly imported from the UK. You can get your hands on Cadbury Brunch Bars, breakfast cereal bars, Splash and Apple Fizz, gummy bears and Betty Crocker cake mixes, among others. “We also undertake making fruit and sweet baskets for functions,” Dawoodbhoy said. Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Panaash is a must-try for all those who love Bombay sweets or for those who want to try something new. Friendly, clean and with plenty to choose from, Panaash is a treat for the eye and a definite treat for your rumbling tummies. Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe