Devnaa Chocolates & Cookbook – Review & Giveaway #13
If you haven’t heard of Devnaa chocolates yet, you are just about to. Founded in 2006, Devnaa is a sister and brother team based in London. Roopa and Jay Rawal have taken a modern approach to traditional Indian sweets and produce a range of Indian-inspired chocolates and confectionary. With their distinctive Indian flavours, these are for the more adventurous palate, but if you like the combination of chocolate and spices, these are for you. I happen to be a fan of this combination and was recently sent their signature box to review along with a signed copy of their recently published cookbook, Indian-Inspired Desserts by Roopa Rawal. I also have the same set to offer as a giveaway.
Immediately, the vibrant packaging alerts you to the fact that this is not your average box of chocolates. Lime green, fushia pink, purple and gold all combine together to create a thoroughly exotic feast for the eyes and transports you from grey old Blighty to a place where the sun shines with more intensity and regularity. With my penchant for bright colours, I am in love with their boxes. The box is also cleverly designed to look like a tiffin tin, the standard lunch box used in India. The Devnaa logo, a distinctive gold tear drop, appears in all sorts of forms.
In my experience, Indians generally have a very sweet tooth, so I was pleasantly surprised to find these chocolates, although sweeter than I would prefer, are not overly sugared. The box contained sixteen chocolates, two of each flavour and they were a good mixture of chocolate, fillings, textures and flavours.
Chai Masala Caramel – This was the one I made a beeline for. I love chai masala and I love caramel. The caramel was delicious, salted and with a good chai flavour, but without being overpowering. The milk chocolate shell was thick and I would have preferred a higher ratio of caramel to chocolate, but I still wouldn’t hesitate in consuming an entire box of them. CT agreed on how delicious they were, but liked the thick shell which cracks satisfyingly in the mouth. These have won a Gold in the Great Taste Awards and if they hadn’t they would certainly get a gold from me.
Rose and Ginger Cream – Enrobed with a thick plain chocolate shell which worked well to take the edge off the sweet rose cream. The rose makes an immediate impact, evoking exotic locations. Later, a subtle warming taste of ginger comes through and lingers nicely on the palate. Being a big fan of rose, I found this to be delicious, if a trifle sweet.
Saffron and Ginger Fudge – I was expecting the ginger to take centre stage on this one as ginger pieces are contained within, but it was the saffron that dominated. I found this interesting, but it didn’t have me running back for seconds. Strange as I like saffron cake, which is a Cornish speciality. Covered in a thin skin of milk chocolate.
Almond and Orange Praline – A very nice nutty praline which has a slight crunch to the texture and is delicately flavoured with orange. Covered in a thin skin of milk chocolate, it was delicious. It reminded CT of a peshwari naan, but in a good way. He has a bit of a thing about overly strong orange flavours, but thought this was very nicely balanced and would have eaten several, given the chance.
Honey and Cardamom Fudge – Covered in a thin shell of dark chocolate, this has a powerful and persistent taste of cardamom. The more delicate flavour of honey comes through after the initial spicy surprise. I found the dark chocolate a little too bitter, the cardamom needed toning down a bit and milk chocolate might have been a better choice. CT, however found them invigorating and enjoyed the experience.
Saffron and Pistachio Caramel – Covered in a thick white chocolate shell with a nice vanilla flavour, the saffron was once again the dominant flavour. Although the pistachios added a nice crunch, the flavour was rather lost. The caramel was just the right consistency, liquid but not runny. I find the flavour of saffron rather overwhelming and a bitter aftertaste persisted on my palate. It also left a dry sensation and would probably be better taken with a nice cup of tea. Again, I found this one to be interesting, but not one I would pick out for preference.
Cinnamon Praline – As a cinnamon and praline lover, I was looking forward to trying this one and I was not disappointed. This has a good cinnamon flavour, but is not too strong. It has crunchy pieces of crisped rice within a smooth hazelnut praline and is enrobed in a thin layer of milk chocolate. Both CT and I thought this was delicious.
Coconut and Cardamom Caramel – Another thick dark chocolate shell with a distinctive bitter note which works really well with the sweet but delicious caramel filling. The caramel has a delicate but distinctive flavour of coconut with a persistent note of cardamom.
As soon as I heard that Roopa had published a book, I was keen to have a look at it. Indian sweets are deeply reminiscent of my student days up in the big and exciting cosmopolitan world of London where I indulged in them with, err, more than seemly regularity. That together with my mother’s love of curries have given me a passion for the exotic flavours of India. Indian-Inspired Desserts is a lovely collection of exotic egg free cakes, biscuits, sweets, traditional and fusion desserts, drinks and frozen desserts. I’m not a Sanskrit scholar, but the name Devnaa may well have a similar meaning to our Divine, which is certainly how I would describe this book.
The book is beautifully presented with Indian inspired motifs and colourful pages. The cover is a distinctive saffron yellow and is a good solid hardback. Unusually for modern cookbooks, there is an illustration for each recipe, giving a good idea of what you are aiming to achieve. The book starts with a section on key ingredients and includes some useful information about each one. I for one didn’t realise that eggs are often not used by some groups in India due to cultural and religious sensibilities. Caution is given about using good quality spices, especially when it comes to saffron. Recipes for three basic building blocks are included at the beginning: Devnaa’s signature chai masala, an egg-free sponge and paneer, a fresh curd cheese which I find particularly delicious. I couldn’t wait to try something out and no sooner had I received the book than I was knocking up my first ever barfi. I was thrilled with the result and served it up at a dinner party the next day. I am looking forward to trying out more of these recipes with pistachio and coconut biscuits being next on my list. Other recipes I’m keen to try include: chocolate seera, apricot and saffron scones, white chocolate kheer, carrot halwa and a mixed nut and chocolate brittle (chikki). Further recipes can be found on the Devnaa blog.
I was sent a copy of the book and a box of chocolates for review purposes and as always, any opinions expressed are all my own, unless stated otherwise.
Giveaway
Teressa Oliver
28th September 2012 at 2:18 pmis raisin a spice? its my fav with chocolate
Janine
28th September 2012 at 2:39 pmI haven’t tried Indian sweets since I was a lot younger – I wasn’t a fan then, but my tastebuds may have improved since!I think my favourite spice to go with is cayenne pepper – a little bit fiery but still tastes good.
Camilla @Fabfood4all
28th September 2012 at 2:43 pmI think cinnamon would be interesting!
hungryhinny
28th September 2012 at 2:44 pm2nd attempt at a comment!
I would go for the same ones as you – Chai Masala Caramel and Cinnamon Praline, they both sound amazing!
suburban prep
28th September 2012 at 2:47 pmI think that cinnamon is great with chocolate.
chrisreid
28th September 2012 at 3:43 pmI like ginger it goes great with chocolate
Mary Campbell
28th September 2012 at 4:10 pmGinger is an absolute delight when mixed with chocolate. Highly recommended 🙂
George@CulinaryTravels
28th September 2012 at 4:35 pmCardamom is my favourite spice to pair with chocolate.
Homebird
28th September 2012 at 4:36 pmCinnamon – it’s my favourite spice so I think that would be my favourite.
mummy24
28th September 2012 at 6:27 pmcinnamon for me!
Janice
28th September 2012 at 7:03 pmYou have piqued my interest in Indian desserts, chocolate and almonds for me.
lapin d'or
28th September 2012 at 7:16 pmsaffron and pistachio make a good pairing in desserts
Suelle
28th September 2012 at 8:25 pmThese all sound so unusual – I’d love to try the coconut and cardamom, but I think I would like them all!
Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking}
28th September 2012 at 9:55 pmOh these chocolates look divine. Such perfect little bites of heaven and beautifully packaged.
As for a spice that I think would go well with chocolate. I’m the first to mention this but star anise? Either that or I’m game for ginger or cinnamon.
-Lisa.
Sweet 2 Eat Baking
caroles
28th September 2012 at 11:58 pmGinger is lovely and so is chilli.
Grace Lavender
29th September 2012 at 12:45 amGinger or Chilli
Jane C English
29th September 2012 at 9:48 amThe rose & ginger sound a great & interesting combination
Saran Benjamin
29th September 2012 at 11:01 amChilli is lovely in chocolate.
kasza
29th September 2012 at 12:18 pmAnise
Anonymous
29th September 2012 at 12:58 pmEither cinnamon or ginger. Love chocolate ginger. 🙂 😀 Good luck to everyone
kayleigh white
29th September 2012 at 2:39 pmHas to be mint, lovely!
relisys222
29th September 2012 at 2:50 pmCinnamon Praline sounds so yummy x
tracey gibbons
29th September 2012 at 3:09 pmchilli goes nice with chocolate
Maria
29th September 2012 at 3:52 pmchilli – it really works 🙂
Sue McCarthy
29th September 2012 at 4:57 pmGinger
Foodycat
29th September 2012 at 6:49 pmThey sound delicious – I am such a sucker for ginger. Some of the chocolates look like they’ve bloomed a little – was it nice quality chocolate?
clairew137
29th September 2012 at 8:13 pmchilli
saurus
30th September 2012 at 7:23 amGinger combines well – people rave about chilli but I hate it in chocolate
laura banks
30th September 2012 at 8:22 amchilli
Mama G
30th September 2012 at 8:28 amChilli and dark chocolate
gill colling
30th September 2012 at 11:06 amI’d certainly like to try these
Chris
30th September 2012 at 11:53 amcinnamon……has a warm glow
Bdonna191
30th September 2012 at 4:41 pmI’d have to go with chilli, but not too much
becky004
30th September 2012 at 5:07 pmCinnamon or nutmeg
Maya Russell
30th September 2012 at 5:07 pmI love the flavour of cardamom and chocolate.
visioneer
1st October 2012 at 9:15 amMorning. personal choice “Saffron”
Daisy Louie Craydon
1st October 2012 at 9:27 amI absolutely love chili and chocolate.
missmamo
1st October 2012 at 6:11 pmSea salt and chocolate is my fave combination
Kelly Simpson
1st October 2012 at 8:07 pmChilli.
Susan
2nd October 2012 at 10:41 amCinnamon for me.
Jane Willis
2nd October 2012 at 12:02 pmGinger for me!
Stuart
2nd October 2012 at 12:06 pmI’m old school…love the combo of chili and chocolate
Clare Woodman
2nd October 2012 at 12:11 pmReally excited by the possibility of trying these sweets – it would be a totally new experience 🙂
Chas
2nd October 2012 at 12:22 pmMore chocolate!
kitchen princess
2nd October 2012 at 3:16 pmI love chilli with chocolate
Anonymous
2nd October 2012 at 4:36 pmCinnamon goes really well with chocolate.
Hazel Rea – @beachrambler
Kayleigh
2nd October 2012 at 5:47 pmDefinitely cinnamon
legs21
2nd October 2012 at 7:27 pmI think that cinnamon is great with chocolate
herb
3rd October 2012 at 12:40 amnutmeg or cinnamon
zoboze
3rd October 2012 at 10:17 amChilli and cinnamon
honeydip
3rd October 2012 at 5:51 pmCardamon
anna
3rd October 2012 at 7:04 pmI think cinamon but they all sound interesting
magic
3rd October 2012 at 7:15 pmcinnamon
mandy
6th October 2012 at 8:45 ami like ginger &chocolate
Isis1981uk
6th October 2012 at 11:34 amI think Ginger is gorgeous with dark chocolates!
Caz B
6th October 2012 at 8:01 pmCinnamon and chocolate … yummy x
Sarah H
6th October 2012 at 10:15 pmI love ginger 🙂 x
Isabel O'Brien
6th October 2012 at 11:33 pmIf cinnamon counts then cinnamon definitely.
alexmax
7th October 2012 at 3:34 pmI love chai masala and chocolate! Sounds like a fab combo
Geebee
8th October 2012 at 8:36 pmSounds weird but wasabi is amazing with chocolate!
carol
8th October 2012 at 9:22 pmcardamon
Shaheen
9th October 2012 at 6:48 pmcinnamon
mellysocks
10th October 2012 at 12:35 amStrawberry
Ursulab
10th October 2012 at 11:06 amGinger
Just_me
10th October 2012 at 12:59 pmAnise or Chilli
Carolin
11th October 2012 at 10:03 amCinnamon, I LOVE cinnamon!! 🙂
carowood
11th October 2012 at 11:47 amGinger
tinam1
11th October 2012 at 2:06 pmI really like chilli chocolate as long as its not too spicy x
Sandy Hallett
13th October 2012 at 8:53 pmchilli and chocolate always go really well together.
These look like such luxury chocolates – I might have to put some on my christmas shopping list for family members
Fiona Matters
13th October 2012 at 10:43 pmI think ginger – or possibly chili.
tabbaz123
14th October 2012 at 8:21 amChilli for me!
Nicola P
14th October 2012 at 10:22 amHas to be chilli. I always add dark chocolate to my chilli con carne.
Anonymous
14th October 2012 at 3:28 pmCardamom works beautifully with chocolate (Janet Bagnall bagnalljan@gmail.com)
Bev's Burning Books
14th October 2012 at 9:12 pmhazelnut!
olivia280177
14th October 2012 at 10:49 pmWhite chocolate with cardamom and milk choc with cinnamon
Dave Edwards
15th October 2012 at 11:31 pmCHILLI… DELICIOUS!
stephen holman
16th October 2012 at 5:17 pmadd a bit of spice with chilli 🙂
Eleanor Jones
16th October 2012 at 7:05 pmI love ginger 🙂
kylie johnson
17th October 2012 at 10:03 amcinnamon is my favourite 🙂
Sandsferguson
17th October 2012 at 10:08 amChilli!
Lindsey Gunn
17th October 2012 at 1:21 pmProbably cinnamon for me too
stellabella
17th October 2012 at 3:08 pmcinnamon
Gary Topley
17th October 2012 at 5:11 pmCinamon would go best.
Hayley Colburn
17th October 2012 at 8:37 pmchoc orange mmmmmmmmmmm outh watery
Diane
17th October 2012 at 8:42 pmGinger – my mother in laws favourite
Emma2321
17th October 2012 at 9:25 pmThe spice I like with chocolate is chilli
cachexia
18th October 2012 at 7:29 amI love chilli chocolate
Anonymous
18th October 2012 at 9:02 amCinnamon or Ginger are my Favourites 🙂
Rebecca/Becci Cleary
soozwales
18th October 2012 at 1:04 pmcinnamon
Stacy Fenemore
18th October 2012 at 4:30 pmchilli
krnries
18th October 2012 at 6:16 pmI love chilli and chocolate, although I’m not sure I’ve tried many interesting combinations
Rikka B
18th October 2012 at 6:55 pmFor me it has to be ginger.
Clare cherrington
18th October 2012 at 8:40 pmGinger! Yum!
Yvonne Crook
18th October 2012 at 9:56 pmChilli
kelandab
18th October 2012 at 10:12 pmOooo, definitely chilli, have tried chilli chocolate & it’s amazing!
Olivia
18th October 2012 at 11:12 pmThis comment has been removed by the author.
Olivia
18th October 2012 at 11:13 pmOh wow never heard of these before, but they look yummy! Cinnamon! Sorry for deleting, spell checked 🙂
Nicky123
19th October 2012 at 1:53 amCinnamon
Phyllis Ellett
19th October 2012 at 4:23 amAlways wanted to try Nutmeg.
Catherine McAlinden
19th October 2012 at 6:15 amCinnamon for me
Running In Boise
19th October 2012 at 6:50 amCinnamon
haddockv
19th October 2012 at 7:00 amGinger
Cherry Mischievous
19th October 2012 at 8:52 amI’m not a cook so honestly I don’t know what spice combines best with chocolate but for this competition I’ll give it a shot 🙂
I imagine cinnamon would taste well with chocolate.
sarahlee3
19th October 2012 at 9:46 amI think ginger is a great spice with chocolate!
hazhaddock
19th October 2012 at 10:34 amGinger
poppy101
19th October 2012 at 12:35 pmOne of the best spices that combines well with chocolate is chilli.
Kerry Kilmister
19th October 2012 at 12:45 pmCinnamon! Absolutely gorgeous with chocolate.
Elaine Livingstone
19th October 2012 at 1:41 pmstar anise
petertattersall
19th October 2012 at 2:28 pmI like them all
thrlrds2007
19th October 2012 at 4:05 pmMINT
shell35
19th October 2012 at 4:07 pmginger
Kateg1982
19th October 2012 at 4:39 pmcinnamon
alison
19th October 2012 at 5:03 pmchilli
antheaholloway
19th October 2012 at 6:06 pmI think nutmeg is a good one!
Kristy Brown
19th October 2012 at 6:19 pmCinammon or ginger…..I can’t decide which. x
sheridarby
19th October 2012 at 6:34 pmcardamon
abijanebrighton1986
19th October 2012 at 6:56 pmmmm cinnomon (unless vanilla is a spice?!)
Anonymous
19th October 2012 at 7:16 pmCinammon
Bubbles17
19th October 2012 at 7:27 pmchilli
Claire Sales
19th October 2012 at 7:30 pmfive spice 🙂
Ellen Stafford
19th October 2012 at 7:38 pmCinnamon – love it!
Ceri
19th October 2012 at 8:03 pmCardamom?!
Bruce
19th October 2012 at 9:10 pmchilli
Angie Hoggett
19th October 2012 at 9:12 pmI love Cardamom
straysuzi
19th October 2012 at 9:25 pmChilli it gives it that heat and bite without taking away the flavour
Zoe Coen
19th October 2012 at 9:38 pmGinger or Chilli x
Mrs Voucher
19th October 2012 at 10:25 pmI think lavender and mint with chocolate would be a great combination
bloomers
19th October 2012 at 10:31 pmI would have to say Cinnamon, yum
Angiem32
19th October 2012 at 11:00 pmI’d definitely say nutmeg 🙂 yummy!
Cute Aprons
20th October 2012 at 6:05 amGinger is my favourite spice with Chocolate
daisychain
20th October 2012 at 6:33 amGinger and chocolate is the only way.
Rich
20th October 2012 at 7:28 amChilli or ginger
elizabeth barker
20th October 2012 at 8:56 amIt has to be ginger.
CHOCOAJ
20th October 2012 at 8:56 amI like Cinnamon, lovely at christmas 🙂
Beth
20th October 2012 at 10:01 amI am a huge chilli and chocolate fan – I don’t think anything else comes close! Alwyas chilli or perhaps cayenne pepper for me!
Cake
20th October 2012 at 11:07 amI love ginger with chocolate 🙂
Vicky Robinson
20th October 2012 at 12:21 pmCinnamon sounds heavenly!
olivia280177
20th October 2012 at 1:11 pmfollowing as oliviamcc GFC and olivia kirby on NB
Tara Davies
20th October 2012 at 3:27 pmAlmond and orange
Anonymous
20th October 2012 at 3:46 pmCinnamon for me!
Tracey McPartland
20th October 2012 at 3:51 pmSaffron and Pistachio Caramel sound divine, would love to taste this one
LAURA PUGH
20th October 2012 at 5:11 pmI love chilli and chocolate
Anonymous
20th October 2012 at 7:33 pmI think Ginger and chocolate are the perfect pair.
neet
20th October 2012 at 7:47 pmchilli definitely xx
BeX
20th October 2012 at 8:52 pmcinammon
elisaw
20th October 2012 at 10:53 pmCinnamon & choccy – yum!
Severe Rambler
20th October 2012 at 10:57 pmDefinitely saffron. Beautiful with dark chocolate 🙂