Lacto Calamine Oil Balance Lotion Aloe Vera Review | Daily Face Care Lotion For Combination To Normal Skin | Kaolin Clay Therapy | Beauty Review

Lacto Calamine is one of those quintessential beauty products we all instinctively know and love. I remember seeing a little bottle of the same as a child, my mom used it in 1990s! Back then, the packaging was different. Then about 5 years ago, my mother saw the ad of the newly 'relaunched' Lacto Calamine and told me to try it as an everyday moisturizer. I did. And I have not looked back ever since :)

Packaging of Lacto Calamine is simple and durable. But I think the cap is flimsy and not travel-friendly, good chance of the lotion spilling out easily.

Ingredients list is simple with Aqua, Kaolin, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Aloe Vera Gel, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Carbonate alongside a mention of 'preservatives, perfumes, astringent, permitted colors'. No clarity on what these ingredients actually are. It doesn't matter too much to me but surely it is a very frustrating thing for those who double-check ingredients nowadays.

Claims are threadbare, threefold action of absorbing excess oil, unclogging pores and preventing excessive drying of skin.

Availability of Lacto Calamine is quite common, offline in stores such as Big Bazaar and online on almost every e-commerce store from Flipkart to Nykaa. I bought it from Amazon for Rs. 198 for 120 ml.

Quantity is amazing. Easily lasts me 2 months even when I liberally apply it all over my face and neck once a day everyday. Extremely value for money.

Usage - Shake bottle, pour some lotion on fingertips, apply in dots all over face and neck, massage into skin for 20 seconds. Done!

Effect - So as I already recounted, my mother suggested me to use it. I was extra curious since I remembered she had used it decades ago too. I wondered why. And after using it, I realized that it is not a cosmetic product. It is somewhat a mix of health + skincare product.  It does not give external glow to skin alone, it literally sinks inside our skin and helps it from within. It can be used-

-As a moisturizer 

-As make-up base

-As a light sunscreen

-As a soothing agent for redness/ itching/ acne/ pimples

-As the only skincare ingredient for those who cannot use anything else, for example- those suffering from condition such as rosacea!

And so on!

The way it is formulated makes Lacto Calamine perhaps the most versatile beauty/skincare product available in the market. It is formulated with a clear idea that 'oily skin is a blessing because it is naturally moisturized' which is the truth. Problems arise because of excess oil. So simply put, Kaolin Clay absorbs that excess oil. Lacto Calamine Daily Face Care Oil Balance Lotion Aloe Vera is especially made for normal/combination skin (tending towards dry) so it has glycerin + aloe vera which provide hydration together so skin does not feel stretchy. Moreover, Zinc Oxide works as natural sunscreen as well as it is good for cleaning pores, providing extremely small amount of skin refinement/polishing.

Honestly, there are no miracles promised. This is the most basic skin care. Literally the most basic skin care routine would be to clean your face and put lacto calamine all over. That is it. It keeps skin healthy from within. No frills, just a solid function.

As for my personal experience, I have been using it for 5 years now, on and off. I keep trying some other moisturizers sometime simply because I get bored or I want something specific for brightening/acne fighting etc. but then I keep coming back to Lacto Calamine Daily Face Care Oil Balance Lotion. Why? Because it is a star product. It really absorbs all excess oil but my skin still feels hydrated. My skin is always baby soft and supple when I use it. It instantly calms redness on my cheeks. If I ever get any pimples, I dab this on and it is instantly dried up. It soothes. It protects. Even if I go out in sun for 15 minutes, I do not get tanned because Zinc Oxide is good sunscreen for such small duration. And yes, it also, with constant use, lightens old acne marks and brightens up skin. All-In-One product. 

Oh, and since it has a light pink-ish hue, it works perfectly as a make-up base as it very lightly covers up blemishes instantly, all the while giving a faint glow to skin and protecting it. And finally, I know some of my friends have over the years used it in conjunction with other products. A friend of mine who has very dry skin always mixed a few drops of almond oil in Lacto Calamine and used it daily, she always had perfectly glowing skin (now she has graduated to other creams but this is still in her cupboard for emergencies). So, use this multipurpose fantastic product as per your wish amigos :)

YES 

• Fulfills all claims perfectly
• Absorbs extra oil, skin does not feel dehydrated
• Skin is soft, supple, bouncy
• Calms redness, soothes pimples instantly
• Maintains oil balance even when hormonal imbalance makes our skin misbehave
• With constant usage, old acne marks also lighten (over months of regular, diligent use)
• Multipurpose skincare product for normal/combination/mildly dry skin
• The only product I can suggest happily for extra-sensitive skin types. For those who cannot use any product, Lacto Calamine might be the only option.
• It works like a tinted moisturizer and light make-up base too
• Made in India
• Easily available offline as well as online, I bought from Amazon

NO 

• Not suitable for very dry skin, it might feel a bit parched for moisture, for them I suggest use it after mixing with another moisturizer or couple drops of face oil.

Recommended -YES! Lacto Calamine is one of those products that need no advertisement or reviews to become a bestseller. It is multipurpose and must-have. Keep it at your bedside always. Rating is 5/5.  

Book Review | Without Prejudice By Author Devasis | Epic Tale Of A Mumbai Bar Dancer | Fiction Meets Facts | Opinion

Tale of a bar dancer in Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay, the land of dreams.

Background

Mumbai has always occupied a unique space in collective Indian mind. It is the most fashionable, most headline-grabbing, most glamorous and the most sought after city where India's biggest celebrities (actors, cricketers, businessmen, industrialists, playboys etc.) reside...This is the city of dreams, this is the city where 100s arrive everyday in dreams of becoming the next Shah Rukh Khan or next Aishwarya Rai, next Sachin Tendulkar or next Ratan Tata!

And like all the great cities in the world, there is a flourishing underbelly to this glittering city too. An underbelly full of violence, broken dreams, disappointments, crime, seedy localities, slums, abject poverty...This side of Mumbai is as widely covered in our popular culture as the glamorous and rich side of this megapolis.

A famous (or infamous!) shade of this underbelly has been the Mumbai bar dancer industry. This issue gained widespread attention with the movie Chandni Bar by Madhur Bhandarkar. Even in many other movies, bar dancers have played a prominent role, especially in stories related to underworld dons and notorious criminals. In modern Bollywood, bar dancers have often replaced the role played by Helen and Bindu in classical Bollywood era, that of quintessential 'item songs' girls to make movies more mass-based and commercially viable. In real life, most of the time, they have not been considered anything more than a 'prostitute' who puts the front of a 'mere dancing girl' to lure customers/patrons. Ask any common Indian on the street and it would be rare to come across a good opinion of bar dancer girls. For a layman, a 'tawayef' in 'kotha', a prostitute in red light district and a bar dancer are one and the same. 

Subject Matter

But where did these bar dancers come from? Beneath all the seedy dance bars, shady patrons, gaudy costumes, layers of makeup and whispers of prostitution, surely these are also human beings with complex personalities and complicated emotions. Does the society assume that a person is born with dreams of being a bar dancer? Why do we not look at them as humans anymore? What is their perspective on this attitude of society towards them? Do they wish to leave this industry and if they did, would the society accept them as a normal, dignified individual?

Without Prejudice by Author Devasis is an attempt to delve into this industry through personal story of 1 bar dancer, gleaned from his personal research into the subject matter and it does throw up some eye-opening facts related to bar dancers.

We meet Munia as a little child on the cusp of teenage, bartered as a precious cattle to be fed and groomed for her future role as a concubine, her destiny already pre-decided because of her caste. Through the eyes of her groomers and childhood 'protectors' (who frankly are saving her just to throw her to the wolf who pays the most for her innocence), we see her transform into Pallavi and then end up at perspectives shared by Roy and Rajkumar, 2 men who play an important role in Pallavi's life as a young bar dancer. Through their conversations and Roy's research into bar dancers' history (he is a journalist), the reader also understands the nuances of this sensitive, complicated topic. 

Personal Thoughts 

1. When I started Without Prejudice, frankly I thought this would be a typical 'prostitute with a heart of gold' story-line. Yup, I am ashamed to recognize myself as someone who takes refuge in stereotyping too. Having seen many movies like Pretty Woman, I thought that is the only track a story like this can take. Here is a woman, she is pretty, young and innocent with big dreams, she comes to Mumbai to achieve success and gets sucked into the big bad underworld where she is forced to sell her body and then she meets a handsome, kind hero who saves her from this wretched world because he recognizes her precious heart and they live happily ever after!

Wrong.

The story is pretty tightly scripted and while there are many cliches involved, they do not overshadow the fact that characters in Without Prejudice are richly developed, complex and give us an insight into their thought process. Yes, there is a happy ending and the last 20 pages of the story felt a bit rushed but it still ended up being very different from what I had expected. I finished the book in one sitting which would have been impossible if it was just another reproduction of something like 'pretty woman'. So kudos to the author for bringing to life a unique story.

2. Though the title says it is the journey of a bar dancer, we also see glimpses of other issues such as lack of communication in modern marriages, inside working of dance bars and HR policies being implemented informally there, political patronage supplied to seedy underbellies of our society, prejudice of not only a common person against dance bars but even media outlets prejudiced against them as worst social segments and so on. These are thought provoking instances that keep the story rooted in reality and also show the kind of in-depth research author did on the subject matter. This also does not let the story becoming claustrophobic by just setting it inside a dance bar, rather we keep moving through bars, newspaper offices, hill stations and page 3 society of Mumbai.

3. I personally liked the Yin and Yang approach showing the good and bad in every situation. There is a particular conversation that the character of Roy has with a taxi driver working outside Pallavi's dance bar that gives a nice overview of how different people look at same situation differently. It also brought out the spirit of struggle for survival in this tough city where people gotta do whatever they gotta do to keep a roof over their head, food in their bellies and clothes on their body without wasting their time on worrying about getting judged as 'badnaam aurat'. It wasn't moralistic, it was real and worth remembering. Inclusion of such conversations kept the task of reading Without Prejudice humane.

4. Most importantly, Without Prejudice brought to light extremely disturbing facts about the birth of the tribe of bar dancers, so to speak. Who knew that we actually had a Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 that branded people from 125 Indian castes, tribes and communities as born criminals thus making it virtually impossible for them to get any gainful employment? Even though they later became Denotified Tribes, the prejudice against them continued. This, combined by quite a few other socio-economic and historical factors, contributed the most in rise of bar dancers/ seedy 'massage parlors' and a good percentage of inhabitants in red light districts. This particular portion of the novel is worth its weight in gold as it transforms this journey of a bar dancer into  a huge cauldron of simmering social + cultural + economic + historical elements that most of us are unaware of, something that we ought to rectify right now. 

5. Finally, I would recommend Without Prejudice for the simple reason that it makes an argument for a consistent language for humanity everywhere- one that should dispel rumors and prejudices and embrace kindness, compassion, dignity for all people. From the Geishas of Japan to Bar Dancers of Mumbai to Strip Dancers of USA, there are similar human stories to be heard everywhere if one is willing to listen. And willing to listen we must be, as that is the first step to live a true life Without Prejudice!

A good read, go get it :)

Image Source -Niyogi Books

Book Review | Borderline By Author Shabri Prasad Singh | Mental Health Catharsis | Fiction Meets Facts | Opinion

Background

'Paagal hai kya'- A common refrain heard in India, sometimes in jest, sometimes in frustration. It is a word we loosely throw around without ever thinking of the serious subject matter it denotes -Mental Health. And then we worsen the situation by dumping every mental health related discussion in this very category of 'paagal'. Popular culture has more or less just added fuel to fire with numerous depictions of mental health institutions in dilapidated condition, hitler-esque doctors conducting weird experiments on inmates and the dreaded electric shock. Result is that every temper tantrum, every fist fight and every depressing situation is ignored/increased in India by remembering the horror of /using the taunt of 'being a pagal' and 'going to a pagalkhana'.

Subject Matter

It is thus a refreshing change to come across the book 'Borderline' by Author Shabri Prasad Singh that aims to tackle the much ignored as well as much maligned subject of Mental Health, not by way of eye-opening statistics, graphs, charts or sermons; but by way of a deeply personal journey of her own life as someone who has struggled long with Borderline Personality Disorder. Her alter ego aka Amrita Srivastava takes us on a ride through her childhood to adulthood and beyond, from being a part of a happy loving wealthy close-knit family as a child to shattering of that mirage with her parents' divorce, her era of teenage rebellion, extreme attention seeking behavior and lingering relationship issues well into her 20s and 30s. Her emotional extremes are triggered as a jolt by instances such as untimely death of her father who she was closest to, to feeling used and abused by her closest romantic relationship and thereafter a long spiral into the world of drugs. Her willpower to wade bravely through the lowest lows and take concrete step to get therapy lends an optimistic air to this personal saga of tragedy and sorrow. 

Personal Thoughts

1. The easiest job in this world is to point a finger at someone else. Feeling high and mighty while making someone else feel small and sad, we humans find it so easy and tempting to do. Just take a look at social media. Thousands have made a career out of 'trolling' and making memes! But what is the toughest job in this world? To point the same finger at oneself. To be emotionally naked and stand in front of the world, warts and all. The author does this marvelously in Borderline, which gains her massive respect from my side. The story flows seamlessly from one chapter of her life to another, filled with intriguing moments, much like an intense drama TV show and she gives a balanced view of all that happens, without making it sound like someone else's fault. That is not easy to achieve. If today I were to write a book about some of my childhood situations that molded my personality, I would be sorely tempted to place blame on someone else for all my shortcomings - 'This happened because xyz was mean to me'- but Shabri aka Amrita does not do this. This makes it easy for reader to look at every situation with an objective lens too. 

2. Author's honesty in accepting her shortcomings also makes it easier for us to look inside our own lives on all that we might think of as 'normal'. Her portrayal of being emotionally abused by the person she was romantically involved with or her description of turning into a stalker or going to any extreme to find validation for her very existence - these points might seem extreme but on thinking about it for a moment or two, I found that quite a lot of my normal friends (and sometimes I too) have indulged in some kind of emotional power game with each other. It is important to be self-critical in this way so that we may be better equipped to use the resources available to us for dealing with our shortcomings.

3. Borderline comes at an opportune moment. Claire Danes plays the main character of Homeland (one of my very favorite TV Shows) who suffers from bipolar disorder and the show is a gripping political action drama while sensitively portraying her mental health issues. Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone has made waves by openly talking about her struggle with depression and become a strong public face for the need to eliminate shame while talking about mental health issues. Borderline is a very brave step forward in the same direction. By taking mental health out of the shadows of hush-hush conversations dipped in a cloak of shame, it is an important reminder to society at large to be more sensitive and upgrade with changing times.

4. We live in a fast-paced world, with so much development in the field of technology, communications, healthcare, media and what not. But this is also the time when most of us are at our loneliest. The biggest message I got from Borderline is to keep an eye out for others. Brain is a complex organ, even scientists haven't been able to completely decipher all its secrets. We do not know for sure why some people are more prone to Depression or Parkinson or Alzheimer or Bipolar Disorder etc. But They Are! We All Are! And we need each other's help. In modern times of rapidly disintegrating familial relationships and intense materialism invading every part of our life, we have to take some time out to be kind, sensitive and considerate to each other as well as ourselves. In a rat race to be the 'best' and own the 'biggest, largest, most expensive' things, we might be losing a part of the very core that makes humanity beautiful. 

5.  It is harrowing to see Amrita, the protagonist, deal with the demons in her head, the loneliness and heartbreak she feels at every turn without being able to share them with anyone. It is an urgent reminder to all of us to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Our society places too less importance on anything related to mental health. So many times we will see someone sad and just say 'oh you have the blues, that is it, shake it off'. But what if it cannot be shaken off? We need robust resources, trained therapists, well-functioning and well-equipped institutions, strong support groups to altogether deal with this elephant in the room. The author was lucky to have met Dr. Sanjay Chugh and therapist Purnima who have helped her heal, but even this came after a horrible stint at an apathetic institution where every mental health issue was treated in the same way we have been trained to deal with it -say 'paagal hai' and give electric shocks!

6. Finally, even while dealing with the mammoth issue of mental health and heavy dose of tragedy, the author slips in little life lessons at every turn peppered with apt quotes, a few of which are:-

--'Permanency is a myth, change is the only constant'
--'To love oneself is the most important thing to do, otherwise all other love is hollow if you can't love you'
--'Remember there cannot be a rose without a thorn'

I also have a feeling that the author has immense intuitive skills or maybe her anxiety gives her this power to look beyond the obvious and reach the core of every situation. Throughout her life journey, she gets jittery before any bad event, be it her father's death or meltdown  after breakup with Hafeez. I have read many books where this kind of 6th sense is attributed to unexplained parts of our brain, be it premonition, precognition, deja vu or ESP. Maybe all those whom we categorize as 'mentally unusual or disturbed' also carry some heightened awareness that we haven't been able to understand or categorize. Maybe some day all the mysteries of brain will be unwrapped and we will look back at the days of calling everyone 'paagal' as a long-lost footnote in history!

As of now, I recommend Borderline as a Must-Read for everyone :)

Image Source - Bloomsbury 

Forest Essentials Gift Box Haul Review | Luxurious Ayurveda | Best Beauty Buy | Indian Lifestyle Blogger

I love Forest Essentials products. Very few of Forest Essentials products that I have tried have been absolute dud, most have been really good and worked on my skin as promised. In fact, Forest Essentials Tejasvi Ubtan and Forest Essentials Narangi & Nagkesar Ubtan are among my all time favorites.

So obviously I was overjoyed when my sister arrived one day with a gift box full of Forest Essentials goodies :D See, this is why siblings are important :P

Since my sister knows that I have got weird skin that is equal parts sensitive- acne prone- combination- weather dependent and what not, she got me a customized assortment of Forest Essentials products so I could try them out as an early birthday present and tell them which ones I would like as full size ones for actual birthday celebration (On December 5) :D Ok, I hear you all going 'awww' :)

Forest Essentials is an Indian luxury beauty brand that proclaims to be 100% authentic Ayurvedic, devoid of all harmful chemicals, using only the best quality ingredients and formulated in purest way to impart real timeless beauty to our skin. Yup, this part is good. What is even better is, by using these mini-sizes beauty products, we get to try these for a month or so before deciding if a product is really worth it. Now, for a brand where even an Ubtan costs almost Rs. 1000, that is a great way to decide whether a product is worth splurging or not,right? :)

At less than Rs. 2500 for this royal box, I got to try 6 different Forest Essentials beauty products for my skin and hair beauty concerns. The packaging is as usual fantastic and my sister even got 2 small samples of body mists with this box (they lasted 4 days each when she used them everyday). Also, there were rose petals strewn in this bag that basically made it smell like heaven. I am not ashamed to admit that I kept this bag literally on my workstation and sniffed it every 2-3 hours everyday for almost a week after I got it. These Forest Essentials folks got some serious mojo going on :D

Now I have tried all these little beauties for almost 1 and a half months (I was using them sparingly because I did not want them to get over quickly :D) so now, without any further ado, here is a review of my Forest Essentials Luxurious Ayurveda Customized Gift Box products :-

1. Forest Essentials Delicate Facial Cleanser Mashobra Honey, Lemon & Rosewater = Available for Rs. 1175 for 200 ml at Flipkart, Amazon , it claims to deeply cleanse while soothing, smoothing, toning and moisturizing with real rose water, lemon juice, honey as ingredients. My sensitive skin did not breakout,nor did my weirdly dry cheeks feel parched on using this cleanser. It is very mild, has a heavenly calming fragrance and left my skin feeling normal but not deeply cleansed. My oily T-zone was left calm and oil free but my under-eye skin was a bit dry every time I used it, so I have mixed feelings about this. It is not the best face wash I have used but it is not bad either. It is a decent facial cleanser suited for dry skin types and for those who are not exposed to too much pollution on daily basis. My rating is 3/5.

2. Forest Essentials Silkening Shower Wash Madurai Jasmine & Mogra = Available for Rs. 875 for 200 ml at Flipkart, Amazon, it claims to cleanse and gently exfoliate to make skin silky smooth and I must say, it is a definite buy for normal or oily skin beauties. While I did not feel any exfoliation, it did cleanse nicely, had a nice faint jasmine fragrance that lingers for nearly half hour after shower, it did not lather a lot and my skin did not feel absolutely parched after using it. I still need my moisturizer but my sister (who has oily skin type) used this thrice and she did not need a moisturizer at all. My mother (normal skin type) used this twice and she really liked it too. It is expensive but surely gives a spa-like feel in shower :) My rating is 3.75/5.

3.  Forest Essentials Bath & Shower Oil Madurai Jasmine & Mogra = Available at Rs. 1675 for 200 ml at Amazon, Flipkart, it claims to nourish, soften, tone, firm and deeply moisturize skin with ingredients such as Sweet Almond Oil, Mogra, Jasmine, Avocado Oil and Sunflower Oil. Dry skin types rejoice, THIS is awesome and a must-have to replace your existing moisturizer. I used this in 2 ways- first, I would mix 5- 6 drops in a bucket full of bath water and take bath with that or second,I would massage it in my skin immediately after shower while my skin was still moist. Both ways,it left my skin deeply moisturized, toned and feeling very healthy. Little is required each time so it lasts a long time too. Normal and dry skin types will love this while extremely dry skin types will need something even more hydrating. By the way,even my sister (oily skin) used it twice and she loved it too, no greasiness on her skin, just immense softness and that sweet light fragrance of jasmine is deadly good! My rating is 4.5/5.

4. Forest Essentials Ultra Rich Body Lotion Mashobra Honey & Vanilla = Available for Rs. 1175 for 200 ml at Amazon, Flipkart, it claims to deeply nourish, tone, firm, provide elasticity and antioxidant protection to skin and basically drench it in moisture with ingredients such as Almond Oil, Kokum Butter, Olive Oil and Honey. Just like the shower oil above, this one too is a complete winner for normal and dry skin types and I would be repurchasing it for sure. Smells like gentle walk in the park, it sinks in the skin very easily while providing a subtle glow and immense softness for straight 4-5 hours after which I would reapply. Within a week of using it,my skin felt healthier. Feels like luxurious spa treatment and works like a charm, I would suggest stocking up on this especially for the winters :) My rating is 4.5/5.

5.  Forest Essentials Hair Cleanser Bhringraj & Shikakai = Available at Rs. 1175 for 200 ml at Amazon, Flipkart, it claims to reduce hair-fall, promote hair growth and control dandruff. Oh boy, it delivers and how! I had absolutely no expectations from this shampoo and it turned out to be maybe the best shampoo I have used so far in my life on my dehydrated, curly hair with itchy, dandruff-prone scalp. Nice light Ayurvedic fragrance, it does not lather much but leaves my scalp clean + itch-free, really reduces hair-fall from first wash itself and most importantly, leaves my hair soft instead of it feeling like straw! I need smaller quantity of conditioner after using this as compared to any other shampoo I have ever used. AND my severe dandruff problem got reduced almost by half within 3 washes with this hair cleanser. My rating is 5/5.

6.  Forest Essentials Hair Conditioner Bhringraj & Shikakai = Available at Rs. 1295 for 200 ml at Flipkart, Amazon, it claims to be the perfect daily care conditioner for dry hair and YES, it completely is the perfect companion product to Forest Essentials Hair Cleanser Bhringraj & Shikakai. Cleanser deeply cleanses the scalp while leaving hair soft, but my dehydrated curls need a little bit more nourishment which this conditioner provides with aplomb. My curls are left soft, well-defined, frizz is very much controlled, hair is bouncy + healthy. My only complaint is it gets over faster than the cleanser and as such, is extremely expensive. Still, I would definitely repurchase it because this cleanser + conditioner duo is perhaps the best luxury Ayurvedic combination for my dear tresses :) My rating is 4.75/5.

I think be it packaging, be it choice of products, be it pricing, getting a customized gift box from Forest Essentials is definitely a smart choice. Thank you little sister :)

Above & Beyond | Hidden Gem Mumbai | Perfect Food | Review & Recommendation

Above & Beyond brings a food delectable food destination in an area with not many good options worth checking out, and its lively ambiance, superbly polite & efficient staff as well as delicious food at very reasonable prices ensures that we will visit here again :)

We started off with Cheese Garlic Bread, a bit more garlic flavor would make this perfect but it was delicious nonetheless,

For my sister's sore throat, the lovely combination of chocolate & coffee in piping hot Cafe Mocha was a health remedy in itself while I was delighted by the tangy creamy milkshake-like consistency of Mix Berry Smoothie that was not at all icy cold like smoothies at most other places, 

.

For mains, we started with one of the best pasta ever in the form of Pasta Alfredo Penne with Broccoli, Mushrooms and Bell Peppers where the proportion of cheese and veggies was just right to make it lip smacking, we cannot wait to come back here just for this,

Being an utter pizza lover,my sister decided to try out half and half flavors of Water Chestnut-Artichoke & Cottage Cheese-Bell Peppers and it was absolutely smashing, again the proportion of toppings & cheese was bang on;

The staff very kindly suggested us to try Oven Baked Jerk Potato Wedges and Sundried Tomato Polenta Square, a cheesy preparation, very dense and calorific, this should be accompanied with soda of some kind :D Definitely not what a diet conscious person would order but hey,hulks like us won't stop without licking the plate clean!

Even though we were full by now, we were tempted by the dessert section and tried out 2 deserts, both extraordinary- very veryyy sinful Smooth & Silk Chocolate Cake as well as mousse-like Mango Baked Yoghurt, wouldn't mind having these for breakfast,lunch and dinner :D A 100 gold stars for these alone!

Watch out Mahakali, Above & Beyond is here to stay :)

Sindhful | Fantastic Sindhi Cuisine | Food Review | 5 Star Recommendation

It is really puzzling how I managed to go to a college with overwhelming Sindhi population, yet never had the chance to taste even a single Sindhi dish! Spent more than a decade in Mumbai and yet only ever heard about the marvellous flavors of Sindhi delicacies like Dal Pakwan *sigh*

But thanks be to the Lords of food bloggers that Sindhful kindly extended a review invitation for me to finally partake in an excellent meal that I cannot wait have over & over. Food that tastes just like a loving grandma made it, Sindhful provides authentic Sindhi delicacies at quite value for money price points, mainly in a home delivery format but now they have added a very cute small seating area too which can seat 8 guests comfortably at one time :) Staff is very prompt, the seating area is lit up like a dreamland in evenings, I recommend all foodies make a trip here as soon as possible.

We started off with cooling Chaas that came in these cute milk bottles, the traditional way of ensuring proper digestion paving way for a veritable feast,

Started off with Tikra i.e. Sindhi Phulka pieced fried until golden crisp topped with Sindhi Masala, this one is perfect snack item anytime of the day (not to mention an ingenious way of using leftover phulkas, or so my mom mused :D) 

Up next was the very famous Dal Pakwan i.e. Chana Dal cooked in Sindhi Masalas served with authentic Sindhi Crispy FlatBread and a Tangy Chutney, this dish tasted as legendary as we expected it to, very wholesome, it actually felt like a chaat item that we could have day & night and not get bored at all :)

We also loved Green Seyal Pav i.e. Pav with authentic Sindhi Green Masalas, a bit on the spicier side with pav actually tasting like soft paneer chunks, 

Another legendary item is Chole Pattice with Pav and Chutney i.e. Chatpata Chana Dal stuffed Aloo Pattice topped with Sindhi Chole and served with Pavs and Tangy Chutney, just like Dal Pakwan, this one is an explosion of flavors, an item one can never get bored of,

For those really wanting to wade deep into the feeling of being fed by a grandma, best choice is Sindhi Curry Chawal i.e. Indian Vegetables cooked in a tempered Tomato Besan Curry served with Steamed Rice and Aloo Tuk, a little tangy, with inclusion of seasonal vegetables, this is one nutritious feast,

A special mention to Aloo Tuk i.e. Crispy Deep Fried Flattened Potato Wedges sprinkled with Sindhi Masalas, another perfect snack item like Tikri :).

For fans of Nadir (lotus stem) like my mom is, go for Bhee Tikki i.e. Chatpata Lotus Stem (Bhee) and Potatoes Tikki with a hint of Pudina; it has a judicious balance between spices and dense texture to provide wholesome foodie experience,

And after everything is done, go blindly for Sev Barfi, a traditional Sindhi Dessert, this one tastes like Kalakand or Milk Cakes and is extremely rich, heaven for someone with sweet jaw like me! 

This is my first foray into Sindhi food and such a brilliant introduction deserves to be applauded since my mom, my sister and myself are never going to pass up an opportunity to try Sindhi delicacies at every chance we get :) Keep up the good work Sindhful!