This ice cream brand takes you on an India tour, one scoop at a time. Think Maharashtra’s ukdiche modak and Tamil Nadu’s palaapazham
(Left) Parag Chaphekar and Sanmish Marathe started Trayog in the lockdown to create an ice cream menu inspired by Indian kitchens. Pics/Shadab Khan
I’ve skipped lunch for an ice cream tasting and, on this front, we believe in complete justice. A cup of kadak black coffee sits on the table like a good wingman to help pacify the tastebuds between flavours.
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The lockdown has seen an uptick in ice cream making. From wafer slabs to waffle toasties, the past year has been pretty cool (pun-intended). The latest tub on the block created during the pandemic is Trayog that offers flavours inspired by ingredients and dishes from the Indian backyard. It is a sister brand of Icestasy, which owners Sanmish Marathe and Parag Chaphekar started in 2016 to create specialty ice cream for restaurants. “Since inception, we were focused on a portfolio that went beyond strawberry and chocolate flavours. For example, we’ve created a black sesame and a beetroot ice cream for an Asian eatery,” says Marathe.
The puran poli scoop at Aaswad, a Maharashtrian joint at Dadar, is a creation of the duo. They say it was a perfect fit for the eatery, where most customers are from the community and would appreciate the taste. “The lockdown has hardly lifted and we are making bulk orders for them again,” says Marathe. For those who know the owner of Aaswad, Suryakant Sarjoshi, may also know that he takes personal interest in his menu. “We remember, he waited a couple of months to find the right bowl to serve it in,” says Marathe.
Seasonal jamun ice cream
It was the success of puran poli that boosted them to expand the horizon to Indian mithai and foods for Trayog. “If we could do it with one Indian dish, why not others? So, we took up the challenge to create an ukadiche modak, boondi, aale paak [candied ginger] flavours,” says Marathe.
Trayog is a combination of Sanskrit words, trayah (three) and yoga (confluence). “Every time we conducted a tasting, we got three words as feedback: authenticity, indulgence and innovation. That’s how we came up with the name,” says Chaphekar. Each flavour (priced between Rs 399-Rs 999 per 500 ml tub) is written in its regional name and script.
Making ice cream is a combination of science and art, Chaphekar thinks. The production is done in a set-up in Goregaon and ice creams are made in batches of 40, 80 and 120 litres using batch freezers. “We are somewhere between hand-churned and commercial production. This helps us maintain texture. We avoid adding big chunks of fruit as they turn icy. The ice creams have a specified fat level in the milk that balances the milk, cream and butter for a smooth finish.”
The team adopts an individual approach with each flavour. “We first deconstruct the elements of a mithai and then reconstruct it to fit the ice cream base. We work on creating the texture, flavour and mouthfeel that’s similar to the experience of when you actually eat the sweet dish we are trying to replicate. It took us six months to verify the boondi vendor because most of what you get in the market is made in Dalda, packed with colouring and essence.”
Taste test
The menu is divided into sections. Prakritik Upahaar offers fruit-based ice creams like dakkhan sitaphal, amrood (guava) and palaapazham, a jackfruit from Tamil Nadu. Chaphekar says all the names have been derived from their source.
The Paakshaala Utpaad section has flavours from the Indian kitchen. There’s boondi, puranpoli, aale paak, Banarasi paan and ukdiche modak. It feels like sorcery because the taste is on-point of the mithai, but the mouthfeel is that of ice cream. Textures are consistent and we love the Banarasi paan for its accurate rendition. We almost made an attempt to chew. The aale pak has spicy ginger candy and it instantly reminds us of the Maharastrian barfi we tried at a flea market.
The Chikmagalur coffee flavour is sweet filter coffee, and for those who have their regular caffeine hit black and sugar-free, be warned. A stellar from the Vaideshik Prabhaava, is hara pista. Rich and creamy, it is a uniform, bright green pista trip that transcends the desi kesar pista ice cream. The ice cream stands out for its creamy texture, burst of flavours and nostalgic ingredient pick. We bring home a sol kadi trial churn and it’s a creamy indulgence that makes us hit the yoga mat.
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