DAAL Snacks – Variety Pack
I previously tried DAAL Snacks with their Extreme Heat Savage Ghost Pepper flavor and loved them. Not only are they a healthy snack with a great crunch they’re actually very spicy and bring a great burn to the table. I wanted to try the brand’s other flavors following that experience so decided to go with this variety pack which includes a mix of their milder flavors.
As I mentioned in my review of their Extreme Heat Savage Ghost Pepper snacks, these are all based on fried mung beans, an ancient super-food that’s popular throughout almost all areas of Asia. This variety pack includes three flavors – Buffalo Chutney, Sweet Chili Masala, and Tandoori Ranch. DAAL’s focus is on blending Indian and western flavors and each of these sound like they’ll easily fit that bill. In terms of ingredients they each start off with mung beans fried in RSPO palm oil, which is a certification for palm oil that guarantees no environmental damage or deforestation in its production. From there the differences come down to their spice blend. Buffalo Chutney blends buffalo chicken flavors such as vinegar and chiles with chutney flavors like mint and adds yeast extract for extra umami. Sweet Chili Masala has sugar plus mango powder, known as amchoor in India and a great way to add a sweet sourness, plus cumin and chili powder. Finally the Tandoori Ranch has Indian flavors such as cumin, coriander and chili powder mixed with the flavors used in ranch dressing including onion, parsley, vinegar, and mustard plus milk solid to give that creamy ranch flavor.
Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Heat: ⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, tangy, smoky, achaaar-like
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Crispy and crunchy
Ingredients: Mung beans, palm oil (RSPO), seasoning blend (vinegar powder, chili powder, peppers, mint, salt, yeast extract, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent)).
Buffalo Chutney
DAAL Buffalo Chutney does have that tangy and tart flavor you get from the hot sauce used in buffalo wings, but interestingly with the Indian spices the flavor lends closer to achaar, or Indian pickles. It may be the chiles used in this combined with the mint that’s giving me that effect, but it’s not something that I’m complaining about at all. Buffalo flavored snacks are a dime a dozen but achaar flavored snacks aren’t something I’ve come across before. Perhaps they went with the buffalo name to make it feel more approachable to American consumers. The earthy and slightly sweet mung beans combined with the tang from the vinegar, the cooling freshness of the mint, the fruity and smoky chiles, and the umami from the yeast extract is a great combination. This is the one I was least excited about opening the bag but I’m very impressed by the depth of flavor and unique presentation, much better than any bland buffalo flavored snack. This is the spiciest of the three in the variety pack, though still easily on the mild side of things.
Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Sweet, fruity, sour
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Crispy and crunchy
Ingredients: Mung beans, palm oil (RSPO), seasoning blend (sugar, mango powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, natural flavor, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent)).
Sweeet Chili Masala
I’m not usually a sweet chili flavored anything kind of guy, I like my chile flavored things to be more savory than sweet, other than the occasional sweet hot sauce that blows me away. Thankfully DAAL Sweet Chili Masala doesn’t have that sickeningly cloying thing that sweet chili sauces like Mae Ploy have. There is sweetness here, and you taste it up front, but that sourness from the mango powder combined with the earthy smoky cumin and chilis as well as the savory mung beans balance that all out beautifully and end up making this a complex flavor presentation instead of just “sweet”. If you’re a fan of the sweet and savory combination, this one will be right up your alley. This is the mildest of the three in the variety pack.
Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Smoky, herby, tangy
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Crispy and crunchy
Ingredients: Mung beans, palm oil (RSPO), seasoning blend (pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder). milk solids (milk). onion powder, vinegar powder, salt, parsley, yeast extract, mustard, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent).
Tandoori Ranch
This is the one that I was most curious about trying. Now, I’m much more of a blue cheese guy than a ranch guy when it comes to wings, and I’m not one of those crazy people that puts ranch dressing on pizza, but I’ve been known to enjoy Ranch flavors in spicy foods before. DAAL Tandoori Ranch does somehow manage to replicate both the flavor of tandoori chicken and ranch simultaneously. Being able to give that smoky flavor that a tandoor brings is difficult without actually cooking something in that oven, but I believe the cumin plays a big role here as it’s a naturally smoky spice. The coriander and mustard do help give that authentic Indian flavor and there’s a pleasant sourness from the milk powder and vinegar. I’d never considered pairing ranch with Indian food before (and it’s something I’m unlikely to do since raita exists to provide that creamy herbal hit for Indian food) but it works far better than anyone would expect. While mild this one does have a little more lingering heat than the Sweet Chili Masala.
All of the snacks in this DAAL Variety Pack get my recommendation. They’re all delicious and they’re all different enough in flavor that you’ll never get bored. The fact that they satisfy that crunchy chip craving while being far healthier is a major bonus.
