Paro reviews and discussion

One box makes a ton of food. The product itself is quite aromatic, but misleadingly bland. The Tarka is key! I'm more excited about the Tarka than the Kitchari and I can't wait to put it on vegetables. I probably would not order this product online, but I would buy it off the shelf to keep on hand for something a little different from my normal dinners.

Really tasty product and super wonderful quality. I will say the product is premium but the price is even more elevated. This would be a tough item to feed more than 2 maybe 3 adults and at its price point I’d say it should be going a bit farther. That all said, very delicious and well packaged and branded.

My partner is Pakistani so we eat daal and kitchari pretty regularly and I feel like I have a good baseline to compare Paro to, and I was very impressed by Paro! I love how there are recipe suggestions on the website so that you can build on the basics. I used the daal & veggies recipe on the website and served with naan and it was so filling and tasted just like we would make it from scratch at home. I also like how it served two people perfectly because we sometimes struggle with having too many leftoevers. I think what I loved most though is the tarka. For some reason my partner had been keeping this delicious topping a secret from me and I am so grateful that Paro has this and I could try it because I want to put it on top of everything! I think a storage guideline could be helpful on the package--I assumed it's fine to keep in the pantry since that's where I store my ghee usually. I haven't tried the kitchari yet but am looking forward to trying the kitchari & fish recipe on the website! Paro is a great option for those who want to dip their toes into Indo-Pak comfort foods, and they make it very easy for people to experience these wonderful dishes.

So tasty and so easy to prepare, plus the Tarka is one of the most delicious condiments I've ever tried. On their own, both the daal and kitchari are a little light on the salt, but that can easily be adjusted when cooking and serving.

I has the kitchari and it was good! The design of the box is bright and eye catching, which I liked. I was surprised at how small the box is though, and I was worried it wouldn't make very much... But then I was surprised again after cooking because it made more than I was expecting! As a single person who ate this as a side, I feel like I'll get more than the 2.5 serving size listed, so I'm happy about that. Another thing I liked was the taste! While it had quite a variety of flavors, it felt well balanced and nicely seasoned. Something I think could be improved are the instructions. It starts out simple enough but between 3 and 4, I got confused. 3 says to stir often until tender, then 4 says to let it sit and thicken... But do I keep the heat on or off? Do I keep it on the stove with the heat off or do I take it completely off the heat? I'm a somewhat beginner cook and this was my first time cooking something like this so I personally could have used more instruction here. Step 4 continues on to say the consistency should be similar to risotto, but as someone who has also never had rissoto, I didn't know what I was looking for and was just confused. I ended up turning off the heat and letting it sit for a while, which seemed fine. It did thicken up but still had a little liquid left, which I don't know if is right or not but it still tasted good in the end. I think this is minor as it still worked out and tastes good. Overall, I think I would buy this if I saw it a store. It was convenient and easy to prepare and tasted great. The box also lists some benefits of mung beans, which is great! I love learning little things like from packaging, and it makes me feel even better about eating it.

So helpful when you want a quick lunch with minimal effort! Tried the Kitchari... easy to cook and super tasty as a meal or a side dish. All you need is boiled water in a pot and it is 10/10 perfection. You can also customize to how hard/soft you prefer to eat your rice. Would definitely repurchase.

Super tasty, nutritious, and quick. Amazing stuff to have in your pantry for a healthy meal or side dish.

Beyond, beyond loved Paro. Super attractive packaging, sensible portions, and informative packaging on ingredients, health benefits, and suggestions on pairings like yogurt, lemon, etc. I found the flavor descriptors of "tastes like a warm hug" and "nourishing spices" rather unhelpful at first, but after having both the masoor daal and kitchari, I now understand. Everything works to create a very nourishing and flavorful symphony. There are so few ingredients, none dominant, that playing up one ingredient would be very misleading. Also, let's talk about the mf tarka oil. Incredible. So fucking good. Immediate pantry staple. Pairs so well with the masoor daal and kitchari. I now almost never fry my eggs without it. Get it! My personal qualm is that both the masoor daal and kitchari were grossly overpriced at $10 per box. I hope that costs go down as they scale, but right now the prices make zero sense. It's effectively a handful of the cheapest food ingredients in the world. If they were partnering with a brand like Diaspora Co. for spices, using organic ingredients, or even unbranded fair trade spices/sourcing transparency, I would have a much easier time justifying the steep cost.

Purchased this for my boyfriend, who is Pakistani. He really enjoyed the kitchari (reminded him of his mom's cooking!) and puts the tarka on everything. We will definitely purchase again! Paro makes South Asian cooking approachable and convenient to cook, while also serving those who are craving the traditional foods they grew up with but don't have the time to prepare.

The Paro kits were decent and hearty, but definitely a little lacking in flavor. I think with some fine-tuning they could be excellent! Super easy to throw together and a great weeknight meal option.

Dahl was easy to make and great flavor. The Tarka topping is super spicy but I love the crunchy texture. I recommend using less water to cook the Dahl - consistency was a little loose - and the portions are pretty small (great for 1.5 people or as a side for 2 / 2.5 people)

This was SO easy to make! I made the kitchari for a week night when I just didn't feel like making anything serious. HUGE hit and it fed two people comfortably. The tarka is also amazing on everything!

I love this brand-- and the product is really good. I enjoyed making the dish and learning a bit about the culture and cuisine. The dish is homey and comforting-- I added a fried egg and it was just perfect.

Initially purchased this as a part of thingdrop. Received my order and for both boxes, the sealed plastic bag was completely open with the dry food spilling out. Reached out to customer service and they quickly shipped me a new package.

I just received my first order from Paro and it DEFINITELY won't be the last. This is probably the best boxed, easy-to-prepare meal I've ever had. I ordered the Kitchari and Tarka oil. It's rare to find a brand that really nails the homemade taste so perfectly. I plan to pick it up in my shop!

The packaging design was so cool I had to try it! After getting two boxes in the mail they sat it my cupboard for weeks before I decided to try it. You see, I didn’t realize it would take 30 minutes to cook. A short time I’m sure for the original recipe, but too long for my liking. The flavor was interesting but light, the texture through me off because the fennel was still hard after cooking. Ultimately, I like having easy pantry items in my rotation and this just takes too long to cook and needs multiple add-ons.

Was surprised - tastes super authentic. Wish it wasn't so expensive though

I tried the daal and it was fantastic. It was very flavorful and easy to make. I’d recommend buying the tarka with the daal and adding it at the end for extra spice. Leaving the daal on the stove for longer to cook is also helpful. Overall 9/10

I enjoyed the texture and flavor of this dish. I have to say, it could pack a more flavorful punch, but what’s in the box was still comforting and tasty! One issue I have is the price. My is it expensive, and $5 shipping that wasn’t reimbursable by this “free”’deal? Gotta say I feel a bit misled. Still, a tasty addition to my dinner. I’d consider purchasing again at a more reasonable price point.

I REALLY liked these! They were awesome to have around for a flavorful, quick meal. I also really liked the tarika and have been putting it on more food once I ate the Paro boxes. I would definitely recommend these and will purchase again myself. Really glad I got to try!