A chance conversation with a very dear friend got me introduced to Tinaz Cooper the chef behind the catering business “Flavors of the World”. Touching base on Whatsapp, I had a menu in minutes and placed an order soon thereafter.
Tinaz lives in Virginia and has been running a catering business for a while. With the recent COVID pandemic situation and staying at home, she is looking to make this business a mainstay and expand. In speaking with Tinaz, she said that she has been shipping cooked Parsi and Indian food all over the USA including Houston, the Bay Area and NYC and NJ.
Dealing with Tinaz was a breeze. She stayed in communication every step of the way including when the package was shipped out and delivered etc. Payment was seamless via Venmo the time frames worked out really well.
Now as the saying goes the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And that’s where Tinaz excels. On advice the same dear friend I ordered a few things. Chicken Dhansak, Jerdaloo Murghi, Beef Kebabs, Lagan Nu Achar, Green Coconut chutney and Coconut Macroons made the initial order. And then a day before shipping out Tinaz excitedly messaged saying she has Bheja, and would I like Bheja na cutlets. Hell yeah !! Of course. And so that was added to the order.
The food arrived in a properly packed large USPS box with the cool gel packs etc.
I’ve now had a chance to taste all the stuff and I have to say it is a taste of home in each of the dishes. The Dhansak had the right spice level, the Jerdaloo murghi had the right tanginess, the green chutney is divine…..the lagan nu custard hit the sweet spot, the coconut macroons were perfectly crunchy and chewy, and the bheja cutlets….out of the ballpark tasty.
To anyone interested, I would highly recommend Tinaz’s catering. There are local caterers who do Parsi catering in all parts of the USA, but Tinaz’s uniqueness is the ability to ship amazing food all over the USA.
On chatting with Tinaz she said that everything she makes can be customized for spice levels, allergies etc. As she puts it…she provides a “Custom Designed Parsi Bhonu Experience”
Tinaz wrote in….
Hello everyone.
I have started taking catering orders again for pickups and for mailing parcels across USA. However, due to the present COVID rush situation, I cannot guarantee delivery times as that depends solely on USPS. From my side , I will try my best to fulfill your orders, as it will depend on the pricing and availability of the ingredients at that point in time. I will do my best to ensure that the food is prepared and mailed out in the safest possible way (wearing gloves and face mask).
I will try to mail out all parcels together on one day of the week to minimize the risk, will send you the Tracking Number and will keep you updated of the delivery status. Please see attached the 2 separate menus, for Veg. and Non-veg items. The Packaging and Mailing costs are mentioned at the end.
For pickup orders, you can order delicate items too ( saariyas, desserts ) Please send me your payment by Venmo or check, only after I confirm your order. Thank you for your patience and cooperation always,
Tinaz Cooper, Flavors of the World
Tinaz can be reached via email at tinazcooper@gmail.com or on whatsapp at 512-508-2512
Tinaz also offers different types of curry pastes – Red for meats, Yellow for chicken , Green for fish , White with cashews for chicken .
Each box of 300 gms makes about 4 servings of curry, and is made with fresh coconut and ground spices, and then roasted.
If frozen flat in ziplock bags, you can just break off a piece when needed, add water and protein and cook. If you like it creamier , you can add little coconut milk.
In the menus you will also see lagan-nu-achaar, kopra paak, sheera in different flavours, coconut macaroons, murabbo.
You can download her menus in PDF Format
Below are some of the customer reviews she has received in recent times.
Flavors of the World – Customer Reviews
Tehmas Master, Pennsylvania – May 2020
I had been trying to find a caterer who could mail me homemade Parsi bhonu since atleast 10 years but in vain. Just imagine my joy when I got introduced to Tinaz’s venture, Flavors of the World catering services. It was like she had wings on her back and a halo on her head.. I knew I had found an angel who had come to my rescue for parsi food! We got on a call, discussed all her flexible food options available (daily/weekly/monthly plans), placed my first order (which had almost every dish on the menu cos I was longing for Parsi gher nu bhonu!) , sat back and waited patiently for my food parcel to arrive at my doorstep few days later.
When it did, i was pleasanlty surprised to find these neatly packed boxes/ziploks with individual portions and gel paks, each dish packaged and labelled, ready for freezing and using as and when required. If you are anywhere in the Virginia-DC-Maryland area, you can pick the food up yourself, nice and hot if required! Also, she customizes the food for each client’s spice level and allergy issues . Her ready-to-use curry pastes are a hot favourite with most clients she says, especially now with everyone working from home. I’ve ordered one of each type ….she makes 4 different curry pastes to go with different protiens…so many choices!
Cooking good, healthy food takes time and attention to detail. Tinaz takes the time out of it for you to enjoy your favorite dishes in the comfort of your home. The food is made with love, quality ingredients and time. I would highly recommend her service to anyone who is a foody (specially Parsi food) or folks who do not have time to prepare their daily meals, for whatever reason. She is your angel with the halo and wings for parsi food and other cuisines too. And Vegans don’t you worry, she has you covered as well. And don’t forget she caters for events as well, up to 100 guests approximately.
So next time you are craving some hearty, healthy, homemade food and desserts, just call/text/email/WhatsApp her and the food will be at your doorstep before you know it!
I am already thinking about my next order….
Nikki Daruwala, Virginia – March 2020
Thank you Tinaz for the perfectly packed and delicious meals! Am 100% endorsing Flavors of the World catering for authentic Parsi food.
Got dhansaakh rice, daal and kebabs, red cury and rice , and lagan-nu-achaar. She also gave me complimentary ravo and murabbo. All superb !
Anyone in the Washington DC area, please note. She also mails parcels all across USA.
Narges Kakalia, New Jersey – March 2020
Nothing says celebration quite like Ribbon Rice! Navroze Mubarak!
Top layer is Tinaz Cooper’s super-delicious green chutney, which I froze last month and defrosted yesterday.
Bakhtavar W., Pennsylvania – March 2020
We enjoyed the tareli macchhi and sabudna khichdi. The food is good. I have zero spice tolerance so I found it had a kick to it, but it is delicious !
Vera Springett, Chicago – February 2020
I ordered a bunch of goodies from our friend and PER member, Tinaz Cooper out in Virginia, USA. In the pics online, you’ll see everything from nan khatais to kora nu murabbo and chutneys! Everything was absolutely delicious!! The chutneys and murabbo are especially heavenly!
As I told Tinaz, I usually do not like Lagan-nu-achar at all, but hers has changed my opinion. It tasted completely different from any kind I’ve had before!!
Thank you, Tinaz for packaging everything so well and for mailing it all so swiftly despite your working hours. You’re amazing! Good luck to you and your business. PER, highly recommended!
Roshan K, NY – January 2020
Your Beef kebabs were very good, right spices and worth the price.
The Patra-ni-machi was good too. Thank you for the ravo, it was yummy!
You are an excellent cook… the jerdaloo murghi was delicious!
Deepu A., NY – January 2020
Loving your red curry paste and yummy ravo… It’s amazing!
Lyla T , Miami – January 2020
I used up 2 portions of the red curry for one day but found it not enough for 5 persons but it tasted good. The jardaloo chicken was nice but the salli was not authentic and the chicken was a little too spicy.
The white curry was great !…we had it yesterday…and the Rose Kopra paak was great too!
Sandra M. , Maryland – January 2020
Your kopra paak was just delicious and we’ve almost eaten up all 3 packets !! Less rose water though otherwise it was yummy… not too sweet and great texture and could really taste the coconut !
Delna Dastur , VA – Dec. 2019
The apricot sali chicken and veggie stew were greatly enjoyed by all. The Bhel needed more chutney. We all felt that the dhansakh daal needed less chicken and more daal but it was just delicious! Today the chat tasted even better warmed up. The ravo was yummy too. The Christmas cake was very alcoholic for me but my husband loved it ! The fish was ok.
The lagan-nu-custard was great !
Zenobia & Behram Panthaki, Virginia – Sept. 2019
Jardaloo Murghi: This dish has the right blend of spice, sweet and tart and the gravy is delicious with tender chicken. The advantage is that it can be eaten with rice, chapattis (flat bread), bread or naan as per an individual’s choice. The portions are large and plentiful.
Green Curry: The curry is rich, creamy and coconut based and makes an ideal meal with rice. It is flavorful and nutritious and makes a great meal. Again, the quantity was ample for the cost.
Pineapple Chicken: The chicken and the pineapple were grilled to the right degree to retain their lusciousness and flavor. A great meal, sumptuous and delicious, especially for children who loved the pineapple along with the chicken.
Tinaz’s Dhansak is out of this world ! As a Parsi I can vouch for its authenticity and unique flavor. I have had dhansak made by several people, including famous caterers in Mumbai, but her dhansak surpasses all.
Yellow Curry: Excellent yellow curry with the right blend of masalas (spices). The potatoes, peas and chicken were really enjoyed by the children in the family. An ideal and fulsome meal.
Ravo: This Parsi dessert was a hit at our party. It’s smooth texture, right amount of sweetness, the cardamom flavor and the seasoning with nuts made it a hit even with traditional Parsi guests.
Cucumber Chutney Sandwiches: These sandwiches were a throwback to the good old days of high tea served with special English-style crafted sandwiches. They brought back the flavor of the past, were soft and nutritious, light and delicious. A great snack too for children.
Zenobia P. – September 2019
The cucumber chutney sandwiches were great in flavour !
The jerdaloo sali marghi was partly to take to a lunch yesterday with some seniors and old colleagues. It was a potluck and everyone thought it was superb!
Sheroo C . ,VA – August 2019
The chicken gravy was unique and excellent ! The poha and sandwiches were also great! Even the plain chutney sandwich tasted amazing !!
I thought the spice level was perfect…..Something our five year old could have eaten as well. Thanks for the ravo sample …. It was just delicious !
Zenobia P. – August 2019
From the attached, you will see that people really liked the food !
i) The prawns were delicious and now I agree with you that dry would have possibly been better, but I needed the gravy. Next time I’ll try them dry!
ii) The ragda patties were also lovely, especially with the sev and chopped onions on top!
iii) The lagan nu custard was also yummy. People liked it a lot!
Thanks for doing this for us!
Zenobia P. – July 2019
The patra ni macchi was excellent…. No more comments!
The chiken farchas were ok as for older people at a party, it would be better to have smaller portions. Crumb fried is very heavy for us, so we prefer sauteed stuff . The sabudana khichdi was subtly flavored, healthy and light.
The chutney sandwiches were wonderful — I liked the ones without the chaat masala . Take care and thanks for everything!
Fredy & Mahzarine Chinoy, Virginia – May 2019
RATED 5.0 Tinaz recently helped us host a weekend get together for three families. She cooked aleti paleti, pork vindaloo, chicken farcha, mutton pulao, parsi ravo and lagan nu custard that were all appreciated by one and all. The aleti-paleti was amazing ! We have ordered from her, in the past as well, and her meals are always fresh, tasty, on-time and most importantly she goes out of her way to adapt to the tastes and needs of her customers. This is parsi home cooked food at its best! Thank you for all your efforts for the Chinoys this weekend.
Z. Panthaki , Virginia – May 2019
Thanks for the food, overall my comment is that it was delicious and everyone loved it ! Our detailed comments /suggestions are below :
Butter chicken and Biryani — My guests just loved the butter chicken and even took some back to NYC!! was fantastic, no comment except that the chicken pieces could be cut smaller. Poha, ravo, lagan-nu-custard – No comments, they were all great! Masala Dal — was superb — my son did not allow anyone to eat it!! It was really, really good. Quiches – it was delicious — especially the crust. Thanks a ton!
TryHungry.com – August 2018
Your Parsi menu was so fantastic! I can honestly say I’ve never tasted such sweet and tender apricots, nor had I ever had them paired with chicken. And it worked and it was really memorable! Some people absolutely loved the shrimp scampi. The sauce had a light, delicate flavor, but the sauce perhaps could have been “tighter”/ reduced more. Some members on my team absolutely loved the spaghetti bolognese !
Dr. Susmita, Chantilly – December 2017
RATED 5.0 Tinaz recently catered for my son’s 1st brithday party. Her small eats were really enjoyed by the guests and her Pav bhaji was on point. She is a very experienced cook and she helped me also with the general ideas for the party. Would definitely recommend her indonesian chicken with peanut sauce, which can be enjoyed by desis and non desis too!
Avan B., Houston
RATED 5.0 Tinaz is an excellent cook and provides delicious foods through mail-order. Frannie, thanks for introducing her to me. I’ve sampled some of her dishes and they are excellent, specially her lagan nu achaar ! I have forwarded her menu and information to many others here in Houston.
Farida Y., VA
RATED 5.0 We all enjoyed your food at our family dinner yesterday. All of us loved the mushroom paneer. The sali murghi was little too sweet for us, would have preferred it more spicy as we are used to spicy food. Everyone loved the ravo (dessert sample) you gave us ! On the whole, we all enjoyed the food.
Adil W. , Columbus, OH
RATED 5.0 Many thanks for mailing me the food samples! Wishing you success in your catering endeavours.
Hoshi M., Colorado Springs
RATED 5.0 Thank you so much for your food package. It was delicious ! The curry had a nice flavor but little spicy for me but tasty. The sali murghi was very good. Enjoyed the ravo sample you sent ! It was nice.
Amol, Reston – Dec 2017
RATED 5.0 I had the shrimp curry and chicken kheema & tasted the omelette sample, it’s all great ! i really liked the food and will set my order for next week. Thanks so much, you are awesome!…. I will surely pass the word on for u.. The food is really good! I really like this kind of menu and flexibility.
Amol – Oct 2017
RATED 5.0 For a single professional living with no cooking skills, Tinaz Cooper’s food is blessing! If healthy, tasty and good quality home food is what you are looking for then you must try Tinaz’s food services. Highly recommended. Thanks!
Dr. Susmita , Chantilly – August 2017
RATED 5.0 Tinaz has a real passion for cooking. She prepares in detail prior to the order and is very professional. Her cooking is delicious and is personalized for my family’s needs. She also has a fantastic repertoire of dishes that she has mastered. She is a god send for my busy active family!