From Daycare to Desimisu: Cooking Up a Culinary Blend of Cultures

By Vandana Gadia

Discover Prachi Malankar’s journey from managing a home-based daycare to launching a unique dessert business, blending South Asian flavours with classic Italian Tiramisu to create Desimisu. This story explores how her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to health-conscious innovations are capturing the hearts—and taste buds—of the GTA.

An idea is like a seed. It sprouts and becomes a fruit-bearing tree only if nurtured with love and care. This is precisely what sets entrepreneurs apart, especially those like Prachi Malankar, whose innovative business idea is blooming as she diligently nurtures it.

It began about a year ago when Prachi was operating a home-based day care. With a Master’s in Special Education from a university in the US, Prachi was well-equipped to provide care. However, she soon realized that caring for other children was detracting attention from her own daughter. This led to her to seek a flexible career path—a pivot common to many mothers navigating multiple roles.

Wanting to engage her creative side, Prachi put on her “creative hat” leading to a flurry of ideas. After brainstorming, a concept emerged: the creation of Desimisu, a novel blend of South Asian-flavoured cakes and Italian Tiramisu. While the name was enticing, but perfecting the recipe required substantial effort.

When in doubt, turn to the fabled “Jugaad”, something we Indians have mastered. Prachi began experimenting immediately, developing delicious flavours ranging from mango to rasmalai and paan to strawberry—each one as enticing as the next.

What truly caught our attention was not only the unique blend of Indian and Italian desserts but also the fact that Desimisu offers delivery of Desimisu products anywhere in GTA , a huge value to busy families, which made this business standout and worth featuring.  Going by the old Indian adage “Athiti devo bhav”  (Our Guest is our God), the Desimisu team believes “ Grahak devo bhav” ( Our customer is our God).

Another distinctive aspect of Prachi’s business is their health-conscious approach. “They are light
and airy with less sugar and fewer calories,” said Prachi.
“Our recipe is one of its kinds as we haven’t seen this formula for cakes before. This innovation makes me proud, especially when I hear good feedback from my customers. We also offer customised vegan cakes, gluten-free options, and many other varieties,”  added Prachi, proud of her creation
Prachi’s friendly and outgoing nature, along with her passion for her craft—baking, which is undoubtedly an art form—have significantly contributed to the rapid growth of her business.
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