There’s nothing more satiating than relishing a traditional home cooked meal after a tiring day at work. But, thanks to our lifestyle, cooking after work feels like atiresome chore. And, this is the reason There’s nothing more satiating than relishing a traditional home cooked

meal after a tiring day at work. But, thanks to our lifestyle, cooking after work feels like a tiresome chore. And, this is the reason why we are increasingly opting for ready-to-eat processed Indian meals, packaged chutneys and pickles. The appeal of these processed products is simple. You don’t have to cook; they go straight from spoon to mouth. However, we conveniently ignore the fact that these processed foods come laden with preservatives that are extremely unhealthy and ecologically unsustainable. To combat the rise of packaged unsustainable Indian foods, many food enthusiasts are popularising homemade Indian sustainable products, which include pickles, condiments and ready-made meals. “I love cooking traditional South Indian meals. Every time I used an age old recipe, I struggled with getting authentic masalas. The ready-made condiments available in the market lack authentic flavour and aroma. That’s when I decided to make my own masalas. I make gunpowder, sambar powder and tamarind rice mix at home. They became so popular among my friends that they prodded me to launch my own range of masalas. We use traditional recipes to make preservative free, fresh, natural, and healthy products,” says 50-year-old Sudha Raj. She started her venture last year in August, under the name of Zing, along with her 58-year- old sister, Sushila Srinivasan. Sudha says it’s a myth that homemade masalas and condiments have a very short shelf life. The shelf life of these products can go up to one year, depending on the product. Her products start at Rs150. why we are increasingly opting for ready-to-eat processed Indian meals, packaged chutneys and pickles. The appeal of these processed products is simple. You don’t have to cook; they go straight from spoon to mouth. However, we conveniently ignore the fact that these processed foods come laden with preservatives that are extremely unhealthy and ecologically unsustainable. To combat the rise of packaged unsustainable Indian foods, many food enthusiasts are popularising homemade Indian sustainable products, which include pickles, condiments and ready-made meals. “I love cooking traditional South Indian meals. Every time I used an age old recipe, I struggled with getting authentic masalas. The ready-made condiments available in the market lack authentic flavour and aroma. That’s when I decided to make my own masalas. I make gunpowder, sambar powder and tamarind rice mix at home. They became so popular among my friends that they prodded me to launch my own range of masalas. We use traditional recipes to make preservative free, fresh, natural, and healthy products,” says 50-year-old Sudha Raj. She started her venture last year in August, under the name of Zing, along with her 58-year- old sister, Sushila Srinivasan. Sudha says it’s a myth that homemade masalas and condiments have a very short shelf life. The shelf life of these products can go up to one year, depending on the product. Her products start at Rs150.

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