Bengaluru food startup inspired by a book

Chitra Swamy takes her recipes from a unique book her mother Prameela wrote

Bengalurean Chitra Swamy started her own venture inspired by stories shared in a book her mother wrote about her village. About seven months into the business, her products are now being taken to the US.

The startup, ‘Prameela’s Kitchen’, located in Banashankari 3rd Stage, offers instant and ready-to-serve products. The product recipes are inspired by ‘Ooremba Udara’, a book by Chitra’s mother Prameela Swamy on “childhood memories.” It is set in Kuppahalli, a village in Mandya.

“My mother wrote about how she learned cooking from her family and also mentioned how she learned recipes for different occasions and festivals,” recalls
Chitra. The family belongs to the Sankethi community, which is a “blend of cultures of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with a slight influence of Kerala”, says Chitra. “Nine out of 10 recipes are Sankethi.”

Ready to make, serve

The startup offers freshly-made batter of six varieties of idlis and 11 varieties of dosas. “They have a shelf life of five days. We make these in small batches and they’re pre-ordered,” she explains.

Instant mixes of “typical south Indian items” like majige huli (yogurt-based curry), kootu (vegetable and dal curry), gojju (sour, spicy, and sweet curry), kaalu menasina saaru (black pepper rasam), and dal fry (lentil dish) are available here.

“Just add water, seasoning, and vegetables as per the instructions given on the packet. The shelf life of these mixes is up to a year,” she says.

Chitra makes fusion sweet jams in flavours like strawberry and plum, watermelon and rose, and apple and orange.

“We use around 70% fruit pulp and 30% sugar to make them. The jams do not have synthetics or preservatives in them. I have added ginger and lemon juice. These jams are best consumed within three months,” elaborates Chitra. Spicy chutneys “go well with chapati, toast and even with pakodas”, says Chitra.

Types available are chilli guava, chilli pineapple, sweet chilli, and chilli tomato.

Challenges

Most customers ask her about the short shelf life of products. “Items with a long shelf life are a red flag for me as they are losing their freshness over time and getting old,” she says.

Ensuring safe and attractive packaging for the products has been challenging too, she says.

To make her products better she shared the recipes with family and friends, and asked for feedback.

Target audience

While most of Chitra’s customers are from Bengaluru, the instant mixes have been bought by visitors from the US. “People from neighbouring cities like Mysuru, Hubballi, Shivamogga, and Mangaluru also pick up the mixes and jams,” she says. Chitra uses Teleport to deliver the items.

* kitchenatprameelas on Instagram or WhatsApp to 91088 20110.