About
Our Story
We take the mystery out of Indian spices and cooking—so you feel at ease making your own delicious, healthy, home cooked authentic Indian dishes.
I grew up in England when Indian food was relegated to “curry”—a somewhat dubious preparation, consumed after the pubs closed. Made with noxious curry powder, an English invention in the 18th century, this food bore no resemblance to the delicacies prepared by my mother, Lakshmi (pictured below). She was an imaginative cook, who managed to figure out ways to deliver authentic Indian delicacies, despite the limited number of spices and even vegetables available. I inherited that love of creative cooking and experimenting with food. I've always enjoyed food and cooking for friends and family.
When my daughter (see below) went to college, she wanted to cook Indian food occasionally, but not buy bags of 50 different spices, just so she could use one teaspoon. Sound familiar?! I started to provide her cooking kits with pre-measured spices and recipes—then her friends, both American (thanks Giulia!) and Indian friends, wanted these Indian cooking kits. The idea of Simply Masala was born!
As a lifelong vegetarian, I never understood how people thought vegan or plant-based cuisines were not satisfying. Did you know that Indian cuisine is several millenia old and it is the oldest plant-based cuisine? Between climate change and health concerns, it's time to make delicious plant-based foods more accessible so people are more willing to try them. And here we are!
Our Mission
We bridge the culinary divide, while our profits bridge the digital divide! We have two passions: helping people make delicious Indian foods, while helping underrepresented communities access tech education—a key to economic success in the 21st century.
The mission of our business is to fund education—specifically, in engineering and tech—for underserved communities and underrepresented groups. These fields open the door to economic mobility in the digital future. And yet, so many years into the technology revolution, why are there still so few women or people of color who participate in tech and engineering fields?
Research studies show that girls and boys express interest and perform equally well in math and science at the elementary school level. Social pressures and lack of role models can cause girls to lose interest and become convinced that they “can’t do math!” Evidence shows that exposure and encouragement to experiment in tech and engineering fields can result in increased confidence initially, and economic benefit in the long run as students explore careers.
If access to quality programs is limited, then so are the opportunities in the tech and digital economy. Children in many underserved communities do not have access either to role models or to hands-on activities that expose them to these fields. What better way to achieve both our passions and missions than to teach people to experiment, cook and taste more plant-based foods, and use those profits to fund education! We plan to use 50% of our profits to fund programs that provide students with the opportunity to experience the excitement of tech and engineering. Enjoy good food, and do good with food! Thank you for supporting our work.
Sheila Narayanan
Founder, Simply Masala
