Masala Mama

Masala Mama makes a line of vegetarian or vegan all-natural Cooking Sauces for Indian food that are delicious, healthy and easy to use. They have a complexity of flavor and freshness that feels completely homemade, because they are made using the same fresh ingredients and cooking methods that you would use if making the sauces at home. They are made with non-GMO and gluten-free ingredients and heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil, with no refined sugars, preservatives or artificial additives. They are a healthy solution for anyone who wants to eat well without sacrificing delicious taste. Our sauces are available nationwide in Whole Foods, Fresh Market and many independent specialty food stores, and online on Food52, MasalaMamaFoods.com and Amazon.

Business Website Address

Founder Image
Founder(s), CEO and/or President Nidhi Jalan
Founder Story
Growing up in Kolkata, India, Nidhi was always passionate about food, going to the farmer’s markets, trying out unusual vegetables and sampling different regional cuisines by eating at friends’ homes. After moving to the US she really missed the nuance of homemade Indian food, and every time she went back to she would get recipes for her favorite dishes from her friends and their cooks. One day at a dinner party in New York the host happened to mention that she would make Indian food more often if only it wasn’t so time-consuming. That’s when Nidhi had an “Aha” moment! She decided that she would launch a business making spice blends for Indian food. She launched Masala Mama in 2013, and soon realized that the real opportunity was in making simmer sauces rather than spice blends, because that would make Indian food accessible to many more people who were intimidated by the thought of making it at home. She introduced her sauces a couple of years later, and in 2018 they were picked up by Whole Foods and went national.