In the lively city of Los Angeles, where cultures collide and dreams take flight, I, like many immigrants have often embarked on a mission to preserve my South Asian heritage. As an immigrant devoted to Indian food and culture, I frequently long for the familiar scents and tastes of my homeland. Little did I anticipate that my culinary journey would lead me to an online treasure trove, Flavor Temptations, meticulously crafted by Sara Parthasarathy & Partha Sabniviss.
In the world of flavors, Flavor Temptations transcends the realm of mere meals; it emerges as a potent tool for empowerment. For individuals like us, caught in the delicate balance between nostalgia for our roots and the embrace of new beginnings, these spice kits wield a magical influence. They help us recreate the flavors of our childhood, bridging the gap between places like Los Angeles and every corner of India.
This is especially poignant for our college-bound children, born in a foreign land yet raised on the aromatic notes of Indian spices. For them, Flavor Temptations becomes a slice of home, a connection to their heritage, and a celebration of their roots amidst the hectic pace of college life.
Join me as I sit down for a chat with Sara Parthasarathy, one of the two visionary founders behind Flavor Temptations.
Komal Kapoor: What inspired you to start Flavor Temptations, and why did you see a need to teach customers about Indian cooking?
Sara Parthasarathy: When our son Gautam left home for college, I sent him off with a ‘masala dabba’ of spices and told him to use a bit of each spice when he cooked. But he kept messing it up since he didn’t understand the layering and flavor-building process unique to Indian cooking. So I had to measure out specific spices for each of (my mom’s) recipes to teach him how to cook. Soon this concept became a business idea when many of my American friends wanted to learn to cook Indian food.
Komal Kapoor: How do Flavor Temptations' spice blends and ready-made sauces help people go from being curious about Indian food to being confident in cooking it?
Sara Parthasarathy: All the recipes are easy to understand (no chef language in them) and the spices are numbered 1-5, so people can feel confident that they are adding the spices at the right time in the cooking process. Ex: toasting mustard and cumin initially, etc. The cayenne powder is always packed separately so folks can customize the spice level in their dish.
The sauces come with easy-to-cook recipes consisting of 3-4 steps. Additionally, none of our products have any added sodium, and are made with all natural organic spices that are very aromatic. People love the fact that they can cook authentic Indian food (instead of adding just curry powder) and can also control their sodium and spice level, something that other products don’t provide.
Komal Kapoor: What are some of the special challenges and rewards of teaching people about Indian cuisine?
Sara Parthasarathy:
Challenges: Explaining that curry is not a spice and need not be hot (spicy); that Indian food is about flavor, not spicy heat
Rewards: The ‘aha’ moment when people taste the flavorful food, and understand the flavor-building concept behind Indian cooking, and know that they can also do it!
Komal Kapoor: How does one order from Flavor Temptations? What are your best selling products?
Sara Parthasarathy: The best option is to shop our website - www.Flavortemptations.com. Our best selling products are the Butter Chicken Spice Kit, the Butter Chicken Sauce, the Palak Paneer Spice Kit and the Chana Masala Spice Kit.
With each spice measured, every taste perfected, Flavor Temptations is not just about cooking. They are weaving a legacy that echoes our Indian heritage, wherever we are in the world.
Flavor Temptations is also now helping school districts across the country introduce wholesome and flavorful Indian food to their students and learn about Indian culture! They have created larger institutional sized spice kits and sauces for schools to easily make Indian food from scratch or speed-scratch when using their sauce.
For our Los Angeles readers:
Starting in 2024, LA Unified School district will start serving Aloo Curry made with Flavor Temptation spice kits!
LA-based Green Sea Shells is an online magazine that encapsulates the vibrant essence of Indian-American life, culture, and family travel. Join our community and subscribe to our complimentary monthly newsletter, Roots & Routes. Some of our GSS articles contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, we’ll collect a share of sales at no additional cost to you.
