Selling flavor with convenience: Ellicott City couple launches freeze-dried Indian meals

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — Nearly every Saturday this summer, outside Caplan’s Market on Main Street, Ashish and Beena Bakshi asking anyone walking by if they’d like to try some Indian food.

Ready with samples in small cups and a big smile, knowing they have something special to share.

Although it didn’t start that way.

“The night before we had our first event at Caplan's. We were both so nervous; we had like a sleepless night because we thought we had made the biggest mistake of our lives,” Beena Bakshit said. “Then the response was so amazing. I mean, everybody who tasted it just loved the flavors; they loved the food.”

“This Main Street is like the cultural center for Ellicott City, and I’m so happy and we're so happy we're able to, you know, add to the flavor of it and attract more people to come down,” Ashish Bakshi said.

The husband and wife duo have lived in Ellicott City for nearly two decades. They’ve worked as IT professionals and raised their family calling Howard County home. Their business idea came to them on a family trip to Yellowstone, when a vegetarian family member brought a suitcase of freeze-dried food to accomodate for the lack of available options.

“It was so amazing that by the end of the trip, all of us were eating her food at night for dinner. So, we realized this was something really great,” Beena said.

They launched “Spicey Saffron” in May.

WMAR

Before that, they worked for months to find the right seasonings and the right chef. They’ve sold around 800 packets of meals, including vegetable biryani, dal makhani, and pav bhaji, an Indian street food that also happens to be Beena’s favorite.

The meals only require hot water or a microwave to heat up and are ready in minutes. Each one sells for $7.00.

They also don’t have any preservatives and are shelf-stable for up to a year.

“It was like the icing on the cake,” Beena said.

They tell WMAR-2 News’ Blair Sabol that they’ve been embraced by the cultural melting pot that is Ellicott City and in addition to their Saturday stints, sell at Caplan’s Market.

They’re working to be available in more storefronts and also both sell and ship online.