Our Story
our world of spices...
Twenty-one plus years has led us to this moment...
We all have our own journey that leads us to today and guides tomorrow! Ours is no different than yours, a roller coaster filled with love, heartache, successes, losses, ups and downs... the only difference is ours just has a different façade.
21 years ago, we, my husband and I, connected with a love of art. And just like our art, our palettes are different, I prefer simplicity and he prefers bold spicy flavors, and so began the quest of balance. We have traveled the world, have had some amazing food and some that was more than my taste buds could handle… but nonetheless, we have discovered you can connect with anyone in this world with a simple smile and warm food. Some of our fondest memories are standing around the kitchen, cooking, eating and enjoying the company of family, friends and even strangers.
To give you a little insight into my world…
Some of the basis of my cooking comes from my childhood. My mom was born in Mozambique but learned to cook in India. My dad was born in India but learned to cook in England. And my brother and I were born in England but learned to cook in America. So, our meals consisted of having traditional Gujarati food for lunch and a Lamb Roast for dinner. Or Fish and Chips for lunch and a Burger for dinner. We basically grew up embracing every culture we were around.
With my brother I perfected techniques. Growing up he was more the meat eater, I preferred seafood. He was the one to show me how to check if the meat was ready just by touch. Those who have seen me cook may say I’m not the best teacher, since I use smell and feel to cook, and I rarely measure. The only one who may understand me in the kitchen is probably my brother. We may prepare our food differently, but our techniques are the same and its great to have him as a quick reference.
The adventurous aspects of my cooking come from my husband… He pushes me to try new foods and is one of my biggest fans/supporters. Some of my most popular dishes are from ideas he came up with, such as, Kabab Sliders on a Hawaiian Bun, Masala Fish Tacos, Penne and Cheese made with Butter Chicken... just to name a few. People often ask what keeps our relationship so strong after 21 years, it’s the food...lol J/K! It’s the sense of adventure we share, it’s how we embrace challenges in life and take the best of our experience to make the present moment our greatest. And one such experience was our restaurant Tava, we loved how our food brought people together but hated the fact it was at the expense of my son’s childhood. More than 5 years after closing Tava, and reprioritizing what is important to us, we present to you Modern Masala.
Today, we not only teach our son, now 13, to embrace every culture, we teach him to mix the cultures and flavors around us. Much to my mom’s horror, who said you can’t have Dhar Bhat (a traditional Gujarati meal) with Fish? That’s the norm for my son. And now that I am passing down cooking techniques to him, it’s amazing to see what he creates. Our vision is to see you create dishes of your own with the ideas, techniques and spice blends we have put our heart and soul into. Re-create the Tava experience in your home. Spice up your life with Modern Masala Spices and explore the world with us…
Thank you taking the time to get to know us and reading our story.
Simply Punita
4.24.18