For the Love of Food

Kusum Karanth’s love for the food she grew up with prompted her to start a business around it. She tells Reshmi Chakraborty how she went about it.

The food business runs in Kusum Karanth’s veins, she tells me over a plate of lip smacking Ussal in her sister’s restaurant Adda 117. Her father ran a hotel in Belgaum, Karnataka, and the Ussal (a dish made of sprouted beans) he served there was famous among the customers. “I grew up eating that and after marriage, I would keep asking my father how he made the usual powder and the spice mix used in the dish. I kept trying but the exact taste took me over a year to perfect,” says Kusum, smiling at the memory. She now runs a small home business specialising in spice powders called GK Products. The Ussal powder holds pride of place in it, with other masalas coming close on their heels.

Initially, Kusum, who’s nearing 60, started making the Ussal powder at home and giving it away for free to friends and relatives. A visit to an exhibition held by women entrepreneurs in Jayanagar, Bangalore, changed things for her. “I thought to myself, why can’t I also put my skill to use and do something like this?” she remembers. Keen on doing something, Kusum visited Awake, the association of women entrepreneurs of Karnataka, to train herself in running a business. After learning the tricks of the trade, she also trained other aspiring entrepreneurs there. Kusum credits her Awake training to most of the things she has learnt, including getting a license, improving her profitability and even the kind of packaging that works. 

She started by taking orders from home and doing everything from making the masalas to packaging them herself. “I didn’t trust anyone to do it as well as I did because your hands need to be absolutely clean,” she candidly admits. Her family however was a great source of support and her children helped out in whichever way they could.

A bowl of yummy ussal

Kusum loves to feed people and it shows in her products. Her Ussal is famous and tasting one spoonful of it makes it obvious why. For those not familiar with this typical Udupi delicacy, Kusum’s packages come with the recipe. Apart from the Ussal powder, she also makes Sambar powder, Rasam Powder, Puligare Mix and Chutney Powders. “It took a lot for me to persist with the business,” says Kusum. “I had to adjust my timings, housework, make sure the whole family had what they wanted and then work on it,” she mentions, mirroring the story of many Indian women entrepreneurs.

Although she would love her Ussal Powder to go places and was in talks with some well known food brands to market it, Kusum’s constant dilemma is how to maintain quality. “I fear that going large scale may tamper with the taste.” Kusum’s origins are from Udupi in South Karnataka and at the moment, she is content to serve clients who are familiar with food from that region. “I have some regular clients who pack my masalas and take them abroad,” she proudly says, adding that they prefer her mixes to those of established brands. Member of A Hundred Hands, a collective of unique artisans, Kusum’s stall was a hit in one of their recent fairs, with her tasty mango themed pickles and other delicacies.

To contact her, call her on 9980337213 or visit her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Gkproducts. The page also has some useful tips!