Kavin Masala

If you come down Arcod Road in Virugambakkam, you will find us at number 2. Kavin Masala is easy to spot because you can often smell the chilies or the turmeric before you even see the door. It’s a small place, and the machines we use for grinding make a lot of noise throughout the day. We are usually covered in a thin layer of spice dust by the time we go home. It’s hard work, but we are used to it. The shop is filled with bags of raw ingredients waiting to be processed. We don't have a fancy showroom. It’s mostly just the production area and a small space for people to stand and wait. Virugambakkam is a busy area, and the traffic on Arcot Road never seems to stop. We get a lot of local residents who come in for their supply. We know most of them by name and know exactly what they like. Our family has been doing this for a while now. We don't use any big fancy machines, just the ones that have served us well over the years. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to sit and wait, which is just part of living here. We don't make any big claims about what we do. We just grind the spices and pack them into bags. That’s the whole story for us.