T T R Masala

The smell of ground chili and coriander is the first thing you notice when you walk toward 385, Raja Street. We are right in the Town Hall area, which is always packed with people and rickshaws. T T R Masala has been operating out of this spot for quite some time. The shop isn’t very large, but we pack a lot into it. We spend most of our mornings getting the grinders ready and making sure the spice mixes are sorted out. It’s a bit messy, to be honest. There’s orange and red powder on nearly every surface, and if you stay too long, you might start sneezing. That’s just part of the spice business, I suppose. The regulars know us by name, and they come in for their weekly supply of whatever they are cooking at home. We don’t have fancy packaging with bright colors; we mostly just use plain bags that get the job done. Raja Street is a loud place, and sometimes it’s hard to hear what the customers are saying over the noise of the traffic outside. We keep the counter clear so people can put their bags down and wait while we weigh things out on the old scale. It’s a simple way of working, and it keeps us busy from morning until the sun goes down. Most days are the same, just grinding and weighing and talking to the neighbors.