Sonali Best Masala

Over at 120 Musakhedi Square in Indore, you’ll find our little setup called Sonali Best Masala. We focus mostly on spices, as the name says. Indore is a city that loves its food, so being at a busy spot like Musakhedi Square keeps us on our toes. The smell of ground chilies and turmeric is pretty strong when you walk in, which I’ve gotten used to, but it hits new people right away. We spend a lot of time weighing out packets and making sure the jars are full. It’s not a massive factory or anything, just a shop where we handle the spices people use in their kitchens every day. I’ve got a few scales and a lot of bags to deal with. The floors get a bit stained from the spices, but we scrub them down when we can. It’s hard work and your hands usually end up smelling like cumin by the end of the shift. We aren’t trying to be a big brand, just a reliable place for the neighborhood to get their masala. The traffic at the square can be a headache when we’re trying to unload supplies, but we manage. It’s a straightforward business, really. We just provide the ingredients and let the customers do the cooking. Most folks come in for the basic stuff like coriander powder or chili flakes and we help them get the right amount.