Nutreat’s catalog, inspired by traditional recipes from rural India, creates bespoke blends for customers around the world
Alt has certainly proven to be gold for Jyothi Sri Pappu, who has been promoting traditional food blends with Nutreat, their startup in Malikipuram, Andhra Pradesh, since 2015. “When my son Jai was born in 2013, I wasn’t too. I wanted to give him the packaged baby food on the market because, as a pharmacy graduate, I knew what chemicals are contained in such mixtures. So I asked my mother and grandmother about natural and healthy alternatives from their kitchen, ”says Jyothi.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Nutreat has trained village housewives as part of its “Project Sanative” and marketed them with farmers at fair prices.
“Many women who used to work in the cashew factories in Mori and in the weaving mill in Goodapalli, for example, were laid off during the pandemic. Through Project Sanative, we launched regular foods such as flour, dal, spice powder and semolina on the market in November 2020, which are cleaned and packaged by our employees. With the help of the NGO Smart Village Movement (SVM), we not only trained these women in the craft of our mixes, but also in financial management, ”says Jyothi.
For its product range, the project buys the harvest directly from the farmers who operate ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming) and organic farming.
Jyothi Sri Pappu, founder of Nutreat. Photo: Sonderarrangement / THE HINDU
There are currently at least 20 Malikipuram women employed by Nutreat. “The number varies depending on the order. The women were okay with this type of work because they could do it while they were watching TV. From the initial 25 kilos, each of our helpers can now process almost 100 kilos per week, ”says Jyothi. Since the women can work from home, Nutreat conducts quality controls while they prepare the orders and prepare them for delivery.
The taste of India
Jyothi said she started with uggu, sprouted ragi, traditionally ground by hand in stone tools and fed to babies in Andhra Pradesh from the age of six months. “After that, my mother started adding lentils and dried fruit, appropriate to his age. We do too uggu with matured brown and red rice, ”says Jyothi.
Nutreat’s catalog now includes numerous general recipes categorized under Inspired by India, Inspired by Nature, and Fusion Food. “We have 100 standard products, but we have adapted almost 7,000 recipes so far. We make the mixes depending on the region and the season, ”says Jyothi. With no corporate ties, Nutreat has reached customers across India, as well as the United States, Scotland and Australia, solely through word of mouth.
Keeping traditions alive
Some things have remained constant: The entire process is carried out manually and as traditionally as possible. The ingredients are first sun-dried to extend their shelf life and then processed into flour with stone pestles and mortars or hand mills. If necessary, the raw material is roasted in clay pots, which gives the taste a smoky depth. “The fan is the only electrical appliance in my kitchen,” laughs Jyothi.
Nutreat has trained female workers on food packaging during the pandemic. Photo: Sonderarrangement / THE HINDU
“We try to create a bond between our helpers and customers by arranging a video conference to show when their food mixes are being prepared. As we are an order based business, we don’t stock anything in advance. Customers know that if they book today, depending on the time of year, they will have to wait almost two months for their turn because factors like sun drying on rainy days can cause delays, ”says Jyothi. Each order adjusts the blend to meet the customer’s medical and dietary needs.