SOLANA BEACH — Uma Raghupathi keeps finding new ways to share the joy of cooking her grandfather instilled in her while she grew up in India.
Raghupathi was raised in Bengaluru, India, before moving to the United States in 2007. In 2015, she started an online food blog sharing recipes and other tips and tricks learned from her grandfather, who served as her culinary mentor.
“I’m very passionate about cooking because of my grandfather,” she said. “I love cooking. I love to eat all those things.”
Through her blogging and research, however, Raghupathi discovered some things that alarmed her.
“A lot of things that are available in the market are loaded with chemicals, preservatives, such as the spices, especially,” Raghupathi said. “So that made me inspired to start my own business.”
She now sells her own spice blends under the name Simple Sumptuous Cooking at the Solana Beach farmers market and online, where she also shares recipes featuring each blend.
Raghupathi said she dry-roasts spices sourced from a farm in India near where she grew up or from local farmers in North County San Diego. She then grinds and mixes the ingredients into blends such as Chai Spice and Tikka Masala Spice Blend.
“I’ve more concentrated on the flavor than heat,” Raghupathi said. “So it’s not spicy.”
She said one of her favorite parts of sharing recipes is encouraging people to try and enjoy new foods and cooking techniques.
Raghupathi particularly enjoys cooking with tofu because it’s easy to prepare and versatile in a wide range of dishes.
Selling her spices at the farmers market also offers benefits beyond a purely online business, including the chance to connect directly with customers.
“It’s also always fun,” Raghupathi said. “It’s so social. It’s very nice to get people to come and smell my spices. And I love talking to people. So it’s more than sales, I love to socialize with them.”
