INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
When Mitra Raman went off to college, all she wanted was a bowl of her mother’s homemade rasam
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Raman grew up eating traditional South Indian cuisine almost every day, but didn’t quite know how to
make it just like mom when she left home.On her next visit back home, she told her mom she missed her cooking
Raman simply packed all the ingredients for rasam in a plastic bag and told her daughter to heat up some water and add it in
It’s that simple.That’s how Buttermilk was born.The YC-backed company offers a variety of Indian dishes at a low price that can be
cooked up by simply adding hot water.Based in Seattle, Buttermilk launched in 2017 to the local market and has since expanded to serve their
products across the country.Buttermilk dishes include Sambar, Daal, Khichdi, Rasam, and Upma, all of which cost $6 each
Buttermilk also sells Basmati Rice for $1.50.While users can buy Buttermilk meals individually, they can also purchase one of Buttermilk’s
“suites,” which pack a handful of meals into one shipment
The suites, including the High Protein Pack, Buttermilk Suite, North Indian Favorites and South Indian Favorites, cost $39.Last week,
Buttermilk introduced an option called Subscribe and Save, which offers the chance to buy monthly subscriptions of pre-set packs for 10
The company is also launching new meals, including Chana Masala, Coconut Chutney, and Quina and Brown Rice options, starting on July
12.Buttermilk has plans to add other cuisines to the platform eventually, with the same idea of bringing mom’s home cooking to people who
don’t have the money or time to recreate those meals from scratch
The company is also interested in potentially selling their products in grocery stores or coffee shops beyond the existing online channel.
