Batter Anna
Shweta Jalan came to the city 12 years ago as a new bride after her wedding to a Chennai-based businessperson. “It was here that I learned to make the perfect batter. During the first lockdown, I was at my mom’s place in Kolkata and experimented with sprouted ragi dosa batter. I sourced ragi, sprouted and ground it along with urad dal and fenugreek, and fermented it. My sons loved the flavour of the crisp dosas,” she recalls. Soon, her batter gained popularity among friends and neighbours, and Shweta decided to launch her own brand. Batter Anna was started in Kolkata in April 2020, and Shweta also started taking orders once she returned to Chennai, and her customer base expanded. Her mother continues to supply batter in her neighborhood in Kolkata.
Batter Anna offers three types of batter
Batter Anna offers ragi (regular and sprouted) and jowar versions. The sprouted variation is ideal for children and also has Kerala red rice and black urad dal. Shweta, who now makes 120 kilograms of batter a week, has as assistant who helps her grind and distribute the batter. “We wash ragi at least 10 times to remove sand and impurities, after which it is soaked and ground in a wet grinder,” says Shweta, who initially sold her batter in and around Purasawakkam where she resides.
It is now available at supermarkets and select gourmet stores in the city. Her sprouted ragi batter is available only on pre-order, and Shweta does not mix multiple varieties of millets in keeping with the advice of nutritionists. “I am currently experimenting with varagu and samai dosa batter,” she says. Shweta is also a home-baker, and is also working on a recipe for ragi bread, which she hopes to launch once she perfects it.
Batter Anna offers three varieties of dosa batter that come in biodegradable pouches, costing ₹160 per kilogram. For details, call 7779024343.
Better Batter
Deepa Aravind launched Better Batter during the peak of the pandemic in 2021. Her mother-in-law Sheela Balaji runs the Spirit of the Earth store that is also involved in the revival of indigenous heritage rice varieties at their family-owned farms at Manjakudi near Thanjavur, and Deepa is hence familiar with grains. “Batter Batter is the result of our idea to include value-added products. As I had access to good quality rice and millets, I thought dosa batter would be a good way to begin,” says Deepa.
Adai Batter by Better Batter
Deepa uses mappilai samba red rice, thooyamalli white rice and Arcot kichili samba white rice in the batter. She also prepares adai batter for which she uses black urad dal. Better Batter offers three variations: idli/dosa batter with mappilai samba, adai batter with Arcot kichili samba and a mix of lentils and pesarattu batter with green moong and Arcot kichili samba. “The idea is to create a product that makes life convenient for customers, and also use quality ingredients sourced directly from our farm and other small-scale farmers,” explains Deepa, adding: “We also follow strict quality control practices and want to innovate in the space of batters.”
Packaged in convenniet zipper pouches, Better Batter also has variations for children such as beetroot, carrot and spinach, which can be used to make colourful uthappams. “I am currently developing muesli and porridge mixes using millets and heritage rice,” says Deepa, adding that she launches a new product only after much trial and error. Better Batter prefers its customers pre-order their batter. They also have a subscription model for monthly supply that is home delivered. “The biggest challenge is shelf life. I leave the batter in a fridge where it ferments slowly. We do not add additives or preservatives,” says Deepa.
Priced at ₹120 per kilogram and available at The Spirit of the Earth store, Mylapore and a few other organic stores in the city. For details, call 87544 76702.
Pramadham Foods
Aparna Chitaranjan, an orthodontist, classical dancer, and mother of two boys (aged seven and five), launched her wholesome grains company, Pramadham Foods in 2019, offering a range of flours, batters, podis and chutneys. After her younger son was born, Aparna began to focus on healthy eating and started grinding her own wheat. “I then shifted my attention to dosa batters and after much experimenting, I have now standardised method and measurements for five types of dosa batter,” says Aparna.
Sprouted ragi batter by Pramadham Foods
Once Pramadham Foods was launched, her friends and family placed orders for gluten-free flours and batter. “I realised that there was demand for whole wheat multigrain flour and gluten-free multigrain flours for chapatis and baking purposes. When it comes to wet flours for making dosa, we offer five types: regular white rice, red rice, green gram, millet and adai batter. “
While during the pandemic years, Aparna and her team were making 50 kilograms of batter, they now make 200 kilograms. Pramadham also offers podis and chutneys, their vathakulambu chutney is among their bestsellers. They also make peanut, ginger, and onion chutneys. All their batters and flours are made on pre-order and customers can also sign up for their subscription model.
Encouraged by the good response to her products, Aparna has now added ready-made chapatis that are packed after they are dehydrated. These chapatis have a shelf life of four to five days and can be consumed after being toasted on a tawa. “I am also trying my hand at ragi and other millet breads,” says Aparna.
To order, visit pramadhamfoods.com or call: 95000550532. A kilogram of white rice dosa batter costs ₹100, and other varieties are priced at ₹200.
Published - July 13, 2023 11:27 am IST
