CHENNAI: Ever struggled to choose between a healthy meal and a tasty dish? Well, fret no more! Pickled Pumpkin is a new health food venture by Sowmiya Skandan (CEO) and Srividya Balaje that has received positive reviews from health buffs and foodies alike.
Sowmiya says living outside India made her realise that the options for healthy and tasty food were limited. “I was in Sydney and my sister Swetha was in Singapore. We realised that the options for us to order anything healthy were bleak, and wanted to bring a system to deliver healthy food,” she shares.
A microbiologist by profession, Sowmiya decided to step into their pet venture full-time and moved to India. “Vidya, my cousin, was looking to adopt a healthy lifestyle. That’s when I shared this idea with her and she immediately came on board. My sister helps us out from Singapore,” she shares.
As we talk, Srividya brings a box of leek and mushroom pasta in arrabbiata sauce with roasted vegetables. “You see, this is what we call balanced. The pasta itself is healthy and we add very little cheese to it. These boiled vegetables are a perfect accompaniment and keep your tummy satisfied until the next meal,” she says.
Taking orders for two meals a day (lunch and dinner) and offering a different menu (veg and non-veg) every day, they have a multi-cuisine menu that has everything from Italian pastas and Hakka noodles to jeera rice and tofu burgers. Balamurugan, chef consultant of Pickled Pumpkin says, “I have been in the industry for 20 years and have seen an increase in the number of people opting for healthy food. It is a good change, but, as a chef it’s a challenge to design healthy menus,” he laughs.
Bala, who focuses on taste, calories and nutrients, says, “I have seen many ventures start out with health as their USP, but they fail as they don’t pay attention to taste. We try to balance both and have been successful so far.” Sowmiya agrees, “How can someone eat a dish if it is bland? Wouldn’t they lose interest quickly?”
Just two weeks old, they have already delivered over 130 meals, thanks to their delivery ‘hero’ Shiva. “He does around 10 deliveries a day every meal (lunch or dinner). We are just a small team, but are looking to become a big brand soon and spread across Chennai,” says Sowmiya.
Their vegetarian meals are priced at `180 and non-vegetarian at `200. To order and for details, visit facebook.com/Pickled.Pumpkin/