Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, ‘King of Indian Spices’ and the owner of business empire MDH Spices, passed away at Mata Chanan Devi Hospital in Delhi on Thursday morning, following cardiac arrest. He was 97.
Born in Pakistan’s Sialkot, his family moved to Delhi after the Partition. In 1953, he rented a small shop for spices and named it Mahashian Di Hatti (MDH) at Chandi Chowk, carrying forward his paternal business.
From then on, it has been an upward climb, and today almost every kitchen in India stocks up on MDH masalas. In 2019, Mahashayji, was conferred the third highest civilian honour, Padma Bhushan. Rajkumari Sharma Tankha spoke to a cross-section of people to know how a generous helping of MDH Spices completely transforms their dishes.
Palak Dua
Home Chef, Gurugram
I have always preferred using MDH spices as they make the dish taste better. For me, MDH Kitchen King Masala is a hit — a generous amount of this masala takes the taste of any regular dish to another level. MDH Chunky Chat Masala tastes so different from any other, and I add it in most of my Indian dishes. My South Indian dishes are a huge hit with my customers and viewers, thanks to the sambhar I make using MDH Sambhar Masala.
Abhishek Chawla
Store Owner, Mayur Vihar
Many good brands today sell spices, but there was a time when there was none except the MDH. It still is a hot-selling brand, thanks to the quality which has been a benchmark. At our store, the maximum demand has been for Kitchen King, Garam Masala and Chana Masala the most.
Abhilasha Jain
Home Chef, Gurugram
Mahashayji was one inspiring person, not just for chefs but for anyone and everyone who wanted to succeed in life. I have been using MDH Spices for long with sambhar and pav bhaji masalas being my favourites. One reason for MDH being so popular for so many years is that they have maintained their quality.
Kapil Sahi Executive Chef, Radisson Noida, Sector 55
MDH has been a pioneer in the spices market since ages. I have grown up consuming its spices at home, and have been dependent on these from the time I turned a professional chef nearly two decades back. No Indian preparation is complete without these masalas. Even abroad, chefs depend upon MDH masalas for preparing Indian dishes. The Deggi Mirch is very important as it gives the perfect shade of red to the gravy.
Divya Gupta Home Baker, Vasant Kunj
While I am a good baker, I cannot say the same for my cooking skills. For people like me, MDH masalas are a boon. They have a masala for every sabzi, be it for the simple gobhi or the more complex preparation like kadhi. I have almost all of these masalas and none of my sabzis are complete without a sprinkle of MDH masala.