Brooklyn Delhi, founded by Chitra Agrawal, brings authentic Indian flavours to American kitchens. Inspired by her immigrant roots and family recipes, the brand transforms traditional Indian condiments like achaar into a bridge between cultures, celebrating heritage while reimagining it for a global palate.
In the heart of Brooklyn, a kitchen-lab where flavours, identities, and legacies converge, Brooklyn Delhi was born. Founded in 2014 by Chitra Agrawal and Ben Buchanan, it began with small handmade batches of achaar sold at local markets, and grew into a pantry staple across America. But behind those jars of tomato-chilli achaar and curry sauce packets lies something deeper: an immigrant story of roots, and reinvention.
Chitra’s parents emigrated from India in 1967, carrying stories, and the weight of starting over, hoping to provide opportunities to their children that they never had access to. Growing up as a first-generation Indian-American, Chitra navigated two worlds: the American classroom and the Indian kitchen. The tension between the two shaped her identity, making food her language of reconciliation. In 2009, while living in Brooklyn, she began documenting her family recipes on a blog. What began as a personal act of preservation evolved into something larger, a reclamation of heritage through flavour. When Ben, her partner and an artist, joined her, Brooklyn Delhi took shape with one simple but powerful goal: to bring authentic Indian flavours into American kitchens, but on their own terms.
Every jar from Brooklyn Delhi carries more than spices. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “rooted in tradition, but not bound by it,” perfectly captures the immigrant experience. Their flavours are deeply Indian, yet versatile enough to sit comfortably beside sandwiches, noodles, or grilled cheese. For many immigrants and their children, food is the bridge between worlds — between birthplace and adopted home, between nostalgia and newness. Brooklyn Delhi is that bridge in a jar. It is the story of a hyphenated identity — not diluted, but expanded.Their small batch production allows them to put meticulous time and effort into each and every jar.
As a woman- and minority-owned business, Brooklyn Delhi does more than make condiments; it creates cultural space. It invites others like Chitra to see their heritage not as an anchor, but as wings. In the act of stirring a pot, bottling a sauce, and designing a label, the brand redefines what it means to belong. A Brooklyn kitchen becomes a site of cultural affirmation. A jar of achaar becomes a story of migration told through taste.
In a globalised food world where everything risks becoming generic, Brooklyn Delhi stands as a quiet act of celebration — a reminder that authenticity and evolution can coexist. Its success isn’t just commercial; it’s emotional. Because every time someone opens a jar and tastes that tang of pickled spice, they’re part of something larger: the immigrant dream, simmered slowly, and served with pride.
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