Special school tastes the flavour of self-sufficiency with spice unit

A spice processing venture to promote self-reliance among parents of children with special needs is marking its 15th year in Tiruchi.

The unit, an initiative begun by Spastics Society of Tiruchi (SST) in 2010, produces up to two tonnes of ground spices and flours a month, that retail under the ‘SST Masala’ brand.

“We started offering vocational courses for special children and their parents because we wanted them to become self-sufficient after their time in school. The spice unit was begun with five parents of children with special needs 15 years ago. And though the team has changed over the years, it has slowly built up its business from sales of 1 kg a month to two tonnes,” Navilu Subramanian, SST secretary, told The Hindu.

At present, SST Masala produces 21 spices and readymix powders that are sold to retail and corporate clients from their production facility in the city. Business was better when the unit was supplying spices to the noon meal scheme kitchens in government schools of eight blocks in the Tiruchi district before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Though the pandemic closed down many avenues, we still have the support of corporate clients, especially the hotel industry and college kitchens in Tiruchi. Quite a few of our products are gifted by city residents to their relatives abroad. The unit can supply up to 10 tonnes a month with greater patronage,” said Mr. Subramanian.

Four women and a man are in charge of the unit. “All the recipes are exactly what we usually make at home. Dry roasting some ingredients is essential; and some of the more perishable material such as powdered curry leaves and moringa leaves are kept refrigerated until they are ready for dispatch,” said machine operator K. Nagarathinam, who is the only parent member from the founding team.

Pepper, sourced from the Kolli Hills, is the unit’s most expensive raw material, and is bought in bulk for the whole year. Turmeric, coriander seed, chilli, pulses, and millets are bought in smaller quantities. The ground spices are stored in large, lidded tubs, and prepared in small batches to ensure freshness.

“Our biggest challenge is coping with the price fluctuation of natural ingredients as it affects our costs as well. We are planning to develop an app to market our products directly to customers,” said Mr. Subramanian.