“I want to take foreigners through a tour of Madurai through their palates. There used to be a time when food was prepared only from small millets and people were healthy. I’ve been introduceing the foreigners to the authentic Tamil food,” says P. Janaki, the proprietor of Sri Parameswari Health Products.
This 58-year-old woman, who heads a self-help group (SHG) with 10 members, prepares traditional Tamil food for foreign tourists visiting Madurai, under DHAN Foundation’s ‘WomenStrong Madurai,’ which has a tie-up with University of Columbia. During the annual Chithirai festival, Ms. Janaki and her team cooked for 60 French students who had come to witness the entry of Lord Kallazhagar into the Vaigai on April 30.
“We prepared a four-course meal that was not too spicy. They really enjoyed it. Some of them asked us for the recipes. We even gave them fruits and jasmine flower garlands at the end of the meal and explained the benefits of small millets,” she said.
Some enthusiasts in the city also join Ms. Janaki’s team in the kitchen. People like T. Poongodhai who runs a rangoli powder business and K. Kavitha, a worker at a snacks factory, help Ms. Janaki when there are big orders.
These women also make ready-to-eat food items including fried snacks, pongal, payasam, dosa and health mixes - all using millets.
“We received training from DHAN Foundation in 2011. We were taught how to integrate traditional millets into the regular diet. After several permutations and combinations, we have in our hands a wide variety of tested recipes. The Sellur Federation of the Foundation helps us in buying raw materials on credit. The business is good. We make at least ₹20,000 each month,” Ms. Janaki says.
This venture has been certified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
S. Ahila Devi, regional coordinator of DHAN Foundation, says regular workshops are held for honing their skills. She says Ms. Janaki is an inspiration to several young women who push boundaries to earn additional income while balancing a full-time job and a family. She says the SHG has developed several successful value-added products.
There is a plan to give the women professional training in kitchen hygiene, usage of aprons and gloves and other procedures so that they can start export their produce, Ms. Ahila Devi says.
