In the sterile confines of an ICU, where time seems to lose meaning amidst the rhythmic beeps of machines, a mother found herself separated from her newborn son for 21 agonising days.
Incubators and tubes surrounded the fragile body. It was a struggle for the baby, born amid complications, with his life flickering under the vigilant watch of medical staff, while his mother, P Lakshmi Priya, could only watch from a painful distance, her heart torn between despair and an indomitable will to see her child healthy.
“I could only see him for two minutes through a glass window. It was very painful,” recalls the 45-year-old.
Born prematurely, Lakshmi Priya’s son faced immense health challenges early on. Within hours, he lost significant weight, his immunity weakened, and his body struggled to retain blood. Doctors were initially grim about his survival chances.
“One day, the doctor allowed me to hold him close. The heat from my body helped him in some way. He started gaining his pulse rate. I felt like a miracle just happened,” smiles Lakshmi Priya, who was later allowed to take her son home.
Her son, grappling with weakened immunity and severe nutritional deficiencies, required more than love to resuscitate his failing body. Traditional remedies intertwined with medical advice, together pointed towards a fundamental truth: nutrition would be his salvation.
Her resolve led her to experiment with dietary solutions, especially spinach, which her son resisted. Her pursuit would lead to a leafy lifeline that would rewrite the narrative of health and wellness not just for her son, but for countless others.
In 2009, Lakshmi Priya began experimenting with spinach rice mixes to improve the health of her son.
With her startup ‘Thinasari Keerai’, she has crafted 15 recipes using at least 40 types of keerai (spinach), including manathakkali, kasini, mudakathan, and agathi karisalanganni.
From kitchen to international orders
Keerai, a seemingly ordinary part of South Indian cuisine, became Lakshmi Priya’s weapon against fate. Inspired by traditional wisdom and driven by necessity, she meticulously crafted spinach-infused recipes and concoctions to silently surmount the barricades presented by her son’s fragile health.
She dried and powdered spinach to incorporate it into his everyday meals like dosas, soups, and rice mixes — ingenious creations that defied the taste barrier young children often have against greens.
Her son thrived, no longer a prisoner to hospital visits, and soon celebrated as a regional sports champion. As he grew, so did Lakshmi’s resolve to share her spinach miracle with the world.
During the parent-teacher meetings of her children, Lakshmi Priya came across a similar ordeal of other parents. Additionally, parents tend to avoid spinach as it requires a lot of effort to prepare. “Firstly, we have to clean each leaf by hand and ensure that no insects are sticking to it. Secondly, it needs to be thoroughly washed to remove the effect of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It can cause indigestion if it is not boiled correctly,” she explains.
Lakshmi Priya works around traditional recipes to make spinach more appetising for children. She sources organically grown spinach from at least 15 farmers in her region. “I provide organic manures and native seeds to farmers myself so that the mixes I prepare from spinach are not harmful to children. I wanted to ensure my products maintained the nutritional integrity pivotal to their healing legacy,” she highlights.
After procuring freshly harvested produce, she dries and powders the leaves. Then, she adds them to ingredients such as pulses to create powdered podis to be mixed with steamed rice.
The spinach, once a humble green, now encapsulates solutions to a modern dietary paradox: nutritious convenience.
Padmaja Guthikonda, who works as a nutritionist and administrative professional at a spine centre in the Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, reiterates the benefits of eating spinach-rich diets. “Spinach is a good source of carotenoids, vitamins C and K, folic acid, and calcium,” she explains. “It improves eye health, gut health, and immunity. It can be included daily in children’s diets or at least 4-5 times a week.”
She also highlights the versatility of spinach: “It can be used in several ways — as a vegetable, in the form of a dosa mix, or even in snacks, since kids like to have snacks.”
Meanwhile, the journey for Lakshmi was not without its tribulations. The care and delicate handling required to preserve spinach’s nutrients meant Lakshmi had to innovate perpetually. From perfecting solar drying techniques to adopting ISO-certified practices, her brand promised access to nutrition without compromising quality.
Lakshmi’s passion became contagious. Through workshops and partnerships with local schools and colleges, she educated communities about the hidden treasures of traditional greens, rekindling a cultural appreciation for these nutritious wonders lost in the rush of modern living.
With their annual sales amounting to Rs 9 lakh, her personal endeavour in her kitchen gradually blossomed into a thriving business. While transforming the way people perceived spinach, she catered to up to 5,000 customers in the last two years.
Preethi, who resides in Bengaluru, has been a regular customer of Thinasari Keerai for over a year. Reflecting on her experience, she mentions, “Purchasing from them is a real time-saver for me. Some types of spinach usually take longer to cook, but these varieties are incredibly convenient. My child loves the diverse spinach options and even requests them for lunch.”
“I’ve also tried several of their rice mix powders, such as the vallarai rice mix and manathakali rice powder, which helped alleviate my acidity and stomach ulcer from not eating meals on time. Additionally, the Thuthuvalai soup has been beneficial for colds and throat aches. They offer a wonderful selection of spinach varieties,” she adds.
The startup now extends its reach beyond India, impacting lives globally in places as far-flung as California and Singapore.
What began with a mother’s desperate love has become a beacon of health entrepreneurship. “I was a homemaker initially, and now, I take pride in identifying as an entrepreneur. Being a mother, I know how important it is for us to feed healthy food items to our children,” she shares.
“My son is 25 years old now and is doing well both personally and professionally. He often participates in state-level sports competitions. Like in my home, I wish to restore vital greens to the dinner tables of others and help those grappling with similar struggles,” she adds.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All images courtesy P Lakshmi Priya
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