Hey!
This beautiful brass dabba is hand spun to order in Bangalore, hand engraved in San Francisco, and then hand filled with seven spices from seven organic family farms across India. We will be re-opening the preorder list for these beauties in April 2021! Sign up below to be notified!
Turmeric
Pepper
Cardamom
Chilli Powder
Coriander
Cumin
Black Mustard
Pragati Turmeric
shop turmericGrown by the Kasaraneni family amidst marigolds, bananas, and black rice on the 4th generation farm. Whilst Mr. Prabhu Kasaraneni's family has been farming for three generations, he is a self taught organic farmer who began growing heirloom Pragati turmeric in 2015, with assistance from the Indian Institute of Spices Research.
Aranya Pepper
shop pepperGrown on the Parameswaran family farm, where Parameswaran and his son Akash have been organically farming pepper for over 35 years, amidst passion fruit, tigers (no, really!), and jackfruits. Their Aranya pepper is vine ripened, hand harvested with utmost care, and is unreasonably flavorful.
Baraka Cardamom
shop cardamomGrown by the Chacko family amidst black pepper, coffee, and flowers on their estate turned wild food forest! As a pioneer in the natural farming movement, Mr. Chacko is one of the only farmers that has been able to domesticate a wild cardamom variety that thrives without pesticides, and is still beautifully aromatic!
Sannam Chillies
shop chilliesGrown on the Narne family farm in the historic chilli growing region of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh by two brothers- Hanumanthatao and Satyanarayanarao. Together they grow the most beautiful Sannam chillies we've ever seen. They are leaders of the natural farming movement in India, and it's our honor to share their combined 150+ years of chilli growing expertise with the world.
*Contains sesame oil and salt.
Nandini Coriander
shop corianderGrown on the Sakariya family farm amidst custard apples, guavas, and heirloom wheat, our beautiful Nandini coriander is named after the Sakariya family's beloved cow, the undisputed matriarch of their regenerative farm. It's a variety that Dharmesh, a third generation farmer and natural farming expert has keenly developed for its incredible fragrance and vibrant coloring.
Nagauri Cumin
shop nagauri cuminGrown on Prahlad Ramji's small family farm in Inana, Rajasthan, this is his first truly organic harvest, as a self taught and passionate natural farmer. His farm is on the edge of the Thar Desert, making it the perfect scorching, arid climate for deeply flavorful cumin.
Kandhamal Black Mustard
shop kandhamal black mustardGrown by the Kandha tribe in the Daringbadi Forests of Odisha, this black mustard is organically farmed, on land that has been communally cultivated for this indigenous variety of black mustard for as far back as the tribe can remember!
Designed by Tiipoi’s industrial designer Andre Pereira in their studio in London, the Diaspora x Tiipoi Masala Dabba are made in Tiipoi’s workshop in Bangalore by craftsman Venkatesh Chinnappa aka Venky ‘Anna’ (which translates to older brother in nearly all of the South Indian languages ) Venky has been spinning metal for over 25 years and now Tiipoi’s metal products since they began. This craft is at the heart of so many of Tiipoi’s collections. He is going to be spinning each Masala Dabba and has been itching to get started! You can read more about Metal Spinning in our blog post too.
Tiipoi is a London based design studio with a workshop in Bangalore founded in 2013 by Spandana Gopal. Tiipoi believes that there is more to Indian design than just sticking an elephant on it, and that Indian craft has more to offer than simply repeating the past.
India can seem a pretty chaotic place. But sitting there, quietly, are some really incredible, super functional designs. The “designers” of these objects if they can be found at all, aren’t celebrated in the same way as they are in other countries, (the Masala Dabba is definitely one such design!) and instead, design is seen as a bi-product of living. This unassuming approach, with an emphasis on a quiet functionality, is what inspires and drives the ethos behind the studio.
India is changing and shifting all the time and Spandana feels there are enough stereotypes and nostalgic stories of India’s past. She prefers to look at what is happening right now and highlight India’s role in contemporary design.
DABBA DETAILS:
At this time, you cannot purchase a dabba with anything else, it must be purchased by itself. Also, we cannot merge your dabba order with existing / pending orders.
Each brass dabba comes filled with our signature glass jars of: 2.47oz Pragati Turmeric, 2.29oz Guntur Sannam Chilli Powder, 2.29oz Aranya Pepper, 1.23oz Nandini Coriander, 1.94oz Nagauri Cumin, 1.76oz Baraka Cardamom, 2.82oz Kandhamal Black Mustard
Dimensions: 7.25" Diameter x 3" Height
CARE:
Your dabba is made from brass, an alloy made from copper and zinc. The presence of zinc transforms the pinkish-orange copper into a golden yellow metal. Like copper, brass develops a patina over time giving it a warmer tone with use. To restore the brass and remove the patina, create a rough paste (eyeballed) of white vinegar + AP flour and apply the paste to the dabba using a soft sponge, vegetable scrubber or cloth (not steel wool or a scouring pad!), rubbing it into the surface of the material. Once the stain is removed, wash with warm water, and dry with a clean cloth. If the patina is stubborn repeat the process! Once dried, massage the entire dabba with coconut oil and wipe clean. This will seal the dabba, and help it age beautifully.
