the doosra story

At doosra [doos-ra] we make modern versions of classic Indian chai-time snacks. The originals are great, but we craved something a little different, a doosra iteration. I combined classic Indian ingredients like boondi, amchur, and Kerala-style banana chips with sweet, indulgent flavors.

I hope doosra introduces anyone unfamiliar with Indian snacks to the wide array of both sweet & savory treats the South-Asian diaspora has to offer. On the flip side, doosra would like to show fellow South Asians that the complexity of our spices and textures pair deliciously with more than just raisins and dried fruit.

These snacks are meant to be shared. With friends, family, and strangers alike over chai, a glass of wine, or at an ice cream party. Wherever you eat our snacks, I hope you’re smiling and having a blast with those who mean the world to you. That’s what these snacks were made for.

Welcome to the Indian snack aisle, we're glad you came!

Kartik Das
Snackmaker

My name is Kartik, and if you haven’t realized, I love to snack. I grew up in Singapore, and during my holidays, I’d visit family in India. My favorite time of day was chai time. Not because of the chai or other beverages on offer, but because of the large array of snacks from mixture to murrukku, banana chips, jackfruit chips, peanut brittle, and an array of Indian sweets like jelabi and athirasam.

I used to pair the sweet stuff with the spicy mixtures or savory crunchy bites (murukku) because I loved sweet & savory combinations; they excited me. Not everyone understood it, but I was always a little different, and I loved being different.

Fast forward 20+ years and after I left corporate America and looked for my little space in the food world, I found myself thinking back to those sweet & savory combinations. While Chicago-style popcorn existed, nothing in the Indian snack space had scratched that itch. So several over-complicated mixes later, our original white chocolate boondi mix was born under the label “kitchpaps.” I tested, I learned, and we became doosra. Now I’m excited to share decidedly different flavors with anyone who’ll try them.