We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shireen & JD Qadri & Walsh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shireen & JD, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
At moji masala ®, our mission is to make authentic Indian home cooking accessible to everyone while inspiring people to cook more from scratch, eat healthier, and bring their families together around the dinner table. We believe Indian food can be healthy, nutritious, delicious, and free from processed ingredients—all while being incredibly easy to cook.
Founded by husband-and-wife team JD & Shireen, our mission is deeply personal. moji masala ® started in our own kitchen, born from the desire to recreate the flavors of Shireen’s childhood and share them with our own child. Like many families, we found ourselves caught in the cycle of convenience—eating out, relying on processed foods, and feeling disconnected from the process of preparing meals together. But cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right ingredients and guidance, it can be joyful, simple, and deeply rewarding.
That’s why we spent three years recipe-testing Shireen’s moms’ ” The original Moji” recipes—refining and perfecting them to eliminate the multiple steps traditionally required to cook Indian food. Our one-pack, one-dish spice blends make it incredibly easy for anyone to prepare a full, flavorful Indian meal without the hassle of sourcing and balancing dozens of spices. Each blend represents a dish that has been cooked for generations in Indian homes, allowing anyone to experience the depth of homemade Indian cuisine in less than an hour.
To make things even simpler, each packet includes a produce shopping list and a QR code linking to an Easy-to-Cook Video, guiding home cooks every step of the way.
Beyond just food, this mission is about shifting habits. It’s about encouraging people to take a little extra time to cook, to embrace the process, and to enjoy the satisfaction of creating something from scratch. In doing so, we’re not just making dinner—we’re strengthening family bonds, reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods, and helping people experience the richness of home-cooked meals.
We started moji masala ® because we wanted this for our own family. Now, we’re sharing it with others—creating a movement where cooking at home is easier, healthier, and more enjoyable than ever.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are JD & Shireen, the husband-and-wife founders of moji masala ®, a family-owned Indian spice blend company based in Philadelphia. Our journey into this industry was deeply personal—rooted in a desire to preserve and share the rich flavors of authentic Indian home cooking while making it incredibly easy for anyone to prepare.
Shireen grew up in an Indian household where cooking from scratch was the norm. Her mother, Moji, spent countless hours preparing carefully balanced spice blends to create dishes that were packed with flavor, nutrition, and tradition. But like many home cooks today, we found that sourcing and measuring multiple spices for each dish could be overwhelming—especially for those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. That’s where the idea for moji masala ® was born.
JD spent almost five years living and working in India, teaching and growing the game of basketball across the country. During that time, he became deeply connected to Indian cuisine, experiencing firsthand the incredible home-cooked meals prepared across different regions. However, when he returned to the U.S., he quickly realized that much of the Indian food available here didn’t reflect the depth of flavors he had grown accustomed to in India. This fueled our determination to bring authentic Indian home cooking to more people in the simplest way possible.
We spent three years perfecting Moji’s recipes, testing and refining them to eliminate the complexity while maintaining authenticity. The result? One-pack, one-dish spice blends that allow anyone—whether they’re new to Indian cooking or experienced home chefs—to create deeply flavorful, home-cooked Indian meals in under an hour.
Our spice blends are designed to be a gateway to Indian home cooking, solving the common barriers people face:
*Simplicity – No need to buy and measure a dozen different spices. Our blends come pre-measured and ready to use.
*Authenticity – Every blend represents a dish that has been cooked for generations in Indian homes.
*Guided Experience – Each pack includes a produce shopping list and a QR code to an Easy-to-Cook Video, so you can follow along step by step.
*Healthier Cooking – Indian food should be healthy, non-processed, and nutrient-dense. Our blends contain no fillers, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Unlike mass-market spice blends, moji masala ® is crafted with a deep respect for home cooking traditions. We don’t cut corners. We use high-quality, single-origin spices and grind them in small batches to maintain peak freshness and potency. Our recipes have been family-tested for decades and refined to remove unnecessary steps—so you can cook from scratch without spending all day in the kitchen.
We’re incredibly proud of how moji masala ® has helped people discover (or rediscover) the joy of cooking Indian food at home. Whether it’s busy parents making a quick and nutritious meal, someone trying Indian cooking for the first time, or families reconnecting over a homemade meal, we love hearing how our blends are transforming kitchens.
We’re also proud that our journey started right in our own kitchen, and today, moji masala ® is available in 50+ retailers from NYC to Philadelphia, on Amazon and Walmart, FreshDirect, and in all NYC Citarella locations. We’ve built this business from the ground up, and every time someone chooses moji masala ®, they’re not just buying spices—they’re joining a movement to cook more, eat better, and celebrate the incredible flavors of Indian home cooking.
moji masala ® is more than just spice blends—it’s an invitation to cook, to share meals, and to bring people together. If you’ve ever wanted to make real Indian food at home but felt intimidated by the process, we’re here to make it super easy and deeply rewarding. We believe that everyone deserves to experience the richness of home-cooked Indian meals, and we can’t wait to be a part of your kitchen journey.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our reputation in the market has been built on three core principles: authenticity, quality, and making Indian home cooking truly accessible and healthy.
1. Authenticity:
From the very beginning, we committed to preserving the true essence of Indian home cooking. Our spice blends aren’t generic curry powders or Westernized versions of Indian flavors. Each one is rooted in traditional recipes that have been cooked in Indian homes for generations. This deep authenticity resonates with customers who want real, home-cooked Indian meals—not just restaurant-style dishes. Our customers can see that with the names of our blends, specifically Aloo Rasedar and Chicken Rasedar as the word curry is not commonly used in India to describe “with gravy” or “saucy”. In India they use the term Rasedar.
2. Uncompromising Quality:
We take sourcing seriously. Our blends are made with high-quality, single-origin spices, ground in small batches to ensure peak potency and flavor. This level of freshness and depth of taste has set us apart from mass-market spice brands. Customers can taste the difference, and that has fueled word-of-mouth growth and repeat business.
3. Making Indian Cooking Easy, Approachable & Healthy:
We eliminated the complexity of cooking Indian food at home without sacrificing authenticity. Customers love that our blends:
✅ Remove the guesswork of measuring and balancing spices.
✅ Include a produce shopping list for effortless ingredient prep.
✅ Feature a QR code to an Easy-to-Cook Video, guiding them step by step.
✅ Deliver a full dish in under an hour, proving that home cooking can be simple and rewarding.
4. A Commitment to Healthy Cooking & Clean Eating:
As founders in our early fifties, we are more conscious than ever about what we put into our bodies. We believe that food should be real, whole, and nourishing. That’s why our blends are designed for cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients, avoiding the highly processed and ultra-processed foods that dominate so many modern diets.
Cooking at home means:
🥕 More control over ingredients – No unnecessary oils, preservatives, or additives.
💪 Nutrient-dense meals – Indian spices are packed with anti-inflammatory, digestive, and immune-boosting benefits.
❤️ Healthier eating without sacrificing flavor – Our blends allow people to create deeply satisfying meals that are as good for the body as they are for the soul.
Other Key Factors That Built Our Reputation:
🔹 Customer Word-of-Mouth – People share their success stories, saying, “I never thought I could cook Indian food until I found moji masala ®.”
🔹 Retail Expansion – Being stocked in 50+ top retailers, including Citarella in NYC, Kimbertons Whole Market and Weavers Way in Philly has validated our brand’s quality and appeal.
🔹 Engaging Storytelling – Our journey—rooted in family, culture, and the desire to cook real food—resonates deeply with our audience.
🔹 Commitment to Community – We don’t just sell spice blends; we inspire a shift toward home cooking, healthier eating, and bringing families together.
The Result?
We’ve built a trusted brand that people come back to, not just because they love the flavors but because we make cooking Indian food exciting, easy, and meaningful—while also helping them make healthier food choices.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
At moji masala ®, building a community around authentic Indian home cooking is just as important as selling our spice blends. We stay connected with our customers and foster brand loyalty through multiple touchpoints, ensuring they feel supported, inspired, and engaged with the “Moji” experience.
1. Engaging Content & Education
We believe that when people feel empowered to cook, they keep coming back. That’s why we provide:
✔ Easy-to-Cook Video Guides – Each spice packet has a QR code leading to a step-by-step video, making Indian cooking simple and approachable.
✔ Recipe Blog & Newsletters – We regularly share recipes, tips, and cultural insights to help customers expand their home-cooked Indian meals.
✔ Social Media Community – We engage daily with our audience on:
Instagram: @mojimasala Facebook.com/mojimasala YouTube.com/mojimasala
Pinterest.com/mojimasa asala
On these platforms We share cooking demos, customer recipes, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into our process. We also do live cooking shows.
2. Personalized Customer Support
We personally respond to customer inquiries via email, social media DMs, and comments. Many customers reach out with cooking questions on social or direct on our website , and we love helping them get the best results! When customers receive a timely response we notice that they become more interested to try new dishes.
3. Live Cooking Demonstrations & Events
✔ In-Person Cooking Demos – We host live cooking demonstrations in retail stores and pop-ups, where customers can see how easy it is to cook with moji masala ®.
✔ Upcoming Collaboration with Liberty Kitchen in Philadelphia – We’re excited to collaborate with Liberty Kitchen, a beloved Philly spot, to showcase how moji masala ® can be used to create incredible, flavorful meals.
4. Customer Appreciation & Loyalty Programs
✔ Exclusive Discounts & Offers – We do reward repeat customers with special user codes and discounts. We offer free shippung and other incentives on our “Subscribe & Save”
✔ Brand Ambassadors & Word-of-Mouth – Many of our loyal customers introduce their friends and family to moji masala ®, and we celebrate them through features and special perks. We are working on building out a more robust Brand Ambassador community.
5. Listening & Evolving Based on Feedback
Customer feedback is everything to us. Whether it’s requests for new blends, packaging improvements, or recipe suggestions, we listen, learn, and adapt to ensure we’re always providing the best possible experience. We learn a lot from our customers and often they have great recipe ideas!
At the end of the day, we want people to feel that moji masala ® is more than just a spice blend—it’s a movement toward home cooking, better health, and shared meals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mojimasala.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojimasala
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MojiMasalaShop
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/mojimasala
- Twitter: https://x.com/mojimasala
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mojimasala
