Thinasari Keerai bringing spinach back

March 13, 2025 Start Up Valli Sarvani

Many people avoid spinach despite its rich nutritional value. P. Lakshmi Priya, an entrepreneur from Tiruchi, has dedicated over 15 years to changing this mindset.

Through her venture, Thinasari Keerai, she transforms spinach into easy-to-use ready mixes that make consumption effortless.

She sources organic spinach from multiple farms across Tamil Nadu and, along with her team, processes 300 kg of spinach per month.

Her brand offers a variety of products, including rice mixes, rasam powders, dosa batters, and herbal teas. Her family, including her husband and children, actively support the business.

Lakshmi Priya’s journey began in 2009 when she started experimenting with spinach-based recipes to improve her children’s health. She noticed that many people avoided spinach because of the effort required to clean and cook it. Improper preparation could even cause indigestion.

To make it easier to consume, she dried, powdered, and blended spinach with other ingredients like pulses and pepper.

The result was a flavorful, nutritious mix that could be added to steamed rice. Encouraged by the benefits, she started distributing it among friends and family under her brand, SM Homegrown.

During the pandemic, Lakshmi Priya expanded her work. She began growing spinach on her terrace and distributing it to people in need.

After the lockdown, she decided to scale up production and enhance the scientific approach to processing.

With guidance from the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, she developed 15 innovative recipes using 40 varieties of spinach.

Experts suggested steaming before dehydrating to retain nutrients and switching to zip-lock packaging for better shelf life. Her products now last six months without preservatives.

Many traditional spinach varieties have disappeared due to changing food habits. Today, most markets offer only a few types.

To revive forgotten greens, Thinasari Keerai includes rare varieties like Agathi, Kasini, Karisalanganni, Mudakathan, and Manathakkali. Some, like Kasini, are sourced from Tenkasi and transported within hours of harvesting.

The team ensures freshness by processing spinach the same day it is harvested. Since organic farming requires months of soil treatment, maintaining supply is a challenge.

With growing demand, Lakshmi Priya plans to expand operations to a larger facility in Echampatti, Manachanallur.

Thinasari Keerai now ships across India, the US, Canada, and Singapore. Partnerships with local institutions allow students to learn about agribusiness through internships.

Image Credit: Thinasarikeerai Website Screenshot