From Their Hands to Yours

Stories from the Market

A Taste of Home and a Tummy Full of Indian Flavor

 

“Every time you go into a little crevice of India, you find a new cuisine.” — Madhur Jaffrey

With more than 1.4 billion people, 120 languages and countless regional traditions, India offers a rich and varied culinary landscape. Indian food is more than a meal — it’s a sensory experience, layered with spices, memory and care. It’s the warmth of home kitchens, the comfort of shared meals and flavors that tell a story.

At the Salem, NH Farmers Market, Sonny and Sunita Das Chopra of TUMMY FULL bring the bold, comforting flavors of the Punjab region in northwestern India. Known for its hearty, spice-forward dishes, Punjab cuisine features wheat-based breads like naan and roti, lentils, and rich ingredients like butter and ghee — a reflection of its agricultural roots.

Sonny, from North India, and Sunita, from the Northeast, grew up in families where food was central to daily life. Today, they share those traditions — and their love of cooking — with our community.

We caught up with them to learn more:

What was your food experience growing up in your regions with your family?
Growing up, food was always fresh and homemade. We learned by watching our families — using seasonal ingredients, fresh vegetables and proteins from local vendors, grinding spices by hand, and preparing everything from scratch. Meals were about bringing people together.

Who inspired you to learn to cook?
Our biggest inspiration was our family, especially our mothers and grandmothers. We watched them cook with care, using traditional recipes and techniques we still follow today.

What led you to start a food business?
Family and friends encouraged us after tasting our food. They said it reminded them of home, which gave us the confidence to start our own business.

Why New England?
We came for better opportunities and made it our home. This business helps us stay connected to our roots while sharing our culture and food with the community.

What challenges have you faced?
Starting out wasn’t easy — understanding permits, building a customer base, and managing everything ourselves. But with hard work, community support and love for our food, we continue to grow stronger every day.

How is your food different from restaurant-style Indian food?
Our food is more home-style and authentic. We focus on simple, fresh ingredients, traditional spices and family recipes. It’s comforting, not heavy — just like what we grew up eating.

Why did you choose our Market?
We love the sense of community. It’s a great place to connect with customers, share our food and be part of something local and supportive.

What are your goals?
To grow step by step and one day have our own food truck — while always keeping our food authentic and homemade. Meeting customers each week and seeing them enjoy our food brings us so much joy.

What are your favorite dishes?
Simple, comforting meals like channa, palak paneer, butter chicken, roti, and homemade curries — the foods we grew up with and still love today.

Stop by TUMMY FULL’s table, meet Sonny and Sunita, and experience the vibrant, comforting flavors of Indian home cooking — a true celebration of spice, tradition, and community. Namaste.