Missing the flavor of home, couple from India opens Coachella Valley's first Indian grocer

Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read
Sukhjot Singh, left, and Jyoti Kaur stand inside their new Indian grocery store, The Spice Rack, in Cathedral City.
Sukhjot Singh, left, and Jyoti Kaur stand inside their new Indian grocery store, The Spice Rack, in Cathedral City.

When Sukhjot "Suki" Singh moved to the Coachella Valley with his family about five years ago, they were glad to find a sizable and growing community of people with Indian roots living here.

It didn’t take long, however, for them to realize the valley had one major shortcoming when it came to their community: It lacked an Indian grocery store. As a result, they and other Indian residents would regularly have to trek to Riverside or even Los Angeles to get the staples of their homeland.

“It was a problem for everyone. Everyone used to talk about it” said Singh’s wife, Jyoti Kaur. “We always thought, “why is nobody opening a store?”

The store's exterior.
The store's exterior.

But that’s a question they will no longer need to ask.

At the start of February, the Bermuda Dunes couple opened The Spice Rack, the Coachella Valley’s first Indian grocery shop, inside the Canyon Plaza Shopping Center off East Palm Canyon Drive, near Cathedral City’s border with Palm Springs. It fills the long vacant space on the west side of the strip mall that was most recently home to the furnishing and appliance chain, Tuesday Morning.

Singh said the store’s concept can be summarized in its tagline “From India to Indio.” (True, the store's not in Indio, but it makes for a catchy slogan — and it's certainly much more convenient for residents of that city than the hike to Riverside.)

Among its shelves and freezers, shoppers can find everything from breads, sauces and sweets to frozen samosas, the popular Indian fried snack, and dishes of chicken tikka masala and other popular Indian meals. Besides the food, there is also a selection of household and Hindu worship items such as incense. There's even bottled lassi, the yogurt-based, smoothie-like drink commonly served at Indian restaurants across America.

As its name suggests, the store has a wide variety of spices, including many that Singh said cannot be easily found elsewhere in the Coachella Valley. The store also stocks several organic plant foods that have become increasingly popular among some Americans because of their health benefits. One example that has proven particular popular so far? Fox nuts, referred to as "makhana" in India, which Kaur describes as a “superfood” that is known as “a calcium-rich snack.” (They're the seeds of a type of water lily.)

The organic section.
The organic section.

Singh explains that nearly all of the products sold in the store come from businesses in Los Angeles that import the products straight from India or locally reproduce them stateside. He notes, however, that stocking so many imported products has come with some challenges, including suppliers who don't want to drive from LA to the desert to deliver.

“And so I have to say, ‘It’s not too far,’” he added.

The Spice Rack has an extensive selection of seasonings.
The Spice Rack has an extensive selection of seasonings.

While the majority of the groceries are Indian, Singh said the store is also stocking a mix of items from Britain, Sri Lanka and even Israel and other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

He said some of the British brands, which include PG Tips tea, McVitie's cookies and Marmite savory spread have proven particularly popular (and difficult to keep on the shelves).

“People come in and say, ‘You have brought all of my childhood memories,’” he said.

Some of the vegetables available at the Spice Rack in Cathedral City.
Some of the vegetables available at the Spice Rack in Cathedral City.

The store's location along a busy stretch of road has proven to be advantageous so far, Singh said, as the nearby Anytime Fitness and Trader Joe’s have both been consistent sources of curious people who become customers.

The store features a selection of desserts.
The store features a selection of desserts.

While the opening of the store proved particularly exciting to valley residents with ties to India, Suki said the restaurant is seeing more and more customers from beyond the Indian community. He said he has seen customers who initially come in out of curiosity returning.

“They like our stuff, especially the ready-to-eat meals,” he said. “They are coming back and buying whole boxes.”

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley's first Indian grocery store opens in Cathedral City