Naveen and Dinesh are on a mission to revive the rich flavours of Anglo-Indian cuisine with their innovative condiment, Devil’s Chutney! 🌶️ Read more about the creation of this versatile sauce – a game-changer for foodies looking to spice up their meals.
How Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen simmered to life
What started as a passion project between two friends has now become a brand representative of Anglo-Indian cuisine. Naveen and Dinesh started Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen as a way of bringing back to life what Dinesh calls “a fading cuisine”. Although neither of them belongs to the Anglo-Indian community, they have close friends who do. They began ideation and trials in July 2024 and officially launched in February 2025.
The founders explain, “The cuisine has some of the most exotic flavours, but, unfortunately, not many people are aware of it. Most of the Anglo-Indian community is no longer in India, but we would like to familiarise more people with the cuisine. We wanted to kick off by releasing condiments, so we developed our signature hot sauce, Devil’s Chutney. It’s a very old Anglo-Indian classic made with red chillies and raisins, making it a perfect, sweet and spicy healthier substitute for ketchup. No added preservatives, no added colour, it’s all homemade and gourmet.” What began as an ode to a fading cuisine includes a deep-rooted legacy of recipes.
Taking the legacy forward, one bottle at a time
Uncle John is the 80-year-old chef behind the brand, armed with a treasure trove of recipes passed down generationally. Devil’s Chutney is a recipe he received from his mentor and aunt, Mazy Clifford. “She is the titular ‘Anglo Aunty’ whose legacy we’re trying to preserve and take forward. We wanted to honour both of them through this wonderfully unique cuisine. We wanted to bring these recipes out to the world and have more people get a taste of the food that we love,” Dinesh says passionately.
On the topic of sourcing, most of their materials comes from Goa and Chennai. More than the ingredients themselves, it’s more about the mixing, measurements, and cooking processes. They have a manufacturing unit in Chennai, and they only make small batches to ensure freshness and consistent quality. Speaking about the Anglo-Indian cuisine, Naveen describes some of its most exotic dishes—ox tail, ox tongue, roasts, pan rolls, fruit jams, and a household name in Indian parties: cutlets. It’s a mishmash of British, Portuguese, and Indian cultures and components.
Developing the super condiment
The conversation turned to their trademark product. Among the many possible condiment choices for the brand, one stood out as a perfect expression of the traditional cuisine. “Devil’s Chutney was one of the first condiments we came across in the cuisine. Because of its unique flavour, you can have this with virtually anything. We wanted to introduce a signature dish, but also one that makes an impact. You can have it with dishes like idli, dosa, pizza or noodles. The possibilities are endless. The original Anglo-Indian way is to eat the chutney with coconut rice and ball curry. Then it was eaten with fried items, and now it has evolved into a super condiment where it pairs well with everything.”
A line of pickled products is in the works—pickled aubergine, chicken, and prawn. Dinesh says, “People might wonder why it’s called ‘pickled aubergine’ and not ‘aubergine pickle’. The pickling process is inherently prevalent in Anglo-Indian cuisine, so we wanted to follow that. We cook the meat/vegetables in vinegar and spices first, and then slow-cook them in oil. We want to expand to more veg and non-veg items soon. It’s a slow process, but it’ll be worth the wait. What makes pickled products all the more compelling is that vinegar acts as a natural preservative, eliminating the need for anything chemical.” Going beyond recipes, Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen has become a way to reconnect a community.
Balancing tradition and trend
The conversation turned to keeping up with trends as a niche brand, while sticking to the roots of Anglo-Indian cuisine. “People like having a story connected to the food they consume. People hear of this cuisine, see that it’s vastly different from what they have on a day-to-day basis, and are immediately interested in giving it a try. We try to adapt as much as we can to demand and trends, but without sacrificing authenticity and tradition. If the only way to scale up is to add preservatives, it’s an easy decline for us. We are happy making small, homemade batches and preserving the flavour. We have gotten requests to make it spicier, but for now, we want to keep it as balanced as possible so more people can have it.”
Talking about feedback from customers belonging to the Anglo-Indian community or otherwise, Dinesh shares, “Every time we do a pop-up, we meet at least a few lovely people from the community. They say the chutney takes them back to their mother’s or grandmother’s cooking. It makes all our hard work worth it, and it brings a smile to everyone’s faces—us and the people buying our products. They tell us how nostalgic and authentic the taste and flavour are, which means a lot to us.” This sentiment reflects their choice to begin with condiments: a small and powerful introduction to a larger, exquisite cuisine.
Not just a sidekick to your meals
Addressing the topic of why condiments and not meals or other dishes, Dinesh notes, “We chose condiments because of their versatility. They can be eaten with all types of food. Catering to only one type would mean narrowing down to just one flavour, and that’s not what we had in mind. We want to orient people’s palates to the cuisine, so we picked a chutney to begin with. Once they get a taste of the cuisine, they’ll realise how interesting it is and see how much more there is to it. We hope to pique their curiosity.” Behind this decision lies a journey of risks, revival, and small victories.
Small but profound wins
Reflecting on the journey and pinpointing key moments is hard for any business. For Dinesh and Naveen, the proudest moments are the small wins. “I, after quitting my corporate job of 15 years in 2024, and Naveen, who runs one of Chennai’s top tattoo studios, Irezumi, came together from two very different fields with a shared adoration of food. Starting a business together is an unparalleled feeling. My sales expertise, Naveen’s business acumen, and our love for communicating with people culminated in a very successful launch; we sold out on the very first day. Naveen is the one who came up with the idea of Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen. Maybe I was the missing piece of the puzzle he needed to set this into motion,” Dinesh smiles. With these wins giving them a boost of confidence, the founders are now setting their sights on the future.
What’s cooking next
Looking forward, the team wishes to see an Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen bottle in as many households as possible. Homemade with natural ingredients, their products are as healthy as they can get and ideal for anyone and everyone, from kids to adults. They hope to position their condiments as the healthiest variety of condiments in the market.
Sharing his thoughts on daily motivation, Dinesh exclaims, “When you run a business of your own and it is something you’ve always wanted, it feels like you’re living the dream! Waking up every day and going to work is your go-to course once you start something by and for yourself.”
Anglo Aunty’s Kitchen’s Devil’s Chutney is available on their website as well as in gourmet stores in Chennai.
