Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven and Rachael Paltrow. Their team share their story with us below:
We became vendors at the Artisan Alley Farmers Market, selling Indian spices and snacks in November 2014. As business grew, so did Parvathys Kitchen. Our vision was to open a food truck and bring authentic delicious Indian cuisine and more to Central Florida. We started the food truck in August 2015. Parvathy’s Kitchen is currently the only Indian Food truck in Central Florida.
Rachael was born and raised in South Africa and is 4th generation Indian whose family migrated from Tamilnadu, South India. She grew up in a close-knit traditional Indian home with her parents and 2 older sisters. In Indian homes, hospitality and culture play a huge part in one’s upbringing. Her family’s home was always filled with rich, aromatic fragrant spices that permeated from the kitchen as she watched her late dad, mum, aunts, and grandmothers cook tasty meals. Her parents taught her that one of the keys to making a successful curry is the combination of freshly ground spices in the right proportions.
As the years passed, Rachael’s love for hospitality and fascination about international cuisines grew. She is so grateful to her late dad Shan and her supportive mum Parvathy who had the foresight to send her to college and encourage her thirst for knowledge in hospitality and the culinary arts. After graduating, she worked in hotels in South Africa and taught hospitality management. In 2006 Rachael decided to travel and work abroad, she came to the US and worked in the Grand Canyon Arizona, then moved to Orlando, Florida, and worked for Hard Rock Hotel with Loews Hotels at Universal Studios. She is very passionate about genuine, personable hospitality and pours that attribute into their business.
Steven was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Florida with his dad, mom, and 3 brothers when he was 9 years old. His dad is a Polish Jew, and his mom is Puerto Rican. He grew up spending time with his grandmother in the kitchen watching and helping her prepare meals. His rich cultural heritage from his Jewish and Spanish family allowed him to enjoy different cuisines. He realized he had a passion for the culinary arts when he started working at the DoubleTree hotel during his college days. He worked for Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios for several years until he ventured out into an entrepreneurial move by opening a barbecue restaurant with his brother. After a few years of running the restaurant and a sandwich shop, they decided to sell the business. Steven has since been working for a nursing home as their Director of Food and Nutrition for the past 15 years and is currently pursuing his nursing home administrator license.
In 2007 while Rachael was working at Hard Rock Hotel, her team member and friend named Derrick introduced her to his brother. His brother was Steven, they went on a blind date, and the rest is history. They got married in 2008, and after the birth of their first son Joshua, Rachael resigned from her job so she could be at home with their baby. They both agree that this was the best decision they made in starting their little family. A year later, they decided to move closer to Steven’s mom, who lives in Volusia County. They wanted their children to grow up near family. A year after they moved to Volusia County, God blessed them with a beautiful baby girl they named Sarah.
Steven and Rachael are enthusiastic about entertaining and cooking. Over the years of being in the country, Rachael shared her love for spices and meals with friends and family. At that time, she had no idea that this was paving the path to a new business opportunity.
In 2014 Steven’s mom Deneida encouraged Rachael to sell some of her fragrant spices and that was the beginning of Parvathys Kitchen. From spices to light Indian snacks their customers wanted more, and they listened to them. Several years ago, prior to Steven and Rachael meeting they had their own personal visions. While Rachael was in South Africa during her college days, she wanted to open up a food cart, meanwhile in the US after Steven sold his restaurant, he thought about owning a food truck someday. Those visions were tucked away in their memory banks and resurfaced after their customers asked for more than just spices and light snacks. It’s an amazing puzzle how God can bring 2 individuals from different countries together, and their visions of a food truck are now a reality.
Many customers ask why don’t you open a restaurant with its growing popularity in Downtown DeLand, while it seems like a great idea, they are not thinking of that presently. Their children are the main focus, and time spent with them is most valuable right now. Owning a brick and mortar can be rewarding and has its benefits, but it also requires a lot of time and dedication. Owning a food truck and having the flexibility of making our own hours allows Rachael to be a stay-at-home mum. Steven and Rachael are involved in various activities that their children participate in. They both race BMX full time and the races take them all over the state and the US. Joshua currently ranks #1 in his division and Sarah is currently #2 in her division for BMX in the state of Florida. Only God knows what the future may hold, maybe one day in the future they may open a brick and mortar.
Rachael says, “I have been fortunate to be born into a family which is filled with love. I owe my greatest respect to my mother whose wise and Godly counsel has always kept up my spirits. My mum’s flair for hospitality, generosity, kindness to others, and to serve people with love has greatly influenced my own cooking and love to share our family’s recipes with others. Recipes passed from generation to generation have been perfected and re-invented. When we planned our food truck concept it was no hard feat to decide on the name, and what better name than Parvathy after my mum.
They are regular vendors at the Artisan Alley Friday night market from 6 pm – 9 pm and participate in all the Indie markets in Deland. They also cater locally for small events. They update their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/parvathyskitchen/ and Instagram @parvathyskitchen on any events.
Steven and Rachael have also hosted Indian cooking classes for small groups for couples. They sourced local produce and taught how to cook Indian dishes from the local produce purchased at the Artisan Alley Farmers Market. Each couple had their own cooking station, cooking utensils, spices and fresh produce, and ingredients. They followed step-by-step instructions on how to make aromatic basmati rice, yogurt raita, and vegetable curry based on the produce. Once the dishes were prepared, they got to enjoy the dishes they prepared.
Rachael’s parents always instilled in her to be true to her culture and heritage. Her parents converted to Christianity when they got married, so she grew up in a Christian home, where she was taught to love and respect all people from different walks of life and religious beliefs. Every Sunday, her mum wears a sari to church and to all other events. Rachael loves the rich colors, intricate hand-crafted embroidery and blends of textured fabric. As a little girl she loved wearing Indian outfits, but couldn’t wait to wear a sari. When she turned 12, she was ecstatic when her mum taught her how to tie a sari. A sari is a drape of fabric about 15 to 26 feet in length that is wrapped around the waist and the end part draped over the shoulder. It is worn with a fitted blouse and a petticoat or underskirt. Beside the saris, she loves wearing other traditional wear like the Punjabi suites, lengha suites, salwar suites, and kurti tunics. Many of these outfits represent different regions of India and she favors them all. Rachael’s appreciation for her Indian wear has rubbed off onto their daughter, and she would wear an Indian outfit any day over a regular dress.
Rachael’s south Indian style of cooking is characterized by using aromatic spices, herbs, fresh vegetables, lentils, and legumes. Steven’s heart of service coupled with his culinary skills of prepping and cooking has added to the success of their uniquely crafted meals that leave the food truck on every service.
Their ethnic menu has light appetizers, seasonal soup, entrees, and fragrant Indian drinks. They always offer a vegan and vegetarian curry option.
A few years ago, their son was eating a tandoori naan and their signature chicken tikka masala like a sandwich and said, ‘dad why don’t you call this a naanwich,’ to which we thought was a good idea, we added it to the menu, and it is now one of the most popular items on the menu. The naanwich is a delicious buttery garlic tandoori naan served with a choice of curry then topped with romaine lettuce, red onions, European cucumbers, cilantro, and garnished with raita and mint chutney. Right next to the naanwich is our 2nd most popular item, the Indian curry fries, and aromatic basmati rice Bowl. Indian curry fries are fresh-cut fries smothered with your choice of curry or rich, creamy tikka sauce. The aromatic basmati rice bowls and parathas are served with your choice of curry. All meals come with a sweet apricot chutney, a spicy mango pickle, and a small side salad.
On the first Friday of the month, along with their regular menu items, they serve Shan’s Lamb Curry (named after Rachael’s late dad as this was his signature dish). On the third Fridays of the month, along with our regular menu, they serve Chicken Korma. All curries are cooked medium spiced, and if you like it hot, we can always kick up the heat.
Parvathy’s Kitchen works because we are a team and depend on each other; Steven and Rachael often joke and say they get a date night every Friday and make money while they at it. We are grateful to God for opening doors of opportunity and to serve the community.
If you like delicious food and have not tried authentic Indian cuisine, come visit Parvathys Kitchen on Friday nights at the Artisans Alley Farmers Market from 6 pm-9 pm and “spice up your life” with an experience and a taste in your mouth you won’t forget. It is our pleasure to serve you. Hope to see you around.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, we had to do a lot of research and learn about what it takes to open a food truck. We had to learn about the local and state laws and regulations and how they apply to our business. Once we found the builder for our food trailer, the entire process took about 2 months before we could open.
We have been fortunate enough to grow at the Artisan Alley Farmers Market, where we initially started selling spices in 2014, and that has become our regular spot.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are the owners of Parvathys Kitchen, we prepare, cook, manage and operate the business ourselves. We are proud that we have been able to fill a niche for our customers that love Indian food. We are a husband-and-wife team and love working together. We each have our talents and strengths that we add to the business, and that’s what makes for a winning combination.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
We enjoy reading cookbooks from around the world.
Pricing:
- Price range $4 – $18
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @parvathyskitchen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parvathyskitchen/ ‘
