Dabba now has a global ‘food' print: From Toronto to Sydney, Indian tiffin services thrive

Time of India

6 days ago

Once seen as too spicy or exotic, Indian home-style fare is now a global hit as busy professionals, students and locals across the world lap up meals inspired by the country's very own tiffin culture
Butter chicken and naan defined all that Chicago-based accountant Josh Brooks thought was good about Indian food.
He had been to Indian restaurants and tried other dishes, but those experiments had mostly ended unsatisfactorily.
Which is why he was unprepared for the tastes he encountered after he was invited to dig into an Indian co-worker's lunch box.
Warily, he sampled the assortment of palak dal, jeera rice and crispy bhindi and was instantly swept off his feet. Without much ado, he whipped out his phone and signed up for the Indian tiffin service that had put together the meal.
'What I'd pictured would be too fiery, spicy and oily turned out to be gourmet therapy. Besides, a meal from them costs less than fast food,' Josh says, cheerily admitting that he is fascinated by the wonderful sprawl of Indian home-made dishes — from the smoky comfort of baingan bharta to the tangy joy of rasam, and a dozen varieties of dal that he never knew existed.
Beyond Butter Chicken
Amid the growing appetite for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options, Indian food has quietly transformed itself from the occasional exotic treat to the toast of lunchrooms worldwide.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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While homesick desis have always had fellow expats they could count on for some comfort food, a dash of entrepreneurial spirit is rapidly transforming the Indian lunch meal into a go-to solution for the everyday lunch break.
Think about it: a bowl of moong dal tadka ticks all the boxes. It is naturally plantbased, nourishing, and soothing enough to make you feel like calling your mom back home, says Shivani Mehta, a tech consultant in Canada's Toronto.
Shivani, who shares one such subscription with her flatmate, a Singapore national, is relieved that she does not have to cook and worry about her lunch every day. 'It throws up a meal plan for the entire week. Besides, this saves me from washing utensils, shopping for groceries, and cleaning the kitchen.' Krish Shah couldn't agree more. He is a co-founder of Canadabased TiffinStash.
'People are not just eating it — they are planning their weeks around it,' he says of Indian dabba meals.
TiffinStash is an online marketplace that connects customers with local home chefs. It delivers more than 500 Indian meals every day in the Greater Toronto Area. 'Our clientele largely comprises Indian immigrants in the 25-54 age group. We also cater to a growing base of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals, and 3%5% of our customers are nonAsians,' Shah says.
Saved By Aunty's Kitchen
Halfway across the world, Snigdha Basu becomes nostalgic when talking of the homely nourishment she gets from a neighbourhood aunty in Sydney.
'Takeaway or ordering online is unaffordable. My husband and I both work full time, and we get our lunch from this 'tiffin aunty', a homemakerturned-entrepre neur. It is healthy and helps us save money and time.'
The sad symphony of soggy sandwiches and plain pastas no longer bothers Snigdha. Instead, she now relishes a vibrant medley that includes everything from rajma chawal, masoor dal, chana masala, aloo gobi to sabzi wraps.
Over in London, DabbaDrop co-founder Anshu Ahuja gets messages like 'I had never tried lauki kofta before and now I am obsessed.' 'The meals provided by our catering service are hyper-seasonal, plant-based, and rotating weekly. So, no two tiffins taste similar,' Ahuja says, adding that officegoers love the surprise element in the menu.
Ahuja talks of her childhood in Mumbai and how she tried to reimagine the bustling city's ultra-efficient lunch delivery system — run by the iconic dabbawalas — for officegoers in London.
'Food is packed in steel tiffin carriers and delivered using eco-friendly methods such as bicycles, e-bikes, and other emission-free vehicles.'
Taste of home and heritage
In Russia's St Petersburg, the craving for home-cooked Indian food has led to a quiet revolution among students and professionals. With long days, intense coursework, and cultural adjustments, comfort often comes in the form of a warm tiffin with stuffed parathas, pulao and vegetable dishes.
'There is a world of difference between the food you get at restaurants in India and the Indian restaurants here, which are few and far between. Thankfully, when I came here last year, I found many Facebook groups for people who cook Indian vegetarian meals and deliver them to your flat,' says Sushila Rao, a nursing student.
She never thought she would be crying for sabzis that she would usually snub when they were cooked back home in Pune.
'But here I am, holding on to a plate of dal, chawal and aloo bhaji like an emotional lifeline,' she says.
Sameera Bhatia has turned her kitchen in Germany's Hamburg into an office for a mini tiffin service. 'I prepare fresh and healthy lunches like kadhi chawal, khichdi, stuffed parathas, and so on. My customers, mainly from offices and hostels, receive the weekly menu on WhatsApp every Sunday and ping back with their orders.
I also cater for birthday parties, anniversaries, and even baby showers for Indian families.'
From homesick students and workers to curious locals, customer demand is focused on variety and familiarity, says Shah of TiffinStash. 'Indian immigrants love it that they can get a mix of dishes they grew up with — like methi thepla or kadhi chawal. Some even tell us it helps them feel more connected to their roots.'
The success of Indian tiffin services lies in what the operators refuse to compromise on: human connection, cultural roots, and dependable deliciousness. Whether it is the comforting flavour of your mother's sambhar recreated 7,000 miles away or a perfect two-roti lunch that shows up without you lifting a finger, the magic is in the minimalism. No AI, no hyper-processed proteins — just good food made by real people. Some even include achaar, if you're lucky.