When Chitra Agrawal first released her roasted garlic achaar, it was the only product of its kind on the market. Then, Trader Joe’s released a product that was uncannily similar.
When Chitra Agrawal first released her roasted garlic achaar, it was the only product of its kind on the market. The 42-year-old has been running her Indian condiment brand Brooklyn Delhi since 2014, and until she came around, no U.S. company sold an Indian garlic pickle quite like hers, she said.
After a group tasting, Trader Joe’s zeroed in on Brooklyn Delhi’s Coconut Cashew Korma, a mild simmer sauce. Things seemed to be moving along slowly; then communications stopped. Including in South Asian grocery stores, it’s more customary to see jars labeled “pickle” or even “relish.” Agrawal says she made the conscious choice not to do that.