For Keralites, eating food on plantain leaves (Thooshan ela) is nostalgia. It has health benefits, too. However, if you use ‘Thooshan plate’, you will get two benefits. You can eat the food and the plate. Surprised? Here is Thooshan’s story.
When Vinayakumar Balakrishnan and his wife Indira, a native of Kakkanad, Ernakulam, wanted to start a venture, they wanted it to be commercially viable as well as useful to society. ‘Thooshan’ is an outcome of their thought. The idea is to avoid littering plates after eating. If you do not want to eat it, fed it to chicken or fish. Or, use it as organic manure. Even if you throw it out, it will dissolve in the soil and will not harm any organism or the environment.
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The idea struck Vinayakumar, who was CEO of a Life Insurance Company in Mauritius, when he saw ‘Wheat Plate’ there. He made several attempts to import those plates to Kerala but companies were not ready. This triggered him to start a similar business here. His wife, Indira, a bank employee, also joined his efforts to understand the technique behind the Wheat Plates made from wheat bran. They received technical assistance from Kerala Agricultural University, Indigram Labs and CSIR.
Tooshan was born in a factory in Angamaly. At present, the company daily produces 1,000 wheat bran plates. The current production includes dinner plates and snack plates. Wheat bran is bought from a mill for Rs. 25 per kg. The Thooshan plates made of wheat bran are reminiscent of the old days. Spoons, forks and straws are also made in the same way. The edible straw is made from rice powder. Thooshan also manufactures cornstarch and various biodegradable carrier bags to replace plastic.
