Frozen Savory 2009

Outstanding Frozen Savory 2009: Sukhi’s Samosa with Cilantro Chutney

“When we present to a client, whether we’re presenting samosas or not, we always start with them,” says Sanjog Sikand, the sales and marketing director for her mother’s 18-year-old company, Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods. “Once they eat the samosas, they get happy and then we talk business.” Case in point: In 2005, her mother Sukhi was presenting to Wild Oats in Boulder, Colo., when she started a small fire while preparing the entree (because of a burner malfunction). Before the fire, the executives had tasted the samosas served with cilantro chutney. “The buyer jokingly told me, ‘If I hadn’t tasted the samosas and the chutney, this meeting would have been a failure,’” recalls Sikand. But because of those magical samosas, the San Francisco-based business ended up getting the Wild Oats account—their first national program.

Sikand, who works with her parents and two siblings, says the samosas taste so good because they are made by hand rather than a machine. The full line of samosas—including Potato, Mixed Vegetable and Ground Chicken—launched in 2006 and are offered in a variety of sizes. They work as an ideal appetizer for gatherings like a Super Bowl or holiday party. Suggested retail price: $6.99/12- ounce (10 samosas with 2 ounces of chutney). sukhis.com.–D. Moss