About Us

Meet Reena 

As an immigrant, I grew up eating home cooked Indian meals like yellow dhal, saag, and aloo gobi. These recipes were passed down to me from Biji, my grandmother. Despite being raised in America, I spent many summers in Punjab with Biji, hearing her talk about Punjab in the early days while counting the number of whistles that would blow on the pressure cooker of whatever meal she was making. 

In 2020, I started backpacking but missed the comfort of Biji’s cooking while outdoors. Food is powerful –it is a reminder of your culture and identity while bringing people together through the joys of sharing a meal. I didn’t feel seen within the backpacking space, eating “Indian” dehydrated meals that tasted dull, spiceless, and stale compared to what I was making at home. Not to mention the fact that they wrecked havoc on my digestive system… 💩.

When Biji passed away in 2022, I committed to creating a new relationship with India, one that celebrated my roots while embodying the 3rd culture kid experience. I built Panj River Provisions to celebrate my heritage while bringing that celebration to the outdoors. At Panj River, we're here to make and take space in the outdoor industry for the versions of our stories that go beyond generic chai lattes and flavorless dhal that has too much rice. We celebrate our heritage - unapologetically, without compromise - through an exploration of f*cking good Indian food. 

We’re building authentic, healthy, protein-rich, vegetarian and vegan Indian food, but most importantly, we’re making it taste so good that Biji would be proud.

 

Reena Badyal