MEET THE FOUNDER
20 Years of Indian Restaurant Experience
I’m Labrena Shamsi, founder of Spice Wheel and owner of Desi Wok, a modern Indian restaurant in Tulsa.
For 20 years, I’ve watched home cooks follow Indian recipes and still wonder why the final dish tastes flat, one-note or overly tomato-heavy. Often, the problem is not the recipe—it’s having the right combination of spices and understanding how they work together.
That experience led me to curate the essential spices inside the Indian Spice Wheel and create the accompanying Indian Flavor Guide. Together, they help home cooks understand what each spice contributes and build rich, layered Indian flavor with more confidence.
A TRADITIONAL INDIAN KITCHEN ESSENTIAL
Tradition, Curated for Better Flavor
The masala dabba has been used in Indian kitchens for generations, keeping frequently used spices close at hand. I did not create this tradition. What I brought to the Indian Spice Wheel is the specific combination of essential spices inside it, selected from 20 years of restaurant experience.
Each spice was chosen for the role it plays in building Indian flavor—from warmth and earthiness to aroma, color and balance. Paired with the Indian Flavor Guide, the wheel helps home cooks understand not only what to use, but why and when to use it.
MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF SPICES
Guidance for Building Indian Flavor With Confidence
Choosing the right spices is only the beginning. I created the Indian Flavor Guide to help home cooks understand what each spice contributes and how those flavors work together.
The guide includes flavor profiles, uses, pairings and practical cooking tips for the essential spices inside the Indian Spice Wheel. It helps take the uncertainty out of Indian cooking so you can season with purpose instead of simply following a recipe and hoping it tastes right.
Together, the curated spices and the Flavor Guide give you both the ingredients and the guidance to create richer, more balanced Indian meals at home.
OUR PURPOSE
Good Food Should Reach Every Table
After 20 years in the restaurant business, I know food is about more than what is on the plate. It brings people together, creates comfort and helps a community feel cared for.
That is why Spice Wheel gives 1% of every sale to help fight food insecurity in Tulsa. When you bring more flavor into your own kitchen, your purchase also helps support better access to food in the community where our story began.
BRING THE STORY INTO YOUR KITCHEN
Build Rich, Layered Indian Flavor at Home
Curated from 20 years of Indian restaurant experience. Includes the essential spices and Indian Flavor Guide to help you build rich, balanced flavor with confidence.