Barkha Cardoz

Barkha Cardoz is a culinary entrepreneur. She is the founder of Cardoz Legacy, the co-creator of the Cardoz Legacy Masalas, and the author of With Love & Masalas: Everyday Indian Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours. 

Born in Mumbai and raised in Bhopal, Barkha took her first step into hospitality at The Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai. There, she received her culinary training and met her husband, the late chef Floyd Cardoz. 

After moving to the US in 1988, Barkha worked in garment production and fundraising before partnering with Floyd to launch The Young Scientist Foundation, an organization that gives high school students experience at research labs across the country. Barkha also worked alongside Floyd at their beloved New York City restaurant Paowalla (later The Bombay Bread Bar), supervising operations and supply.

In 2020, she launched the Cardoz Legacy Masalas in partnership with Burlap & Barrel. The collection launched with three masalas, each an iteration of a spice blend Floyd and Barkha developed to make at-home dinnertime cooking easier. One year later, Barkha launched three additional masalas of her creation, each a further extension of her kitchen. 

Other creative collaborations include The Cardoz Legacy Collection Masala Chai, debuted in 2023 with Art of Tea, The Masala Crunch chocolate bar, launched in 2024 with Elements Truffles, and the Masala Simmer Sauce, launched in 2025 with Matriark Foods and Burlap & Barrel.

Barkha debuted her first cookbook, With Love & Masalas: Everyday Indian Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours, with Burlap & Barrel in late 2023. A collection of family favorites, it offers home cooks accessible, flavorful recipes perfect for mixing and matching into casual weeknight meals or celebratory feasts.

When she isn’t knee-deep in recipe development or traveling the country to co-host special events with amazing chef friends, Barkha can be found in her North Carolina kitchen, spending time with her sons, or traveling to visit friends and family in India.