Pooja Bavishi did not set out to become an ice cream entrepreneur. With a background in urban planning and civil rights work, she spent years advocating for fair housing policies in Washington, D.C.
But at the back of her mind was always something sweeter — a dream to start her own dessert business called Malai.
“I loved that career, but I also have always had this interest and hobby in dessert making. I have a very big sweet tooth…So the idea of Malai kind of came later. And when I thought of it, I knew that this was exactly what I needed to do next.”
The dream became a reality in 2015 when Bavishi launched Malai, a South Asian-inspired ice cream brand that is revolutionizing the dessert world.
Ten years later, the company has scoop shops in Brooklyn, D.C., Philadelphia—and now, a new summer pop-up in Manhattan’s West Village, just in time for National Ice Cream Day.
“We’re trying to change the way that ice cream is experienced in this county,” she said.
Bavishi is using ice cream as a cultural connector. A way to honor memory and identity in one bite.
In an interview with Great Jones, Bavishi reflected on her upbringing as a first-generation Indian American, where food was a constant source of comfort and community.
Her parents, who immigrated from India, instilled in her a deep appreciation for cooking and hospitality — making more than enough food for when guests come by. Sparking a lifelong love for being in the kitchen.
Through Malai, she is introducing customers to ingredients they may have never tasted in ice cream before — like chai, saffron, or rose — and is constantly reinventing new ways to use her earliest memories in her approach to ice cream development.
“Those spices, smells, and tastes were so ubiquitous to my growing up…And for that reason, I thought it was seamless to put these spices and these flavors into ice cream,” Bavishi told amNewYork.
Malai’s ice cream comes in eight nuanced flavors in the West Village store: Rose with cinnamon almonds, butterscotch butter pecan, masala chai, toasted nutmeg, sweet milk, saffron pistachio, guava chili, and pineapple pink peppercorn.
Still, she is always chasing the next best thing — constantly thinking of what she can surprise her palate with next.
“Choosing new flavors, and testing new flavors is one of my favorite parts of the job…I love to think outside the box and create something really unexpected that hopefully people will love.”
But Malai is not just defined by its vibrant flavors — it is also built on a strong values-driven foundation.
“Malai has always been a values driven business, and we do that in a variety of ways, ” Bavishi said. “One of the ways is that we source ethically…and work with companies that have that mission.”
All of Malai’s ice cream is eggless, and the company uses compostable materials wherever possible — even in shipping.
“Honestly, [shipping with compstables] is really hard to do and quite expensive…but it is a value that we truly believe in and want to continue with.”
As Malai grows, Bavishi is finding new ways to connect with her community. Her cookbook, filled with 100 original South Asian inspired recipes, lets fans recreate the magic of Malai from their own homes.
“I started Malai in my New York City apartment with my KitchenAid attachment,” she said. “I would spin ice cream all week long and sell it at Hester Street Fair and Fulton Stall Market, and then eventually Smorgasburg.”
What started as a home activity for Bavishi has turned into a home activity for many.
“I think it’s so special that Malai started in my apartment…and for people to make it at home the way that I made it originally, is so special to me.”
From making ice cream in her apartment to turning it into a multi-city business is a path that Bavishi hopes young entrepreneurs like her take.
“I say go for it,” she said when asked what advice she has for South Asian women dreaming of launching a business. “You’ll never have enough information to be able to make this decision of launching into a business. There’s so much that I did not know before launching Malai, but it has grown me in ways that I have never expected.”
The Malai pop-up will be scooping until the weather is warm, offering pints, scoops, sandwiches, and the brand’s new Four Flavor Fight, where guests can pick four flavors of their choosing.
From her kitchen to yours, and now the West Village, Bavishi is proving that sweet dreams really do come true.
