By Erin Mairose

A new ethnic food store has opened on 41st Street offering fresh vegetables, groceries and ready-to-eat frozen meals.

Greens & Spices is located one of the Gilrich strip malls near 41st and Grange Avenue and is owned by Eswari Muthu and her husband, Muthu Kasi.

The store sells a variety of Indian foods, and the plan is to add Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and Thai foods later this month.

“We would like to serve the community with better products and prices,” Muthu said.

Greens & Spices’ main distributors are from Chicago, with fresh greens and vegetables arriving every Tuesday and Friday. But if a customer is looking for a special item, Muthu is willing to place orders upon request.

She also invites anyone to visit the store to learn how to cook with different ingredients or to try a sample from sweet bread to mango juice.

“There’s a lot of people who like ethnic food, but they don’t know how to cook with it, or they are maybe even scared of looking at it,” Muthu said. “So I really want them to come out and try something.”

Greens & Spices is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.