Why Regional Cooking?
When we started Rasoiee, one of the first questions we were asked was, “Why focus on regional Indian food?” After all, Indian food is already one of the UK’s favourites. From tikka masala to butter chicken, it’s a cuisine everyone thinks they know. But that’s exactly why we wanted to look deeper. Because the truth is, what most people recognise as “Indian food” barely scratches the surface of what’s actually eaten across India every day.
India isn’t one cuisine, it’s hundreds. Every state, city, and even household has its own version of what “home-cooked” means. The ingredients, spices, and cooking methods shift with the land itself. In coastal Karnataka, you’ll find rice and lentils tempered with curry leaves, coconut, and ghee. Move north to Punjab, and the flavours become earthier: slow-cooked dhals, rich with garlic and cumin. Travel east to Bengal, and mustard oil defines everything. These are not variations of the same dish, they are entirely different food cultures, shaped by geography, climate, and tradition. We didn’t want to sell a single version of “Indian.” We wanted to celebrate the everyday dishes that make each region unique, the food people actually cook at home.
Focusing on regional cooking also means focusing on authentic ingredients and techniques. Indian cuisine has always been seasonal and local. Chickpeas, black lentils, tamarind, jaggery, curry leaves - these aren’t random ingredients; they tell you where the recipe comes from. When we stay true to those origins, we preserve more than flavour; we preserve stories, communities, and ways of cooking that have existed for generations.
Another reason we care so deeply about regional cooking is because it shows how balanced and intuitive Indian food really is. In the UK, it’s often seen as heavy or complicated. But in India, it’s the opposite: light, plant-forward, and full of natural protein and fibre. A bowl of pongal rice with lentils, for instance, is complete nutrition in one meal. Understanding regional cooking helps people see Indian food not just as a treat, but as everyday nourishment.
Ultimately, this focus is about re-education, gently shifting perceptions. By exploring regional food, we help people move beyond “curry in a jar” and toward a real understanding of how Indians actually cook and eat. It’s not about fancy reinvention; it’s about representation.
At Rasoiee, our mission is to bring these real, regional recipes into kitchens everywhere, to show that Indian food isn’t defined by one flavour or one region, but by a thousand quiet variations passed down through homes just like ours.
That’s the India we know. That’s the India we want to share.
