Locally Sourced Ingredients: The Secret to Saakshi's Success
Simi GajalaKey takeaways
- The ingredient list is the recipe: haldi, jeera, dhania, rai, hing, ajwain, methi, dal, atta, rice and ghee — nothing you could not name.
- Masala is built from scratch in every batch. No standing gravy base, no cream-and-butter finish, no food colouring.
- Produce, dairy and meat come from UK suppliers into one FSA 5-star kitchen.
- Meals are portioned, frozen and delivered across UK mainland.
The secret is not a secret: Saakshi's Kitchen cooks with an ingredient list you could read out to your mum, bought from UK suppliers, and turns it into food in one FSA 5-star kitchen rather than a production line. That is the whole method, and it is why the dishes taste like somebody's dinner rather than a category.
What is actually in the food?
The pantry an Indian home kitchen runs on. Haldi, jeera, dhania, rai, hing, ajwain and methi, plus a garam masala blended in our own kitchen instead of one generic curry powder doing all the work. Then the bulk staples: dal, atta, rice and ghee. Add onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilli and you have most of the menu.
Every product page on the current menu carries the full ingredient list. If a dish needs an explanation, that is where it is.
What does "locally sourced" mean here?
It means the perishable side of the list comes from UK suppliers into our FSA 5-star kitchen — vegetables, dairy and meat. It does not mean everything, and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise: hing, ajwain and good garam masala components come from where they are grown, and always have.
The useful part of local sourcing is not a badge. It is that a small kitchen buying for one week's cooking chooses ingredients the way you would in a shop, rather than the way a national supply contract does.
Why does building masala from scratch matter?
Because it is the difference between a menu of dishes and a menu of sauces. Most curry houses in Britain work from a standing base gravy made in bulk, with individual dishes separated at the pass by ratios of chilli, tomato, cream and sugar. It is an efficient system. It is also why so many restaurant curries taste like relatives.
In our kitchen the masala starts again in every batch: onion, tomato, ginger and garlic, bhuno'd until it goes dark and stops smelling raw. Dal is finished with a real tadka poured over at the end. There is no cream-and-butter finish, no food colouring and no pre-made gravy base — a statement about how we cook, not about anyone else.
What difference does one kitchen make?
| Many kitchens | One kitchen | |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe | Interpreted differently in each site | The same recipe every time, from one family kitchen |
| Spice blend | Bought in, standardised | Ground and blended in-house |
| Accountability | Spread across a supply chain | One FSA 5-star kitchen |
| Change | Slow, contractual | The menu follows the season |
How is it delivered?
Cooked, portioned for one, frozen, and sent out by courier. It arrives frozen and goes straight into your freezer. Cook or reheat straight from frozen until piping hot, following the pack instructions, and never refreeze a meal once it has defrosted. Freezing is what lets one FSA 5-star kitchen cook for families in Glasgow — see how it works.
We deliver across UK mainland to more than 800 towns and cities. Some areas we can't reach, so check your postcode on the delivery locations page, or go straight to London, Birmingham or Brighton.
Saakshi's Kitchen has sent out more than 16,000 deliveries and 79% of orders come from returning families — the people who would tell us immediately if the ingredient list slipped. Our kitchen-cooked meats are halal, and there is a full vegetarian range.
Frequently asked questions
What ingredients does Saakshi's Kitchen cook with?
The staples that live in an Indian kitchen: haldi, jeera, dhania, rai, hing, ajwain, methi and a garam masala blended in our own kitchen, plus dal, atta, rice and ghee. The full ingredient list is on every product page.
Are the ingredients locally sourced?
Produce, dairy and meat are bought from UK suppliers into our FSA 5-star kitchen, alongside Indian pantry staples that have to come from where they are grown.
Do you use a ready-made curry sauce?
No. The masala is built from scratch in every batch — onion, tomato, ginger and garlic, bhuno'd properly — and dal is finished with a real tadka. There is no standing gravy base, no cream-and-butter finish and no food colouring.
Where is the food cooked?
In one FSA 5-star rated FSA 5-star kitchen. Every batch comes from the same kitchen and the same hands, which is how the recipe stays the same each time.
How does the food arrive?
Frozen. Keep it frozen, then cook or reheat straight from frozen until piping hot, following the pack instructions. Never refreeze a meal once it has defrosted.
Read the ingredient list yourself
- Open this week's menu — every dish lists what is in it.
- How a tiffin service works.
- Check your postcode.