SMPL
New Delhi [India], April 1: In India’s organised restaurant sector, efficiency often dictates ingredient choices. Cooking oils – used across every dish – are typically selected for cost, shelf life and consistency. Transparency around them is rare.
Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Nerall Bakhai is attempting to shift that equation. His new venture, Moai, operates on a clear principle: eliminate refined oils entirely and cook exclusively with cold-pressed alternatives.
From an operational standpoint, this is a significant deviation. Cold-pressed oils can cost up to 2 – 4 times more than refined variants, have a shorter shelf life, and require stricter storage protocols. “It changes how you design your kitchen systems,” Bakhai says. “You have to be far more intentional with usage, sourcing and training.”
The move also aligns with a broader, if still emerging, consumer shift. According to industry observers, urban diners are increasingly asking not just what they are eating, but how it is being prepared.
“Oil is not just a carrier – it directly affects flavour delivery and digestibility,” captured from a recent interview by Dr. Rujuta Diwekar, a Mumbai-based nutritionist. “Cold-pressed oils retain more of their natural compounds because they are not exposed to high heat during extraction.”
For chefs, the shift is equally nuanced. All oils can’t be treated the same way. Cold-pressed oils behave differently at various temperatures, so the cooking technique has to adapt.
Whether this model scales remains to be seen. But Moai’s approach suggests a possible shift in how premium restaurants may begin to think about one of their most fundamental ingredients.
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