Lisle-based business owner creates Indian food delivery service that's close to his heart

Creating the Daily Rasoi delivery service for Indian food isn't just a business expansion for Naperville resident Ravi Ayyalaraju.

It's a labor of love.

Starting in June, the 50-year-old native of India opened Daily Rasoi and began offering some of the same dishes his mother and grandmother made for him as a child.

"You can't find that kind of food here," Ayyalaraju said. "The Indian food here is not truly authentic and homemade. We want to keep those cravings and tastes alive for the next generation. We worked hard to find the right people who are able to make that food."

In 2016, Ayyalaraju created Meal Village, a Lisle-based business that delivers fresh, chef-cooked, fully-prepared meals within a 40-mile radius throughout the suburbs and Chicago. From breakfast quesadillas to barbecued salmon, Meal Village offers breakfasts, lunch, dinners, sides, kids' meals, desserts and even plant-based meals with rotating options and only reheating required.

Now that Meal Village is established with 500,000 meals delivered to date, Ayyalaraju is heading back to his roots with Daily Rasoi.

The idea of Daily Rasoi and Meal Village is simple. Call (888) 610-2232 or use the app or website - mealvillage.com and dailyrasoi.com. Choose your food and schedule a delivery time between Monday and Friday.

Orders can be placed up to five days in advance, which allows for the menu to rotate different items based on the availability of locally sourced ingredients. Same-day orders are available if they're placed by noon.

"We expect demand to keep growing," Ayyalaraju said. "Delivering food is tricky but we've developed a system that works. We're very confident that we'll be able to manage any kind of demand."

Ayyalaraju and his team developed 30 Indian dishes ranging from sides, curries, vegetable dishes and meat entrees priced between $3.50 to $14.50. One upcoming daily menu features six entrees including boneless chicken curry, tomato dal and tindora fry.

As elaborate as it may sound, it's just another family meal for Daily Rasoi.

"It's always bothered me that families don't have time to sit down and have a nice meal together," Ayyalaraju said. "This makes it much easier."