Chef Radhika Khandelwal is championing India’s zero-waste movement by creatively repurposing food scraps into sustainable, flavourful dishes.
Amid the rhythmic clatter of knives and flickering flames, a culinary revolution is unfolding in the bustling kitchens of India’s luxury hotels—driven by chefs who are reimagining Ayurveda’s five-millennia-old traditions through the lens of contemporary haute cuisine—viewing food not merely as sustenance, but as a carrier of ‘prana’—vital life force. “We’re seeing a remarkable convergence of age-old wisdom and modern culinary techniques,” says Vivek Kalia, executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. “These traditional practices,” he notes, “which once seemed outdated, are proving to be surprisingly relevant to current conversations about sustainability in high-end dining.”
Vegetable peels transform into crispy garnishes, herb stems infuse artisanal oils and teas, and fruit rinds metamorphose into complex reductions—each innovation paying homage to Ayurveda’s respect for nature’s complete offerings. The urgency of this culinary evolution becomes stark against India’s paradoxical food landscape. While the country produces abundant food, 195 million Indians remain undernourished, representing a quarter of the global hunger burden. The nation witnesses annual food wastage worth ₹92,000 crore, while households discard approximately 68.7 million tonnes yearly—roughly 55 kilograms per person—positioning India second only to China in household food waste.
This renaissance in waste consciousness has led leading chefs to embrace what Ayurveda terms ‘sattvic awareness’—a mindful consciousness that sees the interconnectedness of all things. In India, where the concept of zero-waste remains an ambitious ideal, food security activists such as Chef Radhika Khandelwal are leading the charge to revive sustainable traditions.
Khandvi Ravioli with a bisque made with prawn shells
Image: Chef Radhika Khandelwal
Discussing her commitment to incorporating traditional preservation techniques to combat food waste, Khandelwal, the driving force behind Delhi’s European-inspired restaurant Fig & Maple, shares her philosophy with Forbes India. “At Fig & Maple, we regularly incorporate traditional preservation techniques such as fermenting, pickling, and drying—not only to reduce food waste but also to honour these time-tested methods that align with Ayurveda’s principles of sustainability and balance. These techniques allow us to extend the shelf life of surplus or seasonal produce while enhancing their nutritional value and flavour,” she says.
Chef Khandelwal highlights fermentation as a cornerstone of zero-waste cooking. “It’s a transformative process that thrives on what might otherwise be discarded—overripe fruits, vegetable trimmings, or even the brine from pickling. For instance, we ferment vegetables into kimchi, turn overripe fruits into vinegars, and create probiotic drinks from leftover juices. This not only reduces waste but also brings complex, living flavours to our dishes.”
She elaborates on other preservation techniques, noting, “We pickle ingredients like radish greens, starfruit, or gooseberries, turning overlooked produce into tangy condiments. Drying is another essential practice—we dehydrate fruit peels, herbs, or even bread to create powders, crisps, or teas.”
Pea shell, rice noodle and fermented tea leaf salad
Image: Chef Radhika Khandelwal
“What I love about these methods,” she adds, “is their ability to capture the essence of an ingredient, preserving its story and seasonality while respecting its full potential. It’s where creativity meets practicality, ensuring nothing goes to waste and everything has a purpose.”
When asked if traditional Indian cooking practices naturally align with the no-waste philosophy, Chef Khandelwal says, “Generations of Indian households have celebrated using every part of an ingredient, ensuring nothing goes to waste. For instance, ‘lauki ke chilke ki chutney’ is a flavourful condiment made from bottle gourd peels, while Assam’s ‘khar’ transforms banana skins into a unique alkaline preparation. In Rajasthan, ‘ker’—dried, foraged berries—are preserved and used in curries, showcasing how seasonal produce is resourcefully dried for later use.”
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She underscores fermentation in dishes like dosa batter and kanji and the versatility of pickling mango seeds, lemon rinds, and bitter gourd, noting how these age-old techniques are both practical and transformative. “These practices aren’t just ingenious—they add depth and complexity to our cuisine,” she says.
Prakash Nayak, former regional executive chef at Niraamaya Retreats and present owner of Sarati Earth Kitchen, Mysuru, shares how he blends sustainability with culinary artistry. “At Niraamaya, we viewed food scraps not as waste but as opportunities for creativity,” he says. “For instance, carrot and beet peels can be dehydrated and powdered to create natural colorants or seasoning blends. Stems of herbs like coriander or spinach are blended into sauces or soups, enhancing both flavour and nutrition. Stale bread is reimagined as croutons, breadcrumbs, or even a binding agent in koftas.” Nayak highlights that these practices resonate with Ayurvedic principles by reducing waste and honouring the prana (life force) inherent in every ingredient.
Sweet potato, cauliflower stalk with labneh and Starfruit pickle and gooseberry
Image: Chef Radhika Khandelwal
Highlighting Ayurveda’s focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients in managing Sarati Earth’s inventory, Nayak says, “We prioritise sourcing local, seasonal, and organic ingredients to maintain freshness and support sustainability.” He adds, “Our inventory is managed through a demand-driven system, with daily adjustments based on guest preferences and seasonality. Vegetables are procured fresh every morning and used the same day, ensuring dishes are served with maximum nutritional and energetic value.”
Excess vegetables are transformed into soups or curries, while leftover cooked food that meets quality and safety standards is shared with local communities. This reduces waste while fostering community. “Thanks to our precise planning, surplus food is rare. However, when it does occur, we ensure it is repurposed or donated,” he says.
Celebrity nutritionist and bestselling author Pooja Makhija, while acknowledging Ayurveda’s benefits, offers a modern perspective on food consumption. She addresses the challenge of preparing fresh meals daily in today’s fast-paced world, considering both food wastage and time constraints. While fresh fruits and vegetables remain essential for their vitamin and mineral content, Makhija explains that carbohydrates and proteins maintain their nutritional value even after cooking, cooling, and reheating.
She contextualises the historical Ayurvedic emphasis on fresh food, noting it emerged when limited storage options made food contamination a genuine concern. However, with modern refrigeration and reheating technology, properly stored food can now safely align with contemporary lifestyles while preserving its nutritional value.
Zero waste kimchi made with all extra peels and odds and ends of veggies and fruits which are then added to sandwiches
Image: Chef Radhika Khandelwal
Makhija recommends cooked, cooled, and reheated carbs for their lower glycemic index (GI). “Cooling transforms 40-50 percent of starch in foods like rice, pasta, and bread into resistant starch, reducing blood sugar spikes and benefiting gut health. For instance, freezing and toasting bread can halve its GI, supporting weight management without sacrificing carbs,” she says.
While food repurposing matters deeply, composting holds equal weight—both practices, alongside thoughtful kitchen waste recycling, forming the cornerstones of sustainable living and Ayurvedic wisdom of environmental harmony. Composting, Chef Khandelwal notes, comes into play only for inedible items like shells, seeds, or completely spent scraps. “These are composted to nourish the soil and continue the cycle of life. While this step supports the ecosystem and aligns with Ayurveda’s principle of living harmoniously with nature, it is a backup plan rather than the centrepiece of our strategy.”
Chef Khandelwal places a stronger emphasis on ensuring food fulfils its primary purpose—to nourish and provide poshtik ahaar (nutritious sustenance). “From an Ayurvedic perspective, food is sacred and its ultimate role is to support life and health. Composting, though valuable as it returns nutrients to the earth, is a solution of last resort—used only when all other possibilities have been exhausted.” She concludes, “At Fig & Maple, our goal is to creatively repurpose every ingredient to feed people and prevent hunger,” she says.
Repurposed fermented soybean used in sauces to add umami
Image: Chef Radhika Khandelwal
Jeewan Singh Rawat, culinary director at Jehan Numa Group in Bhopal, underlines JN Retreat’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Situated by a lake and a dense forest reserve, the retreat embraces a zero-waste approach. “Being in close proximity to nature increases our responsibility. We source ingredients from our herb garden and hotel farmland, aiming to recycle and reuse wherever possible,” he says.
To address food waste, the retreat employs a composting machine that transforms leftovers, including bones, vegetable peels, and guest plate waste, into natural manure. “This manure, mixed with husk, enriches our herb garden soil,” Rawat adds. The kitchen further reduces waste by repurposing vegetable peels and stems into stocks or menu items like crispy potato peel snacks and broccoli soup bases made from stalks. “By adopting such practices, we repurpose with a purpose while staying true to our commitment to sustainability and the environment.”
As global food insecurity affects 828 million people, these culinary pioneers demonstrate how traditional wisdom can address contemporary challenges. The movement resonates with Ayurveda’s principle of ‘ritucharya’—living in harmony with nature’s cycles, and their approach proves that luxury dining can coexist with consciousness, where every ingredient is honoured, every scrap repurposed, and every meal becomes an expression of both gastronomic excellence and environmental stewardship.
As Chef Khandelwal says, “As more chefs and restaurants embrace sustainability, there’s tremendous potential to combine traditional practices with modern innovations. By educating diners and fostering a deeper respect for food, we can inspire a cultural shift that prioritises sustainability across all levels of the food system.”