How Chefs Are Taking A Page From Their Grandma's Kitchen For A Sustainable Future

If food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions globally, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Equally staggering is the fact that nearly a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted annually.

In an era where sustainability is part of every conversation, it's hard to ignore that 11.9 million tons of food wastage per year in India is attributed to the food service industry alone.

This is why Chef Avinash Martins is unapologetic—and his customers are unbothered—when he serves a lobster tail with leftover curry. Likewise, Chef Biju Philiph, Executive Chef at Taj The Trees, Mumbai, takes pride in creating pizza starter dough from potato peels or turning vegetable skins into active charcoal powder.

While the crisis is global, its solutions are often regional—and frequently traditional. This is especially true in India, where the philosophy of annam brahmam—food is divine—holds that wasting it is akin to disrespecting God.

“I totally believe in what our ancestors did,” says Martins, known for his hyperlocal cooking at Cavatina, which has helped put Goan cuisine on India’s culinary map. “Back then, there were no fridges, no storage, and a zero-carbon footprint. So I looked into our lifestyle from a hundred years ago—and found amazing concepts. It seems the answers were always there.”

Talk Local, Walk Local

Chef and author Anahita Dhondy, who uses social media to share tips on reducing food waste at home, agrees. “This is a country that has always used every part of the produce to its fullest potential,” she says. Think of how every part of a banana tree is used—from food to plate—or how peels become chutneys, seeds like jackfruit or melon are turned into snacks or gravy thickeners, and flowers and peels are sun-dried for later use.

Many remember leftover rice being transformed the next day. In southern India, it becomes pazhaya saadham—a slightly fermented, overnight-soaked delicacy. In Gujarat, it's turned into vagharelo bhaat, an Indian-style fried rice. In the East, fermented rice becomes a nutritious breakfast served with mustard oil, onions, green chillies, and pickles.

“I feel the old times were more sustainable,” Dhondy says. “For the F&B industry to be sustainable, we have to return to our roots—to our grandmother’s slow-cooking methods. It’s hard in a fast-paced commercial kitchen, but when you start using the whole vegetable or meat, cook seasonally, and source locally, sustainability becomes achievable.”

Chef Vanshika Bhatia echoes this. “Seasonality is key,” she says. At her Petite Pie Shop, she champions minimal-waste cooking, using typically discarded vegetable parts in salads or grilling them. Her ingredient-forward approach helped many navigate the restrictive culinary landscape during COVID-19. That dialogue continues even offline, as she gently encourages diners not to ignore the nutrient-rich sides that accompany the main dish.

Putting Sense Into Sustainability

“For me, sustainability means using what’s around you—what’s accessible. Of course, not wasting food is vital,” adds Bhatia, who plans to open a new restaurant in Gurugram by year-end. “We need to retain the nutritional value of ingredients. Instead of going all fancy, chefs need to focus on serving wholesome, nutritious food in the most appetising way possible.”

As Martins puts it, “Mother Nature has the answer to everything. You harvest what grows around you, prepare it, and enjoy the nourishment. The next step is practising sustainability with leftovers. Back in the day, leftover fish curry was left on a dying chulha, and by morning, it became a delicious dip. That’s exactly what I do.”

Chef Philiph adds, “We’re controlling portions to minimise leftovers. Buffets are designed with single-serving portions in mind. We also conduct weekly zero-waste or no-bin days across various Taj Hotels to promote mindful consumption, especially in staff dining areas.”

At Taj Hotels, under the Indian Hotels Company Limited’s (IHCL) sustainability initiative Paathya, efforts are also underway to achieve EarthCheck certification for all properties by 2030.