The zero waste cooking guide: with Eeshan Kashyap

The former executive chef and head at Trident in Kochi on how to make the most of vegetable peels, eggshells and bread crumbs

Eeshan Kashyap

Late last month, chef Eeshan Kashyap and The Hindu Weekend ’s wellness columnist, Vasudha Rai, had an in-depth conversation about zero waste cooking. Organised as part of the ongoing #LockdownwithWeekend series on Instagram live, the session also focussed on how our food habits affect the cycle of waste, easy ways to utilise basic waste such as peels and tips for meal planning.

Primary takeaways from the session:

- The first rule of zero waste is FIFO: First In, First Out. This means that whatever goes into the fridge first must be utilised first.

- Don’t throw away coriander roots. Dry them and they can be used to flavour soups, stews, sauces and stocks.

- Leftover bread crumbs must be dried, toasted and pulverised. Kashyap likes to sprinkle them on scrambled eggs to add some crunch.

- Eggshells can be ground and used with dishwashing soap/liquid to clean heavy utensils. In addition, they can be scattered on plant soil to fertilise them.

- Leftover banana peels (preferably fresh) are great to polish leather shoes or silverware.

- Onion peels can be added to stock to enhance its flavour.

- All citrus peels can be turned into bitters for cocktails. Method: macerate peels of two oranges in 200 ml of liquid like vodka.