My Pantry Essentials: How an Ayurvedic Chef Makes Cooking Easier (and More Thoughtful)

We discovered British Ayurvedic chef Radhi Devlukia on Instagram: With her video recipes for iced
tahini matcha lattes, charred turmeric fennel, and Japanese squash burgers (many set to music with TikTok-inspired
dance breaks), Devlukia makes cooking look spirited, fun, and very delicious. There’s a secret to it, she says: Be
present.

Now living in LA with her husband, Devlukia regularly creates plant-based Ayurvedic-inspired recipes
for many platforms, including her website, and she designs the menu at the vegan restaurant OmNom in London. Her mindset took years to cultivate, she says: “I was always intrigued with
cooking and loved eating, obviously,” she says. “I grew up in an Indian household in London—my mum and my grandma
have always been such incredible cooks—so whether it was a festival or a birthday, food was the center of
everything. Though I grew quite overweight when I was younger, I eventually got to a place where I wanted to be
healthier. I knew there must be a way that food could heal my body, where I didn’t have to cut things out or deprive
myself of anything.”

Devlukia studied nutrition in college, then, around seven years ago, she began focusing on Ayurveda.
“It was just incredible to learn how certain foods react so differently in different bodies,” she says. Devlukia
received her Ayurvedic health counselor degree last year. “I fell in love with the concept that every single thing
we do—from eating to cooking to how we prepare our vegetables—can affect our digestion, sometimes even more than
what we’re eating,” she says. “It’s the intention we eat with that’s important: If you’re distracted while you’re
eating or talking a lot or having negative thoughts, all of that can affect your digestion. So I make sure to infuse
mindful energy into the food. It’s nourishing to have that mindset while I’m cooking.” Having all the right tools on
hand makes space for that mindfulness, Devlukia says—here are her favorites.