Ugly Food Project aims to bring together enthusiasts of zero-waste cooking

'The thought behind the project is to create a food surplus from cuts of vegetables and meat that are usually thrown away'

Sometime ago in Mumbai-based Prabha Kini’s home, guests seated around her dining table had an off-beat experience to look forward to. Instead of regular idlis, Kini’s menu for the day featured khotto idlis, a Konkani- and Mangalorean-special which are steamed in baskets woven out of jackfruit leaves. Kini had also whipped up dosas using the fleshy white of a watermelon left after the red fruit is scooped away. 

Elsewhere, in Geeta Nair’s home, the white bits of the watermelon had been chopped up to make tutti-fruity; in Kavita Thanky’s kitchen, the fleshy whites were pulped for soup. 

All three women are members