Beyond The Kitchen

Chef • Rider • Explorer

नमस्ते 🙏

Hi, I'm Dev.

A professional chef, food explorer, and passionate traveler. My journey with food began long before I stepped into a professional kitchen.

Growing up in a traditional Brahmin family, where even onion and garlic were seldom used, I could never have imagined that food would one day become my profession. The journey from that simple vegetarian upbringing to the diverse world of professional kitchens was both unexpected and transformative.

I spent much of my childhood alongside my grandfather, a respected Ayurvedic physician. Watching him prepare traditional remedies and explain the relationship between food, health, and nature gave me my first lessons in nutrition and wellbeing. It was there that I learned a belief that still guides me today:

Food is not just about taste.

Food is nourishment.

Food is medicine.

Food is culture.

My formal journey into hospitality began with Tourism Studies, which introduced me to the worlds of travel, culture, and human experiences. This foundation later led me to professional culinary education at CIHM Chandigarh, where I developed the technical skills and discipline of the hospitality industry.

My curiosity about food extended beyond cooking, leading me to pursue studies in Food & Nutrition and explore the deeper connection between ingredients, health, and wellbeing.

Coming from a science background and later pursuing postgraduate studies in History and Political Science, I gained a broader perspective on food and civilization. History revealed how cultures, trade routes, traditions, and communities shaped what people ate across different eras, while science helped me understand how food influences the human body.

Over time, I came to appreciate that food is both a science and an art—where knowledge, technique, creativity, culture, and emotion come together on a single plate.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working across diverse hospitality environments, learning from different cuisines, leading teams, developing menus, and exploring both Indian and international culinary influences. Yet, I continue to see myself as a lifelong student of food.

But my story extends far beyond the kitchen.

When I'm not cooking, you'll often find me on the open road with my motorcycle, exploring hidden destinations, meeting local communities, and discovering the food stories that define a region's identity. Some of my most valuable lessons have come not from cookbooks, but from conversations with local cooks, street vendors, farmers, and fellow travelers.

I am equally passionate about theatre and the performing arts. Watching artists earn appreciation from a live audience constantly reminds me that chefs are artists too. Every dish tells a story, and every chef hopes to create an experience worthy of appreciation.

I also find great peace in meditation, lifelong learning, and visits to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a place that helps me reconnect with simplicity, gratitude, and balance amidst a fast-moving world.

The Cooking Ride was born from two lifelong passions—food and exploration.

This platform is where recipes meet roads, where nutrition meets tradition, where travel meets culture, and where every experience becomes a story worth sharing.

Whether you are here for recipes, food trails, nutrition insights, travel diaries, hidden gems, or simply a good story, I am grateful to have you along for the journey.

Thank you for being part of this adventure.

Recipes • Roads • Real Stories

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