Chef Devinder is the creative force behind Amsterdam City Farm, where she presents progressive Indian cuisine that draws on heritage, memory, and seasonal, vegetable-led cooking. Her earliest memories are rooted in a childhood kitchen in India, where she learned to cook alongside her mother and grandmother, whom she lovingly calls Bibi. These formative experiences instilled in her a respect for ingredients, seasonality, and fire-based techniques, many of which continue to define her culinary approach today.
What are some standout dishes on the menu that best represent the spirit of Amsterdam City Farm?
The menu is always evolving, so it is difficult to point to just a few dishes, but there are some that reflect how we like to cook and think about food. For example, king oyster mushroom, which we char and serve with a smoky tomato, almond, and cashew gravy. The dish is finished with charcoal smoke, adding depth while still keeping the ingredient at the centre.
Another dish is charred aubergine wrapped around slow-cooked mini shiitake, served with apple nectar infused with basil and accompanied by toasted hazelnuts. It is lightly smoked with apple wood, giving it a subtle sweetness without overpowering the dish. A more delicate expression on the menu is a pear velouté, lightly infused with ginger, served alongside potato and yogurt spheres, where the balance comes from gentle flavours rather than intensity.
At certain times of the year, ingredients like morel mushrooms appear on the menu, which we cook over an open flame to bring out their natural, earthy flavour while keeping the preparation simple and focused on the ingredient itself. These dishes represent the spirit of Amsterdam City Farm because they bring together everything that defines our approach: seasonal, vegetable-led cooking, the use of fire and smoke, and a balance between Indian culinary foundations and more contemporary, cross-cultural influences. The focus is always on letting the ingredient lead, while building depth and refinement through technique, without overcomplicating it.
Sustainability is becoming a major conversation in gastronomy. How is your kitchen addressing issues like waste reduction and responsible sourcing?
We don’t approach it as something separate, it comes naturally from how we work. Because we source locally and work with what is available around us, the footprint of what we do remains relatively small. That, combined with the scale we operate on, shapes most of our decisions. We cook for a limited number of guests and follow a tasting menu format, which allows everything to be planned quite precisely. We prepare only what is needed for each service, so there is very little excess to begin with.
There is no large menu or heavy storage involved, which means the kitchen runs in a more controlled and focused way. This way of working also comes from how we developed our ginger beer. It is made in small batches, where we work closely with what we use and try to utilise it as fully as possible. That same thinking has carried into the kitchen. Since we are directly involved in every part of the process, there is a natural awareness of what is being used and how it is being used. For us, it is less about trying to add sustainability as a layer, and more about working in a way where waste is simply not built into the system.
How do you balance creativity and innovation with the simplicity that farm-fresh ingredients demand?
For me, everything begins with the ingredient. The intention is to keep the dish simple so that the main element, whether it is a vegetable or another ingredient, can really come through. At the same time, simplicity does not mean a lack of depth. I build flavour through technique rather than adding too many elements. Methods such as smoking, fermentation, slow cooking, open fire, and tandoor allow me to develop layers of flavour while still keeping the dish focused.
Creativity comes in through how I combine influences and how I approach the ingredient, rather than by making the dish more complex. It is about refining the idea rather than expanding it. The balance comes from knowing when to stop. It is easy to keep adding, but often the dish is stronger when it is simple and allows the ingredient to lead.
As a chef-founder, how different is it to run your own restaurant compared to working within established kitchens?
The journey also began with our ginger beer, which we developed as a small, craft product rooted in a family recipe. That experience of building something from scratch, working closely with the process, and understanding every detail played an important role in shaping how we approached the restaurant. That makes the experience different, because it is not just about running a restaurant, but about building something that reflects who you are and how you think about food.
Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here:
It is also more demanding. There is no clear separation between work and personal life in the same way, but at the same time, there is a different kind of satisfaction in creating something of your own.
For me, it has been about finding a balance between structure and instinct, bringing together my earlier professional experience with the more intuitive, creative side of cooking.
Looking ahead, how do you see Amsterdam City Farm evolving in the coming years?
Amsterdam City Farm, both the tasting room and the ginger beer, has become a shared identity for us. Looking ahead, I would like to continue building on that in a way that feels natural.
Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here:
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