An ex-techie from Pune, Pallavi Patil turned her life around to embrace sustainability. She grows her own food, uses a solar cooker, and lives without a fridge or AC.
Walking away from a six-figure corporate job, Pallavi turned her backyard into a garden. Banana, papaya, pomegranate, brinjal, bottle gourd, tomatoes, turmeric, ginger — each plant a piece of the green life she wanted to build.
Letting go of the fridge felt impossible at first. But she discovered organic fruits and vegetables lasted for days without refrigeration.
Milk could be boiled fresh twice a day, and cooking on demand made meals fresher and tastier.
To save gas and time, she embraced a box-type solar cooker. Mirrors, glass lids, blackened trays — sunlight became her kitchen.
With produce from her garden, she made tomato sauces, gulkand, papaya tutti-frutti, chutneys, and pickles. No chemicals. No preservatives. Pure flavours, grown and cooked at home.
Even peels and husks found purpose. Pomegranate powder became toothpaste and hair care; coconut husks became scrubbing brushes.
Her younger daughter created a homemade tooth powder formula. Sold locally in steel containers, it inspired neighbours to rethink waste.
Pallavi started a YouTube series, 'Cooking Under the Sun', sharing solar-cooked recipes, DIY cleaners, and Ayurvedic soaps. One video alone inspired over 21,000 viewers.