Hey, I’m Shruthi — recipe developer, first-time mom, recovering perfectionist, and someone who believes food is one of the most powerful ways we show love. I’m also the kind of person who organizes her spice jars by region (and alphabetically — send help).
Like so many others, I started Urban Farmie early 2020. Before that, I was the queen of hosting — especially during my time at Stanford, where I held small group dinners almost every week. Feeding people has always been my way of connecting, grounding, and giving back.
With hosting off the table (literally), I turned to my second love: sharing recipes.
What started as a way to stay connected quickly turned into a full-blown adventure in learning how to actually write recipes others could follow (turns out, “eyeball the spices until it smells right” isn’t universally helpful).
I dove deep into food photography, with reflectors and everything (my toddler thinks the tripod is a jungle gym), into user experience (building heat maps to see how users interacted with the site) and optimizing for search engines without losing the user experience (I could write a whole blog about this).
Dependable recipes, every time.
Every recipe on Urban Farmie is tested at least three times before it ever sees the light of day. Because, in the age of AI-generated recipes that just scrapes the internet for patterns, my readers deserve food that works. And because my husband is a very honest taste tester who doesn’t hold back.
After working and traveling around the world, I now live in Seattle with said husband — a proudly carnivorous Nigerian who considers my vegetarian cooking a personal challenge — and our little foodie-in-training, who’s recently learned the word “no,” especially when it comes to green things. Pray for me.
A few more fun facts about me:
- I’ve lived, worked, and traveled in 65+ countries (and yes, even Antarctica — though I wouldn’t recommend it for the food)
- I’ve never eaten meat or seafood in my life. Not once. Not even a bite.
- I gave a TED Talk while six months pregnant and somehow managed to avoid waddling on stage
- I hold two graduate degrees from Stanford (MS-MBA) and work on complex, global food and agriculture systems issues (aka in my “day job”)
What’s The FUss About?
Vegetarian food is not boring!
No sad salads. No beige plates. Just bold, global, flavorful meals that’ll make even the most dedicated meat-eaters (hi, honey!) ask for seconds.
I believe food is a love language, and everyone should have the chance to experience that — whether it’s through a weekday curry or a holiday feast.
If you were sitting at my table, I’d want you to feel nourished and delighted. And that’s what Urban Farmie is all about.
At home, I cook with my memories. My kitchari recipe always takes me back to childhood — a warm bowl of comfort that somehow fixes everything from jet lag to a bad day.
Thank you for being here. Whether you’re cooking for one, a hungry household, or just trying to mix up your routine, I hope these recipes bring you joy — and maybe a little laugh or two along the way.
Professional Biography
In another life, I’m a management consultant, and have previously worked for the UN, for the World Food Programme, in multiple roles and have dabbled with impact investing in the same space.
Most of my work is primarily focused on food and agricultural systems, with an emphasis on markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. I have published peer reviewed journal articles and co-authored some terrific content on these topics in my day job – something I’m super proud of!
In terms of educational background, I have two graduate degrees from Stanford University (MS-MBA) with a focus on energy and food systems, and hope to continue the good work for a long, long time.
You can read more about my professional work on my LinkedIn Page. However, please do note that any views expressed on this blog are mine alone (and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer).
Media Mentions
I’ve also given a TED Talk. Fun fact: I was ~6 months pregnant here.
I have also given a keynote at Stanford University, focused on the average consumer’s role in the food movement. You can find that here.
