Food
Sip on hot kahwa inside world’s largest igloo cafe in Kashmir’s Gulmarg
Literally India’s coolest tourist spot, Gulmarg offers visitors a warm cup of kahwa in a cafe where almost everything is made of packed snow.
Get a taste of Meerut’s sweetest gur
A little beyond the Uttar Pradesh city of Meerut is a village called Dabathwa where you will find acres of sugarcane and many women entrepreneurs who make and sell pure ghee and gur using traditional recipes. In this video, we cover the story of one such woman entrepreneur - a feisty Jogindra Devi who single-handedly runs her deceased husband’s gur business in a patrilineal Uttar Pradesh.
Bhapa pitha: The Bengali rural delicacy for winter mornings
The soft, sweet and savoury bhapa pitha is a favourite breakfast item for West Bengali villagers -- especially on the cold mornings – but the delicacy is losing steam because of rising material costs.
Kashmiri harissa: From posh grub to comfort food
Once a winter comfort food afforded only by the rich in downtown Srinagar, the minced-meat dish of harissa is now warming the hearts of people living in far-flung and high-altitude villages, thanks to online orders and delivery.
Photo essay: When millets go mainstream to bring a revolution
Once known as poor man’s food, millets are being recognised for their nutrition and climate resilience. In Odisha, tribal women self-help groups are leading a revolution through their millet-based food enterprises.
A café in Dantewada resuscitates life in a conflict zone
In southern Chhattisgarh, which mostly hits headlines for Naxalite violence, a restaurant serving fresh, locally-sourced food, good music and a convivial atmosphere is making a difference in people’s lives.
The ‘faere’ tale of Kashmir’s smoked fish dish
Faere is Kashmir’s smoked fish – most loved in the cold months – that’s gone from a survival dish, when fresh food was hard to get, to a Kashmiri comfort food to a gourmet dish for foodies.
Be in the pink this winter with Kashmiri noon chai
A symbol of Kashmir’s culture – salty, heavy noon chai – is brewed in evaporated milk and served hot at tea stalls and homes alike.
New survey shows processed snack foods lure rural Indians
A new survey by the Development Intelligence Unit shows that obesity is a rapidly evolving problem, especially in rural India, and needs to be addressed through policies and awareness campaigns
Scenic Bastar’s instagrammable art cafe
Situated in Jagdalpur, Bastar, this art cafe is famous for its delicious regional cuisine such as chillla (made of rice), tribal wall-art, and gorgeous sunset visible from its terrace.
Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink” – phatxingu
People in Ladakh’s Kargil region believe phatxingu, a beverage made from apricots, is not just a drink that gives them a healthy, long life but is a “cure-all” for health problems too.
Got apricots? Make Kargil’s xsamik chutney
Made from the kernels of sweet apricots, xsamik is Kargil’s little-known apricot chutney - eaten on its own or with any dish - the making of which sends neighbourhoods into a festive spirit.
Lip-smacking tribal cuisines help women make a living
A tribal festival in Jharkhand popularises authentic tribal cuisine, ensuring traditional recipes are preserved and helping tribal women explore opportunities to make money serving their unique fare.
Tangy food craze – appemidi mango pickles
A must-have condiment of coastal Karnataka - pickles made from small but fragrant appemidi mangoes are so popular and in high demand now that more farmers are growing the hardy mangoes.
Tea Tales – India’s ever evolving chai culture
As we observed International Tea Day on May 21, to peek into the vibrant history of chai and chai tapris in India, Village Square spoke to Arup K Chatterjee, professor of English at OP Jindal Global University. He is the author of widely acclaimed books including, The Purveyors of Destiny: A Cultural Biography of the Indian Railways and The Great Indian Railways.
Celebrating India’s favorite beverage – chai
For India, chai is more than just a beverage. Chai and the chai tapris (tea stalls) evoke a bundle of emotions. For this International Tea Day, we are taking you on a chai-tapri tour. To the familiar transparent chai-glasses, aluminum kettles, and the smell of ginger, elaichi, and brewing tea leaves. We bring to you, from tea gardens to the vibrant chai tapris which are also spaces for wonderful conversations.
Common kitchens – what’s cooking in Kerala?
Work and other commitments vying for time, one cannot spare time to cook. What started out of necessity for two couples is making "common kitchens' spring up across Kerala.
Azolla “water weed” becomes cattle superfood
With the cost of maintaining livestock a constant burden for most poor farmers, azolla goes from being a pesky water weed to a sustainable and cost-effective superfood for cattle.
Sun-dried vegetables find “flavour” in Kashmiri kitchens
Sun-drying summer vegetables, an ancient Kashmiri practice to make up for lack of fresh produce in the harsh winters, are still in demand thanks to their distinct flavour and the increasingly early onset of winters.
Palakkad’s priestly community encash culinary tradition
Priests from Tamil Nadu, who migrated to Kerala for temple duties centuries ago, have put their culinary skills to good use, augmenting household incomes and the local economy