All posts filed under: FOOD

Naga Food, Nagaland – NorthEast of India

Rootsandleisure_Thaifriedrice

Recipe | Thai Fried Rice with Fermented Fish ‘Pla Som’

  Today’s recipe is an interesting fried rice dish contributed by Utchi – owner of the popular cafe ‘Little Sunshine’ in Bangkok, which is known for its delectable healthy homemade dishes.  Utchi’s version of the popular fried rice is made using ‘Pla Som’ fermented carp fish – a star ingredient according to Utchi “Fermented fish is one of my favorite ingredients. Besides the probiotics found in fermented food, it’s also bursting with flavors, especially in this fried rice.” Let’s start cooking! Ingredients: 2 fillets of  ‘Pla Som’ – Thai stinky fish, fermented with salt and glutinous rice. (You can add more as per your preference) 2 cups of cooked rice 1/2 teaspoon of chopped ginger 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies Oil for frying Salt and Pepper as per the taste 1-2 eggs 1-2 teaspoons of fish sauce Mixed green vegetables (used here, local veg from Chiang Mai called Chiang da veggie) Chopped scallions (optional) coriander for garnish 1-2 squeeze of lemon ‘Pla Som’ – Thai Fermented Fish | Source : mgronline …

Rootsandleisure_Garlic cheese bread

Learn How to Bake Garlic Cheese Star Bread from Our Taiwanese Friend Tzu-Han Hsu

Today we have our Taiwanese friend Tzu-Han Hsu share one of her recent favorite bread recipe. She loves cooking and baking and is currently working as a part-time cake decorator at a local grocery store in San Jose, CA. In the near future, she aspires to become a full-time English teaching assistant in Japan.  Learn how to make Korean Garlic Cheese Star Bread as Tzu-Han Hsu patiently takes us through each step. Ingredients : Dough: 150 g warm milk (105°-115°F/40°- 46°C) 20 gms sugar 3 gms active dry yeast (about 1 leveled tsp) (you don’t have to activate it first if you’re using instant yeast) 200 gms bread flour 100 gms semolina flour (if you don’t have semolina flour, you can sub with whole wheat or just use bread flour) 2 grms salt 1 whole egg, beaten , 25 gms butter 226 gms cream cheese (8 oz pack) 30 gms sugar 40 gms heavy cream (room temp) For the garlic brush: 113 gms butter (1 stick or ½ cup) 50 gms garlic (about ahead) About …

rootsandleisure-bread-pakora

Recipe to Make ‘Bread Pakora’— an Effortless, Delicious, and Filling Snack

It can be exhausting to prepare a whole meal after a long day at work. And with the rise of the ‘work-from-home’ culture, being able to whip up a quick snack that can also serve as a satisfying lunch is an even more remarkable feat. Don’t you agree? Today, we have the pleasure of having Avinash Patnaik from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, who will teach us how to make ‘Bread Pakora’—an effortless, delicious, and filling snack that can be easily prepared using ingredients readily available in your kitchen. Get ready to bring the essence of this popular Indian street food right into your own kitchen, away from the bustling gullies. Avinash Patnaik from Bhubaneswar shares the recipe of his all-time favorite ‘Bread Pakora.’ Ingredients : 4 slices of bread (white or brown, depending on your bread preference) 1 cup besan (Gram flour) 1 pinch Haldi (turmeric Powder) 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon black salt 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped Chopped Coriander Salt  to taste Water, as required to make the batter Refined oil for deep frying …

Rootsandleisure_BreadRecipe_ Sonya

To Bread or Not to Bread? This Easy Bread Recipe by Sonya from Berlin Says a Big Yes!

To bread or not to bread, must have been an imposing question in your head during this quarantine. What’s interesting is the fact that even those who have never baked in their life, are braving this thought as well 🙂 Some say it is an art, some say it is precision science – and for some, it is pure passion. As for most of us, it is a daily stable that we sometimes like to ‘French toast‘ it up! So if you are up for the challenge to figure out the science and the art of bread-making, well, your time is here. Our new friend Sonya – a mom and a passionate baker from Berlin, is here to share a simple bread recipe to get you started. Happy baking! Bread recipe by Sonya from Berlin, a mom and a passionate baker Ingredients for Sonya’s favorite bread recipe: 500 grams flour 20 grams yeast 15 grams of salt  15 grams of sugar 50 ml of vegetable oil 50 ml of milk  250 ml lukewarm water  50 …

Rootsandleisure_Alu Fry Recipe

Here are Some Tips to Spice up Your Favorite ‘Aloo Fry’ Recipe

  A question to the millennial folks out here. Had this pandemic happened during our school days, what do you think you would be missing the most? Friends.. boybands chatter, gossip.. or perhaps our much anticipated tiffin time the most? Remember how we all had our own – or rather, our mom’s /dad’s version of ‘aloo fry’ packed neatly with rice? From mashed to dry fry to mixed curry, our relationship with aloo (potatoes) was a special one. In fact, our tiffins depended on it! The best part is, our love for ‘aloo fry’ has only grown over the years with many of us relying on this robust ingredient to liven up any dull meal. So we did a bit of searching on social media and found some friends from our community who were super happy to share the recipe of their signature aloo fry. Scroll through the recipe, take notes (maybe spin in your own ingredients), and may you find this familiar comfort in every meal 🙂 Alu Fry by Inukali K Zhimomi from …

Rootsandleisure_Meal thalis

Showcasing Unique Food Cultures of all Eight States of North East India and Beyond

What’s on your plate? Or What is India eating today? No celebration is complete without food, and most of the time food itself becomes a celebration. Before you sit and ponder on what to have for dinner/lunch this weekend, here is an eclectic collection of meals from all over India celebrating the very fact that food does, in fact, bring all of us together – and at the same time, highlights the uniqueness of each culture.  Let us start with the 8 states of North East India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura – and then continue exploring some handpicked states from all 4 corners of India. Let us start! TRIPURA: Rice meal with pigeon pea salad mixed with roasted green chili and fermented fish, boiled mustard leaves, chicken with pumpkin curry, boiled eggs, and papad. [Contributed by Hrishikesh Tripura, 22, Agartala Tripura, Student of Human Physiology] NAGALAND: Rice meal with Pork and bamboo shoot, mixed boiled vegetables, mashed potato & dried fish curry/stew and fresh leafy & [Contributed by Kristi Kikon, Homemaker and …

Rootsandleisure_Tanya Abraham

“I found that Food is an Expression of Identities and Histories” – Art Curator and Author Tanya Abraham from Kerala Chats about Her Newly Launched Book ‘Eating with History’

Today, we have with us, a very interesting guest who is here to share some insight into the evolution of the very rich culture and cuisines of Kerala, that emerged as a result of the ancient spice trade in this southern part of the country. Spices still are a huge part of trading activity in Kerala with over three-fourths of spice exports from India sourced from the state. That said, let us say hello to Tanya Abraham from Kochi, an ex-journo, and now a published author, who has just launched her second book  titled ‘Eating With History: Ancient Trade-Influenced Cuisines of Kerala.’ Over a quick chat, we dig into her roots, colorful journey of Kerala cuisine, and of course her book. Hi Tanya, so nice to have you with us! Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Tanya Abraham and I was raised in Fort Kochi, an ancient town in Kerala. I currently live in Kochi. I work as an art curator and am the founder of the non-profit ‘The Art Outreach Society …

Rootsandleisure_Naga pork bamboo shoot

Authentic Recipe of The Popular Naga ‘Pork with Bamboo Shoot’ from Nagaland

Here’s a recipe for a local favorite pork dish from Nagaland submitted by Sentienla (profile at the bottom). Pork with bamboo shoot is a favorite dish in Nagaland, whether it’s a humble meal at home with family or for important celebrations like weddings, tribal festivals, or Christmas. This recipe features pork belly, which adds a special succulent flavor due to the fat content. Let’s get cooking! Ingredients:  Pork belly ( cut into cubes) – 500gm Dry red chilies 13-15 nos Garlic 12-15 cloves 1/2 cup of dry bamboo shoot Water 100-200ml Salt to taste Directions to cook:  Soak the dry red chilies in hot water for 6-10mins. Then take a mortar and pestle, and ground them. Soak the dried bamboo shoot in water (room temperature) for 3-5 mins. Coarsely ground the garlic in a mortar and pestle  Take a deep pot and put the pork belly – cut into pieces, and cook on low flame until the fat from the meat starts coming out. Stir occasionally Now, add the soaked dry bamboo shoot, crushed garlic, …

rootsandleisure_axone_fermentedsoyabean

Recipe | Learn How to Make The Famous Axone (Fermented Soyabean) From Nagaland

[First published on 25th May, 2019] Axone (pronounced ‘Aakhuni’) is a fermented soybean paste with a very strong pungent smell, and it is one of the most popular spices from Nagaland, in the North East of India. It is indigenous to the ‘Sumi’ Naga tribe but is widely used across all Naga dishes. While locals in Nagaland usually buy it from the market, it is also made at home. Axone made by the Sumi tribe is most favored, obviously. Today, we have Inali Jane Ayemi, a passionate cook from Nagaland, to guide us through the entire process of making Axone at home. All we need are soybeans, a pressure cooker, and leaves to wrap them for fermentation. The complete process takes about a week. Let’s get started! Preparing Axone (aakhuni) at home: Wash the soya beans and soak them for about 20-30 mins Cook it in a pressure cooker, then strain it dry Then pound the soyabean to make it into a paste (as shown in the photo) Wrap portions of the pounded soyabean paste …

Rootsandleisure_Paratha and aloo with tea

Recipe of ‘Plain Paratha and Aloo Fry’ with Chai by Khevito Elvis Lee

As the lockdown continues, most of us are in a constant pursuit to pick up on new skills – and cooking is turning out to be quite popular. That being said, it may not be that easy for most of us to master our favorite dishes in such a short period of time. But this is where our evening starts to brighten up. . . Over the last 3-4 years of our short existence (so far), we have been lucky to have met so many passionate and talented and kind folks who have been inspiring us from day 1. Today our friend Khevito Elvis Lee – chef and owner of the popular ‘Hornbill Restaurant’ in Delhi, is here to teach us how to make the yummiest paratha and aloo fry! Yes, we know, it’s one of our favorite dishes in this world! Best part is, it is super easy to make , and the ingredients are easy to find in your kitchen anyday. So without wasting much time, let’s get started! Ingredients for Plain Paratha …