Month: October 2016

RootsandLeisure_Shop

Roots & Leisure Marketplace is Live!

We are super excited about this next step in the Roots & Leisure journey : A Buying and Selling Platform! Today we launch R&L Shop – an online marketplace, where our readers can now buy and sell anything handmade. It all started with a cup of tea with some good ‘ol friends, and it has come to a point where we have a whole community driving the initiative. Ever since the launch of the blog [in the month of March 2016], many stories about entrepreneurs, local artists and people have donned the face of the blog – in addition to stories about various nuggets of culture like food, travel, local art etc. We now bring to you an online marketplace, from where our readers can start buying from artists/entrepreneurs that we have written about. Most importantly, we want this marketplace to act as a source of inspiration for each one of our readers, so that they can also start a hobby soon – and start selling!   What to expect from the shop We currently have some really cool …

Recipe | Dried Yam leaf Gravy

Hello everyone! It’s time for another recipe – and today we are sharing an authentic gravy dish of the Ao Nagas, which goes by the name ‘Mi-ya-sü En-chu’. This dish is generally had with rice as a curry (just like dal). Ingredients 1 cake of dried yam (Anishe: cooked yam stems and leaves, dried in the sun) 4 green chillies 1 large potato – peeled and cut into 4 pieces 1 medium tomato Some dried local spring onions (We call it Khuve in Nagaland) 500 ml of water Salt to taste Preparation Before you start cooking, make sure you soak the yam leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes to soften and clean. Directions to cook: Put all the ingredients in a deep pot. Break the anishe (yam cake) into 2 or 3 pieces with your hands, and add them to the pot. Add water and salt. Cover and let it cook till the ingredients are soft enough to be mashed. Mash the chillies, tomatoes, potato an the anishe with a masher. Put it back to the pot, and add more …

Meet Ankita from Unees Bees | Textile Artist from Gujarat

We are super delighted to feature Ankita from Unees Bees – as our first artist from Gujarat. Unees Bees is an independent clothing label from Vadodara. They make beautiful handcrafted sarees, stoles and clothing using traditional methods like block printing and tie and dye, and combining them with contemporary prints. Here we chat up with the lovely lady to know more about Unees Bees. Hi Ankita! Super delighted to have you here as the first Gujarati artist on R&L. So tell us something about yourself. What was the inspiration behind the launch of the brand ‘Unees Bees’? I was brought up in Vadodara (in Gujarat) and had always been more creatively inclined than Academic. Plus, growing up, my mother would always take me along to fabric shops around the city as she had an appreciation for textiles and garments – and that I picked up my my interest in garment making . When the time came to choose a career, clothing design was a clear choice. So I did my Bachelors in Fashion Design from M.S. University Vadodara, which …

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Catching up with an old Classmate during Navratri

“Alumni Night [at CEPT,Ahmedabad] is something I always look forward to – since it happens during Navratri.Friends from from all over come together to attend this one night of dancing. It’s like you never left. . . . and to be back here again in the same campus – catching with an old friend is just perfect.” “I had a long day but I’ll never be too tired to dress up for the night. It’s like the best thing about Navratri – wearing a chaniya choli! 🙂 Law garden (in Ahmedabad) have an amazing collection of traditional stuffs – especially the jewellery!”

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Meet Keren Longkumer from LOQ | The Sole Whisperer from Nagaland

How many of us are familiar with the concept of the American Dream? This grand aspiration has inspired countless individuals worldwide, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and achieve great success in America. We had the opportunity to meet Keren Longkumer, a courageous young talent hailing from Northeast India, who embodies this spirit. Keren was born in Medziphima, spent some years in Kohima, and completed her education in Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh. Following her academic journey, she embarked on a path to Los Angeles to study shoe design—a decision that would prove to be fateful. In this vibrant city, she crossed paths with another budding artist, Valerie Quant, who shared Keren’s passion for unconventional forms, proportions, materials, and meticulous attention to detail. Today, both Keren and Valerie proudly stand as co-founders of LOQ, an internationally recognized footwear brand with operations spanning four cities and a thriving online presence. With a bold vision to redefine classic designs for modern women, LOQ aims to unveil a new perspective on women’s shoes. Here’s an exclusive interview with Keren Longkumer …

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Recipe | Nagaland’s ‘Axone’ (Akhuni) Chutney

Today’s recipe is a special one that showcases one of the most popular Naga spices – ‘axone’ (pronounced aakhuni). This fermented soybean paste has a very strong and pungent smell that can fill an entire house with its unique aroma. It’s no wonder that young people from Nagaland always carry a packet of axone with them wherever they go, to try and recreate their very own ‘Naga kitchen’ – a home away from home. While the smell of axone may be intense for first-timers, it’s addictive once you get used to the taste. Nagas use this spice in a variety of dishes ranging from chutneys and pickles to various local dishes like smoked pork with axone, nula (snails) with axone, and a host of stew dishes. To get you started, let’s learn how to make the most popular Naga chutney. Get ready to explore the unique flavors of Nagaland! Fresh axone is made by boiling soybeans and draining the excess water. Then wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment for 3-7 days over a …