Month: January 2021

Rootsandleisure_Keny Metha

Keny Metha from Kohima Talks About Her Obsession with Food and Cooking – and How to Turn Simple Toast into a Yummy Snack

I am here today with Keny Metha from Kohima – a self-confessed lover of all things food and cooking. Her creative hobbies serve as a treasure trove for her friends and followers – to discover new cuisines, cooking styles, and plenty of other creative arts. To me, she comes across as this mysterious being, who is always up to something – usually ‘cooking up’ a new concept/idea. Add to that, her calm energy, one cannot help, but be inspired, whenever we are around her. Over a chat, I try to dig deeper into her love for food and cooking, her sources of inspiration, what kind of music gets her creative juices going – and also get her to share a simple recipe that we can all try out. Read on for the full conversation. Deno: Hey Keny, happy to be having this conversation with you on R&L ๐Ÿ™‚ Please introduce yourself, and tell us more about what keeps you occupied these days. Keny: Heyy… Keny here everyone : ) I’m 24, and I stay in …

Rootsandleisure_Recipe_yongchak1

Recipe of Manipur’s Popular Salad ‘Yongchak Singju’ made with Stink Beans

Today, I invited Khevito Elvis Lee also known as โ€˜The Tribal Chefโ€™ (on Instagram) to teach me how to make my favorite Yongchak Singju. I am an ardent admirer and follower of his work – especially his food posts. He lives up to his name as โ€˜The Tribal Chefโ€™ by regularly sharing a range of local dishes from Northeast India. Khevito is also the owner of the Hornbill Restaurant in Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi, which has been serving mouth-watering local dishes to Northeastern folks there – and most importantly, introducing our region’s cuisine to non-locals in the city. Coming back to the recipe, Yongchak Singju is a local’s favorite – especially in Nagaland and Manipur. It is made of Yongchak (monkey beans) which is a popular local ingredient, often used in making authentic Manipuri specialties like Eromba and Singju. It is a long twisting bean that is a member of the pea or beans family. Yongchak beans have an unusual smell and are crisp, soft, and tender with a rich and pungent flavor. Now, let’s learn …

“Every Timeย I Finish a Book, I want to Take it Apart and Discuss with Fellow Book Lovers” ~ Sulika Swu, on Why She Started Her Bookstagram Account

I have a passion for traveling and meeting new people. I find it immensely gratifying to venture out in the open and explore. Similarly, I have a bunch of friends, who have their own ways of finding adventure in their stack of books. Just like I would come back with stories from my travels, they would passionately share tales from their latest read. Always makes for a lovely conversation! So today, I am here with a booklover friend of mine – Sulika Swu from Kohima. She has an insatiable appetite for books – all kinds, and personally, I find her reading list very interesting. However, her well-written reviews are the real deal. For a casual reader like me, her curated reading list – each with a personal review is super insightful. Infact, I enjoy the experience of going through her reviews just as much as I would enjoy a book. On that note, Sulika recently launched an Instagram account to share her personal reviews on all the books she’s read. Stay on with me and …

Albert Seluokuolie Rutsa_profile

Young Photographer Albert Rutsa from Nagaland Inspires Us to Take a Cue from Storytellers of Yore to Tell New Stories

Albert is from Kohima Village and his pictures depict so much about our Naga way of life. Going through his pictures is a beautiful reminder about our Naga identity and about our simple lifestyle and practices. I chat with Albert, an old friend, about his love for Naga culture, how he started his visual storytelling hobby, and some more. Deno: Hi Albert, nice catching up again ๐Ÿ™‚ Please introduce yourself to R&L readers. Albert: Hi, Iโ€™m Albert Seluokuolie Rutsa. I was born and brought up in Kohima Village, where I have spent the better part of my life. I am a photography and videography enthusiast, and Iโ€™m currently engaged with Stillfilms Production Kohima. Growing up I have always been fascinated by the stories and folktales my parents and elders would share, my imagination would run wild and I would constantly picture the stories in my mind. It instilled in me, a love for our culture and a desire to preserve it. Deno: How would your friends describe you? I canโ€™t read their minds but Iโ€™d …

rootsandlesiure-recipe-chocolate cake

A Very Basic and Simple Chocolate Cake Recipe by Eyingbeni from Nagaland

We recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with our old school friend, Eyingbeni, who now resides in Ireland. We had a lovely conversation discussing her experiences in a foreign land, her thrilling travel adventures, and her delightful homemade dishes. You can find the full chat [Here]. She also generously shared her beloved chocolate cake recipe named ‘Mr. Theolove,’ inspired by her adorable pet. Trust us, this recipe is a must-try! Give it a go and enjoy the deliciousness! “I am sharing a simple chocolate cake recipe which is very basic and easy to make… I have named this cake Mr Theolove๐Ÿ˜Š. Hoping that you will give it a try and welcome the New Year sharing a freshly home-baked cake with your loved ones.” ~ Eying Ingredients: Self-rising flour (substitute with normal flour):ย  200g Unsalted Butter (substitute with normal butter): 200g softened Caster sugar (brown sugar optional):200g 4 large eggs 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1tsp baking powder ยฝ tsp vanilla extract 2tbs milk ยฝ tsp nutmeg powder (optional) ยฝ tsp cinnamon powder (optional) Directions to make: …

Rootsandleisure_foodnotic_eyinbeni Ireland

We Chat with an Old Schoolfriend from Nagaland – Eyingbeni, to Get a Glimpse ofHer Life and Work in Ireland

Ah, 2020, it was quite a year, wasn’t it? In its own peculiar way, it provided a much-needed pause for many of us. It gave us the precious opportunity to reconnect with ourselves, rediscover our hobbies and passions, and even reconnect with old friends. Speaking of which, one fine evening, we had the pleasure of catching up with an old friend from school, Eyingbeni, who now resides in Ireland. She’s someone who has traversed the globe through her work, and we’ve always been fascinated by her laid-back yet fulfilling life. We decided to have a chat with her to delve deeper into her experiences in a foreign land, her exciting travel adventures, and of course, her amazing food account @foodnotic, where she occasionally treats us to her delightful homemade creations. Hello Eying, so nice to be finally having this chat. Please introduce yourself to our readers ๐Ÿ™‚ Eying: Hi everybody, itโ€™s a pleasure to e-meet you and I hope you have all been keeping well. What an incredible year 2020 was. What a year it …