Author: Roots & Leisure

Valentine’s Day Special Doughnuts Recipe

Published by Roots & Leisure

Ingredients All-purpose flour – 500gms Salt – 10gms Granulated sugar – 60gms Instant dry yeast – 15gms Soft butter – 50gms Egg – 3 nos Milk – 160ml Makes 10-12 doughnuts Preparation In a large bowl, combine lukewarm milk, yeast and sugar. Stir it lightly, and let it sit until the mixture is foamy. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the egg, salt and soft butter. Add flour and the yeast mixture and combine until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the mixer and transfer it to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with cling wrap and let it sit in a warm place until its size doubles. Roll the dough onto a floured surface to a ½ inch thickness. Cut out the dough with the help of a heart-shaped cutter and place it on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper keeping plenty of space between each one. Let it rise in a …

Young Mom from Nagaland is Trending on Instagram with Her Stylish Traditional Looks | A Chat with “Mekhala Mama”

Published by Roots & Leisure

If you’re following North East Indian fashion on Instagram, chances are you’ve come across “Mekhla Mama” and her super stylish traditional outfits that command attention. At first, we were delighted by her strong sense of individual style. However, as we continued to see her consistently striking looks, our fascination grew and turned to curiosity about the person behind the avatar. We couldn’t help but wonder where she gets her inspiration from, as each style exuded a level of consistency and authenticity that must stem from a personal motivation.  So here we are, chatting up with the lady herself to know all about the person behind the face, and to dig deeper into the message she is trying to convey through her “Mekhala Mama” avatar. R&L: Could you share a bit about yourself and what you do? Mekhala Mama:  My name is Theyie Keditsu and I was born and brought up in Kohima, Nagaland. I currently teach at Kohima College, Department of English. This will be my 12th year of teaching college. I’ve taught in Pfütsero …

RootsandLeisure_StinkyBeansRecipe

Recipe | Stink Beans and Smoked Beef Chutney

Published by Roots & Leisure

Here’s a snack/chutney made of smoked beef and the very popular stink beans aka Yongchak. East to make, but has a memorable unique taste. Try it! Ingredients: 1 thinly sliced Stinky beans (Yongchak) 2 pieces of smoked beef A handful of chameleon roots 4 leaves of sliced Lomba (Elsholtzia griffithii ) 1 small sliced onion A handful of coriander leaves 1 medium-sized sliced king chili 2 Roasted fermented fish 2 cloves of garlic Salt to taste Directions to cook: Mash garlic cloves using a mortar and pestle Add roasted fermented fish and mash Roast the smoked beef and shred it into pieces Mix stink beans, smoked beef, lomba, onion, chili and chameleon roots in a bowl Add the mashed garlic and fermented fish Add salt Mix it well and serve Stink Beans and Smoked Beef Chutney is ready to be served!

RootsandLeisure_FishStew

Recipe | Fish Stew in mustard leaves

Published by Roots & Leisure

Ingredients: 4 pieces of fresh water fish ( Rohu has been used for this recipe) 1 bunch of mustard leaves 1 medium sized tomato 5 green chillies or 1 king chilli 1 inch of ginger 10 cloves of garlic 1/2 cup of bamboo shoot water Salt to taste Direction to cook: Chop the mustard greens roughly . Chop the tomato into 4 pieces . Heat a wok . Add the mustard greens and tomato to it . Cover for a minute . The green leaves and tomato will begin to water, forming a kind of puree . At this point ,add the roughly grinded ginger ,garlic and chopped chillies . Sauté for 5 minutes . Add 1/ 2 cup of water to the wok . Add salt to taste . Close the lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes .  Add the fish pieces and the bamboo shoot water . Stir with a ladle but be cautious so that the fish pieces don’t break. Close the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes …

RootsandLeisure_KidsnTea

Faces | A gossip over a cup of tea

Published by Roots & Leisure

This picture was taken in Teinem Village, Ukhrul. I was there for my friend’s wedding. Just before I left the village I was having tea at the bride’s resident and I saw these two children. They are the nieces of the bride and were sitting by the door having tea and giggling to themselves. I thought it would make a great picture  ~ Kahorpam Horam (@kahorpamhoram)

RootsandLeisure_FoxNutChutney1

Recipe | Fox Nut and Bitter Tomato Chutney

Published by Roots & Leisure

Ingredients: A small bowl of Fox Nut 3 Sliced bitter tomato 2 Roasted fermented fish 1 medium sized sliced King chilli 4 sliced Naga onion 2 garlic cloves Salt to taste A handful of coriander A handful of chameleon roots Direction to cook: Mash garlic gloves using a mortar and pestle Add roasted fermented fish and mash Mix fox nut, bitter tomato, naga garlic, chilli and chameleon roots in a bowl Add the mashed garlic and fermented fish Add salt Mix it well Garnish it with coriander leaves

RootsandLeisure_Recipe_HornetsLarvae

Recipe of Exotic Naga Dish | Pork Cooked with Hornet’s Larvae

Published by Roots & Leisure

  Naga Cuisine is known for it’s bold ingredients and hot spices (yes, we mean Raja Mircha/ Bhut Jolokia) Well today, we have a dish that has both these elements : a local dish made out of Hornet’s larvae, cooked with pork and raja mircha. Pelevotuo Solo, Owner of  “Mom and I” Cafe, Kohima contributes this recipe, which is one of the most popular dishes in his cafe. Full recipe below:   Prep Time: 15 mins; Cook Time: 1 hour Ingredients : 1kg diced pork meat 250 gms of hornet’s larvae 2 Raja marches or 10-12 dry red chillies 1 tbsp. minced ginger 20 gms fresh bamboo shoot Salt to taste Spices Used – Clockwise from Left (Photo below) : Fresh Bamboo Shoot, Ginger and Raja Mircha   Directions to Cook: Cook the pork in 500ml of water and add salt to taste Add the larvae after 20 mins and let it cook for another 15 mins. Rinse the bambooshoot with hot water ( to decrease heavy sourness) Put the bambooshoot and dried chilly together and cook for about …

RootsandLeisure_Tekalong

“We Can Be As Free As We Want To be – Through Our Imagination” | Meet Artist & Illustrator, Tekalong Longkumer

Published by Roots & Leisure

Don’t we all agree that art is such a beautiful medium of reading into the minds of people? All you need to do is spend some time going over an artist’s work, and you can get a good idea about the thoughts and the mood of the creator – spend some more time, and sometimes you can even see a piece of their life story; even the way an onlooker interprets an artwork can be pretty revealing. Given the fact that we are endlessly fascinated by people and their stories, an artist’s portfolio is gold! From the experienced to the newbie, there is an ocean of emotions and stories to be uncovered. We live for such discoveries. So once again, over a weekend catchup over tea, we came across some refreshing artwork on Facebook that somehow brightened our day with it’s pure energy and calmness. We reached out to the artist to know more about him and his art, and it was indeed a refreshing chat. Meet Tekalong Longkumer from Nagaland – a 20 year old …

RootsandLeisure_ShibenShisang

Meet the Sister Duo Founders of Local Fashion Brand “Shipen-Shisang” from Nagaland

Published by Roots & Leisure

Introducing the sister duo from Nagaland who founded ‘Shipen-Shisang,’ a collaborative fashion production house that has taken the local fashion scene by storm. Their entrepreneurial journey started in August 2017 in a small Northeastern Indian town, driven by their admiration for handiwork and the dignity of labor. The sisters’ profound understanding of their brand’s worth identifies a need for simple yet uniquely cool and comforting designs in the Indian fashion market. We chat with the founders of ‘Shipen Shisang’ Tutu (L) and Asang (R) R&L: Hi Tuti & Asang, thanks for chatting with us! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Titu & Asang: We were born and brought up in Dimapur, and our native village is Longsa, located in Nagaland’s Mokokchung district. Our design inspirations stem from observing and interacting with everyday people, which is reflected in our classic yet versatile designs suitable for both daily wear and special occasions. “At Shipen-Shisang, we believe that fashion is a powerful form of self-expression that represents one’s beliefs and identity. Comfort and trends are important, but we also …

Recipe | Wholesome Pumpkin Gravy

Published by Roots & Leisure

Today’s recipe is a wholesome pumpkin gravy which is best eaten with rice. Serve it hot. Ingredients : 250 grams of pumpkin 3 green chillies 2 pieces of fermented fish 1 medium sized tomato A handful of chives Salt to taste. Directions to cook : Dice the pumpkin into small chunks Slice the tomato into 4 pieces In a saucepan, add the pumpkin, chillies(whole), tomato, fermented fish, salt and enough water Boil it for 15 minutes then turn off the heat Mash the pumpkin, chillies, tomato, fermented fish using a pestle Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with chives.