All posts filed under: FOOD

Naga Food, Nagaland – NorthEast of India

Top Five Cafes And Spots You Need To Visit In Kohima, Nagaland this December During Hornbill Festival 2018

Published by Shanmi

Kohima is the hilly capital city of India’s northeastern state of Nagaland. It is an ideal place to have a memorable and peaceful vacation. While summer here is tropical, winter is dry and bitterly cold. So, we suggest you to prepare with thick and warm clothes when you visit Kohima next month during the much awaited Hornbill Festival 2018. Today, we are happy to guide you to some of the top places to visit this December. How to reach Kohima : NST run buses from Dimapur to Kohima and the 75 km long road journey takes around 4 hours. Taxis are also available in the taxi stand beside the Dimapur Railway Station. Dimapur is well connected to the rest of India by rail, bus and air services. Top Five ‘CAFES’ To Visit in Kohima : 1. Cafe “Sorshia & Co.” Sorshia & Co. is located at Belho Complex, P.R.HILL Kohima. It is a cosy space that welcomes you with love and genuine hospitality that makes you feel like it’s home. Some specials from their menu include the stir-fried …

#RECIPE | Manipuri Dish – Spicy Fermented Pork with Escargot (Tharoi) .

Published by Shanmi

Pork is the go-to meat in most parts of Northeast India. Whether smoked, fermented, or cooked fresh, it consistently delivers exceptional flavor. Alongside pork, another local delicacy is the snail, also known as escargot or ‘Tharoi’ in Manipuri. Today, our contributor Thanyo Lungleng, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur, shares her home recipe for Tharoi—a spicy preparation featuring escargot cooked with fermented pork. Talk about a star dish! “One traditional tip my mother always shared was to add chili powder and ginger paste at the beginning of cooking, and then incorporate the garlic paste just before turning off the heat. This method truly enhances the flavor and aroma of the dish.” — Thanyo Lungleng Spicy Fermented Pork and Escargot by Thanyo Lungleng Ingredients : A big piece of homemade fermented pork Escargot (Tharoi in Manipuri) Wild/long cilantro Ginger ground to a paste Garlic ground to a paste Chili powder (from Sirarakhong village, Ukhrul district) Salt to taste. Ingredients (L-R): Escargot, fermented pork, ginger, garlic, long cilantro, chili powder and salt. Directions to cook : Add the …

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A Chat With Mahelal Pukhrambam, Owner of Cafe “Steamin Mug” in Imphal – Famous for Its Cosy Space and Perfect Coffee

Published by Shanmi

Cafes and restaurants are gradually sprouting up in almost every corner of Imphal city in Manipur. Besides the menu, it’s also the little creative touches that the owners put into the space to make the ambiance attractive to customers. As is rightly said, “a cozy cafe is pretty much an ultimate happy place”, cafe Steamin Mug in Imphal radiates a super comfy and friendly vibe. It’s the perfect place to dissapear for a couple of hours for a well deserved coffee break, away from the busy or the mundane everyday life. Today, we chat with the owner of Cafe “Steamin Mug” Mahelal Pukhrambam, who is an enthusiastic chef, curious traveler and a football fanatic from Manipur. Read on to know more about him, his life and his cafe. Hello Mahelal! Tell us a little about yourself. Hello R&L! My name is Mahelal Pukhrambam from Manipur and I am the owner of “Steamin Mug” cafe. I am currently residing in Imphal but I have spent most of my adolescent age in Delhi. I am an enthusiastic chef, curious traveler, …

Meet Pito Kiba, A Hard-Working And Passionate Baker From Nagaland And His Advice On Following Your Dreams

Published by Shanmi

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it”. -Buddha We first met Pito Kiba, 2 years ago in 2016. He shared with R&L all about the series of phases he went through in his life while discovering his dreams. Being confident and sure about his career and skills as a professional baker has brought him to where he is today. Pito has come a long way since our first chat and doing what he loves only makes him work harder and better. Let’s find out about everything he’s been up to ever since our last meeting. 28-year-old Pito Kiba from Dimapur, Nagaland is a passionate home baker who runs his own baking business under the name, “That Baker Kiba”. Hi Pito! It’s a pleasure to have you back with us after two good years! Tell us what you have been up to since our last chat. Hello R&L, thank you for having me back again. Since we last spoke, over the past few years, I have been able to cater …

#RECIPE | Potato Lovers Will Love This Popular South Indian Dish – “Aloo 65”

Published by Shanmi

It is said that there are more than 4000 varieties of potatoes in the world, and is the fifth most important crop worldwide. Numbers and facts aside, how many of us here are potato lovers? Don’t we agree that most meals would be incomplete in the absence of potatoes? Irrespective of which culture we come from, potatoes are an important ingredient in most kitchens. Today, we have a popular South Indian dish – Aloo 65 – contributed by Abhishek from Nepal. It is inspired by the world-famous Chicken 65, a spicy deep-fried chicken dish. Abhishek uses potatoes instead of chicken so that his vegetarian friends can also enjoy the yummy spices and crispy texture. Let’s find out how to prepare this dish! Aloo 65 is the vegetarian version of the world-famous South Indian dish, Chicken 65. It’s crunchy, spicy, and deep fried so it’s bound to be ever so comforting at any time of the day, as a quick mid-day snack or as a side dish to a homemade thali. Ingredients : 5-6 potatoes, boiled and …

A Chat with Rashingam Ngoruh, Wedding Photographer And Owner of “Cafe Timber” Imphal

Published by Shanmi

With Northeast India fast becoming a traveler’s hotspot, leisure and business activities in the region are picking up visibly. Especially with the young enterprising folks leading from the front, there is certainly much more excitement, creativity and noise – which is definitely a good thing! Amongst these new age activities, eating out is fast becoming a favorite past time, which is a drastic change from earlier days, where meeting with friends was usually limited to the house or the neighborhood. Imphal, the capital city of Manipur has seen a host of interesting food ventures with an aim to introduce global cuisines to the local folks, and authentic traditional fare to travelers from outside. Add to that, the creative minds of the young local entrepreneurs – and the ever demanding consumers, the cafe and restaurant ecosystem is fast becoming as interesting as is competitive. Today we chat with a young food entrepreneur cum photographer, who runs a cafe called “Timber Cafe” in Imphal, which is known for their simple and tasteful interiors and food. Today we chat …

Recipe of the Famous ‘Black Rice Kheer’ from Manipur

Published by Shanmi

Sticky rice is enjoyed in many forms in the northeastern region – often as an afternoon or evening snack. You can make sticky rice roti and enjoy it with a hot cup of tea, or simply add your favorite chutney to some pressure-cooked rice and relish it. Today’s recipe is an interesting sweet dish – ‘Sticky rice kheer or pudding’ that is very popular in Manipur. Locals love to make this at home especially during the winter and rainy seasons. Recipe below! Manipuri Sticky Rice Kheer Ingredients : A bowl of sticky rice – both black and white in equal proportion A glass of milk Two tablespoons of sugar Dry coconuts and almond Cardamom – 2-4 pieces Bayleaf Mixture of black and white sticky rice. Flavoring ingredients (Clockwise from Left): Dry coconut, Cardamom Bayleaf and Almonds Directions to Cook: Saute the dry coconut, bay leaf, and cardamons with two tbsps of butter in a cooker (where the kheer is going to be made) Wash the sticky rice (2-3 times) and put the rice into the cooker …

Roots & Leisure Team Tours Wokha District in Nagaland to Cover “Tokhü Emong” Festival and Welcome The Famous Migratory Birds Amur Falcons

Published by Shanmi

“Tokhü Emong” is a post-harvest festival which is celebrated by the Lotha tribes in Nagaland. This year, the founders of Roots and Leisure will be traveling to Wokha district (home of the Lotha tribes) in Nagaland. We will be experiencing the festival first-hand and will take all our readers along for the ride – Tune in for LIVE video coverage from the tour and the festival on our Instagram page. This year, the festival starts from the 5th of November and goes on till the 7th of November at Wokha, Nagaland. It will host various local indigenous fun games like fire making, traditional karting, yodelling and more – with local Naga bands like De Band, Tune Up Channel from Mokokchung and more performing at the evening function. Banner set up for Tokhü Emong Festival in Wokha, Nagaland. | Photo by wethenagas Tune Up Channel, rock band from Mokokchung will be playing at Tokhü Emong Festival | Photo taken from Indihut Another exciting thing about this tour is the “Amur Falcon Festival” which will be happening this week from …

#Recipe | Quick and Easy Way To Make Manipur’s Favourite Salad Dish “Shingju”

Published by Shanmi

“Shingju” is an all-time favorite salad dish/snack of Manipur. Made with a hearty variety of green vegetables and local spices, it makes for a delicious and healthy accompaniment to your meal, or as a refreshing afternoon or evening snack. Its unique taste is courtesy of the fermented fish which is the main flavor and texture component of this recipe. and of course, king chili, perilla seeds (thoiding in Manipuri), and chickpeas powder also adds their special touch. Shanmi from Imphal shares her version of the famous Manipuri “Shingju.” Our mouths are watering just looking at the photos! Let’s find out how we can whip up some in our kitchens right away! Full recipe below Shingju is a Manipuri salad dish made with easy-to-find ingredients from the kitchen garden – comprising of local vegetables and spices, and fermented fish. Today we learn how to make this popular dish from Manipur. Ingredients: Half a cabbage Green leafy vegetables. Here, we have used the chameleon plant and its roots, onion leaves, pea shoots, wild mint, coriander, etc. 1 cup of …

This Creative Soul from Delhi Talks About Her Many Creatives Ventures | Meet Jewelry Maker and Food Stylist, Kirin Vas

Published by Meg Dsouza

A fair amount of passion and hard work goes a long way, and that is exactly what Kirin Vas from New Delhi stands testament to. From setting up her very own jewelry brand Funkanatomy, to being a successful food stylist and having her work featured on some big food brand campaigns, she really is a prime example on how to make a cool living by following your creative outlets. We had a little chat with entrepreneur, jewelry designer, and food stylist, Kirin Vas to know more about how she successfully juggles her super creative freelance life. Read on to know what this true blue Libran has to say. Hi Kirin! Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you’re from and what you’ve been up to? I’m Kirin Vas, 29 years old and based in New Delhi. I’m a food stylist and also run my own jewelry brand Funkanatomy. I grew up in Delhi NCR and launched Funkanatomy when I was 22. I started styling food independently at the age of 24 after assisting one of …