All posts filed under: NAGALAND

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Tiasunep Aier from Nagaland | Chief Designer and Creator of ‘Old Cabin’

Published by Roots & Leisure

Someone recently tweeted that it is almost impossible to balance Creativity and Productivity – that it is hard to optimize for both. That isn’t necessarily true because we know far too many talented artists, who are also the most productive. Most times, they have a regular 9 to 5 job, and after-work hours is when they feed their passion to create beautiful pieces of art. Here’s one such restless soul – Tiasunep from Nagaland, an artist based out of Pune. In a chat with Roots and Leisure, he talks about his brand ‘Old Cabin’ and how comic books introduced him to the world of art. How did it all start? How did you discover this passion of yours? Growing up, comic books opened up a whole new world for me. Away from my real world, they were the only reference I could use for art. Call it fortunate or unfortunate, there were no TV cable operators in our area –  so we just had the inescapable Doordarshan channel. Me and my brother would get so …

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Recipe | Simple Bamboo Shoot Chutney

Published by kesangunuo

Here’s an quick and easy recipe for the popular Bamboo Shoot Chutney in Naga style prepared using just 3 simple  ingredients and almost zero time to prepare. Ingredients : 250 grams of bamboo shoot. 2 tsp of chilly powder. Salt to taste. Directions to cook : Clean the bamboo shoots under running water properly and slice them into small pieces or any other shape/size desired. In a saucepan, add the sliced bamboo shoot, salt and enough water and boil it for ten minutes. Once the bamboo shoots gets cooked properly, heat a small amount of oil in a pan and fry it over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Now, add in chilly powder and mix it thoroughly. Let it fry for another 5 minutes. Tasty bamboo shoot chutney is ready to be eaten with any curry.

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Travelling to Wokha and Staying At The Hammock Resort in Nagaland

Published by Kumti

If you’ve ever imagined a place that befits Thomas Hardy’s book, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’, the Hammock Resort presents you that image with its natural setting! Nestled cozily below the looming mountainous range, capped off by Mt. Tiyi, the resort is an escape from the buzzing beehive of a town, that Wokha is steadily developing into. In the ‘Land of Plenty’, the resort provides an ideal retreat for tourists and locals alike, seeking to connect with nature. Greenery interspersed with rivulets all around, the place is capable of transporting one on a flight of poetry. Besides offering a much greener retreat, the resort offers varied continental cuisines along with the popular ‘bamboo shoot’ dishes that Lotha people are well known for. The place is ideal for romantic getaways as well as family picnics. It also caters to adventure lovers as trekking facilities are available at the resort. The ancient Naga Kitchen definitely adds a traditional essence to the place, keeping up with the culture. Walking into the hotel backyard, we encountered a serene environment …

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Kids Surprising Visitors with Their Beautiful Self-Taught Song | Ungma Village, Nagaland

Published by Pooja Ghose

“Came across these singing kids during a visit to Ungma Village – one of the oldest villages in Nagaland. Four of them are siblings. I was awestruck by their beautiful song – and their strong voices! What they are singing is a song which is unknown to me. These kids learn songs of different dialects and tribes – on their own – as a fun activity. This is one such song they taught themselves.  They are from the Ao tribe, but this song is definitely not in Ao. Wonder which tribe’s song this is. I couldn’t walk away from their unusually beautiful song ; also look at how they sing it so effortlessly! Love their casual demeanor and their confidence!” ~ Toshiwapang O Longkumer (@toshi_soyimboy) A post shared by RootsandLeisure (@rootsandleisure) on Aug 26, 2017 at 12:40am PDT  

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Travel | Exploring Shilloi Lake: Nagaland’s Limpid Legend

Published by Kumti

The mountainous regions of North East India exude a remarkable harmony with its abundant flora and fauna. With picture-perfect scenery that resembles postcards, these regions are home to indigenous tribes and communities, leaving an indelible impression on all who venture there. The magic of this region is that it steers you out of your comfort zone and offers a beauty so raw and untouched that your adventurous spirit feels at home in these hills and valleys. One such destination is the Shilloi Lake in Nagaland. It is the largest natural lake in the State. About 290 km from the capital town of Kohima, Shilloi Lake is located in the Phek district,and takes about 10-12 hours by road (from Kohima). The water body is surrounded by mountains, a captivating skyline, green scapes, and wildflowers – a picturesque postcard image! Perhaps, that is why it is often considered a traveler’s haven. Legend of Shillo Lake Not only is the place a sight to behold but it speaks of an enchanting folktale that any local will be willing …

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Dili Khekho of D’Cafe, Nagaland | Coffee Lover and Biker turned Cafe Owner

Published by Jungshi Imti

Biker and adventure seeker, Dili Khekho is now busy running his own cafe -D’Cafe in Kohima. The coffeephile was trained under the Americans at Bodh Gaya. Having acquired the knowledge about the popular umber beverage, he decided to start a cafe that served the drink while making the customers lounge on bean bags with the crisp aftertaste (finish) of the crema lingering on their tongue. Hi Dili, tell us how a biker who’s travelled around comes to open a cafe – in a place like Kohima? Whenever anyone uses the word, biker, it’s evident that he/she is someone who enjoys moving from one place to another but also finding pit stops for food and drinks. These pit stops are essential to refuel, regenerate and refresh. What better beverage to refuel your mind and body than a dose of caffeine? D’Cafe is more than your refueling point, it is your temporary home. Most customers who visit the cafe, always tell me that the cafe is “A place like home.” And how did it all fall into …

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Recipe | Smoked Pork with Akhuni and Black Sesame Seeds

Published by Elika Awomi

Here is a Naga pork recipe contributed by R&L reader Elika. It’s another super delicious smoked pork recipe – with the aroma of axone and sesame seeds. Easy to cook, but will leave an unforgettable taste for a long time! Smoked pork cooked with Axone (fermented soya beans), and Sesame seeds. Best served with Rice. Ingredients: 1/2 kg Smoked pork (cut into 1″ cubes) 2 tbsps of Black sesame seeds 1 tbsp Axone 4-5 gloves of garlic 1″ Naga ginger 1 tbsp Red chilly powder Salt to taste Directions to cook: Roast the diced smoked pork in it’s own fat till there is enough oil coming out to cook the rest of the ingredients. Add salt, garlic, red chilly powder and cook till the meat is almost ready. In a separate pan, roast black sesame seeds and roughly pound them. Now add the sesame seeds and axone/akhuni (fermented soya beans) to the meat and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with a bit of roughly pounded Naga ginger and serve. Serve hot with steamed/boiled rice. Bon …

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Meet the Owners of Bangkok Cafe Dimapur – a Chat with the Thai Entrepreneurs in Nagaland

Published by Kumti

Meandering through the lovely streets of Nagaland will land you in the most charming cafes. But beautiful interiors and cozy nooks aside, is it just us, or have cafes stopped reinventing their menus of late? Imagine our surprise then when we discovered that ‘Bangkok Cafe’ in Dimapur offers an authentic taste of Thailand – right here in Nagaland! We soon discovered that the cafe owners are from Thailand,  residing in Nagaland. Let’s find out how they landed in Nagaland, and more about what’s on the menu of this famous Thai cafe in Dimapur.   Coming all the way from Thailand, what made you open up a cafe in Nagaland? North eastern Indians are very similar to the Thais in terms of lifestyle and cuisine. Therefore, we intended to expand and share our Thai cultures here in Nagaland and Assam as well. Our next step will be another Bangkok Café & Cuisine in Guwahati, preparations for which are underway. Our first outlet was launched in Dimapur almost four years ago, where we introduced our wedding gown and …

RootsandLeisure_Recipe

Recipe of Galho – Yummy Rice Dish from Nagaland

Published by kesangunuo

In Naga households, no meal is complete without rice, whether it’s lunch or dinner, or any snack in between, like rice roti or the hugely popular ‘Galho.’ Galho is a savory mix of rice, vegetables, and various types of meat, originally created by the Angami Naga tribe and now a beloved local favorite. If you’re interested in trying it out, it’s a simple dish to make, with all the ingredients easily available in any Naga kitchen. So why not give it a go and add a taste of Naga cuisine to your palate? Ingredients: 200 gms Rice 500 gms of smoked Beef/Pork 1 tablespoon of Axone (Fermented Soybean) Chopped pumpkin/squash leaves (or any green leafy vegetable) Ground green chilies (qty according to your preferred heat level) 500 ml water (or more, as required) Salt to taste Directions to Cook : Put water, axone, and ground green chilies into a pot and cook it for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Next, add the smoked beef/pork  (1/2″ cubes) into the pot and cook together for another …