Prayagraj biryani, rated second-best in India after your grandmother's is an integral component of one's daily diet in the holy city. This traditional delicacy of India is a complex dish of wholesome delicious and flavoursome goodness. Biryani is still prepared in the age-old method of slow cooking with almost all the ingredients procured locally. It... Continue Reading →
Bamboo is an economically viable grass with every part namely culm, rhizome, root, leaves and young shoots used for culinary, medicinal, domestic and industrial purposes. In Tripura especially, 21 known species of bamboo are grown in over 3,500 sq. km area of forests and planned forestry. The current state and central government have done... Continue Reading →
A hugely popular street food of Prayagraj and pretty much the whole of North India is the deliciously creamy dahi bhalla. Also known as dahi pakodi or dahi vada or dahi gujiya, this vada made from urad dal makes its appearance in almost all festivals and celebrations. It is perhaps the excellent quality milk and curd of Prayagraj... Continue Reading →
Papaya, a deva phala (divine fruit) is valued for its immense medical, industrial and nutritional properties. Rich in Vitamin A, papaya is highly recommended to improve one's immunity, nervous system, digestion and overall body constitution. In recent years, papaya seeds, leaves and fruit have been used to treat dengue and other ailments found in the tropical region.... Continue Reading →
A droolworthy Prayagraj delicacy that is commonly had as breakfast is dahi jalebi! Yes, dahi jalebi in Prayagraj is more of a breakfast item than a dessert or a snack and is relished by locals and visitors. Interestingly, dahi jalebi, jalebi rabri, imarti rabri, imarti dahi and plain jalebi or plain imarti are hugely popular breakfast items not only in Prayagraj but... Continue Reading →
Palamu district is fast becoming one of the most exciting case studies for self-sufficient farming, crop diversification, watershed development, intensive cropping based on fruit crop, micro irrigation and traditional practices using latest scientific technology in India. The lateritic soil, warm summers with cool winters and average annual rainfall of about 1200 mm seen in Palamu is... Continue Reading →
Prayagraj has an enviable reputation of serving up the best gulab jamun (known here as dehati ke rasgulle) and samosa in the world. Both Banaras and Prayagraj prepare some of the most delicious sweets and namkeen using pure desi ghee that truly enhances its taste. Age-old methods and secret recipes handed down from generation to generation have... Continue Reading →
Devotees throng the holy city of Deogarh for two reasons namely to have darshan of Lord Bholenath at Baba Baidyanath Mandir and to sample their world-famous prasad, the delectable peda. The temple of Baba Baidyanath, a Jyotirlinga is said to have been built by the Pala Empire (Pala Dynasty of Orissa) and the tradition of offering peda to Lord Shiva... Continue Reading →
A truly finger-licking dish of Uttar Pradesh is the iconic Prayagraj dum aloo that is served at breakfast with crispy samosas, paratha, khasta or rice. Dum aloo is a flavoursome curry made with whole baby potatoes (aloo means potato in Hindi). There are typically two ways to make this quick dish. First, the baby potatoes are cooked, peeled carefully... Continue Reading →
One of the most sought-after mangoes grown extensively in Nuzividu in Eluru district in Andhra Pradesh is the sinfully delicious rasalu. Also known as chinna rasalu (small) or cheruku rasalu (sugarcane) or pedda rasalu (big) depending on its size and sweetness, this native mango is perhaps the most popular juice mango of South India. Rasalu is cultivated by... Continue Reading →
Commonly known as a poor man's sweet, the humble petha is one of the most popular and iconic sweets of Uttar Pradesh. Though petha is generally associated with Agra (Agra Petha), the angoori petha of Prayagraj is equally famous and delicious. The residents of Prayagraj have for long been accorded the status of being the biggest food... Continue Reading →
Though Ranchi is better known as an important industrial and infrastructure hub, it is also valued for its agricultural wealth. The hilly topography combined with dense forest cover, moderate temperature in the summers with cool winters and average annual rainfall between 1300 - 1500 mm and laterite soil is ideal for a fruit crop based... Continue Reading →
Uttar Pradesh is a food lover's haven with each and every district and town offering a variety of local delicacies that are simply divine. The quality of food in this state is unbelievably high and everyone you meet will be able to dish out his or her ancestral recipes with utmost ease. The holy... Continue Reading →
The Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, more commonly known as the 'Coal Capital of India' is a land of abundant mineral resources and agricultural wealth. Dhanbad derives its name from dhana meaning wealth (referring to rural prosperity by virtue of its paddy produce and cattle). This region is blessed with the waters of the Damodar and its... Continue Reading →
All gastronomical roads in Prayagraj lead to Dehati Rasgulla in Old Bairhana to sample their delicious dehati ke rasgulle. Dehati ke rasgulle are known as gulab jamuns in the rest of India while the white rasgulla is called chhena here. According to the locals, Baba Ram Sevak Yadav began making and selling his dehati rasgulle in his... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that the exotic chillies of Jharkhand are some of the best in the world and in great demand in USA and several western countries. What makes the chillies cultivated here and especially in Jamtara so spectacular is the unique agro-climatic conditions (hot summers with cool winters and monsoon... Continue Reading →
Thandai, the quintessential summer drink of Banaras makes its appearance on the auspicious occasion of Holi. This drink was first introduced by rich Gujarati and Marwari merchants who settled down in the holy city centuries ago. The thandai prepared by these families on important occasions was made from floral extracts of gulab (rose), ruh bela... Continue Reading →
Jackfruit like the coconut, banana, banyan, fig, peepul and mango is placed in the elite list of kalpa vriksha (wonder trees) of India. This deva phal (divine fruit or fruit of the heavens) forms an integral part in the local cuisine, festivals, religious celebrations and ecosystem. India is the world’s largest producer of jackfruit with... Continue Reading →
Though lassi is a fairly common native drink available in almost every part of India, the Banarasi lassi is in a class of its own owing to the ingenuity of the residents. This world-famous lassi is extremely popular not only with the locals but also people visiting from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand. Interestingly, this lassi is... Continue Reading →
West Singhbum is an archaeological, geological and historical treasure trove. This region is rich in mineral resources like iron ore and limestone, blessed with the waters of the rivers Roro, Son, Barakar, Koel, Auranga, Bansloi, Kharkai, Gumani and Baitarani, full of dense forests with a wide range of flora and fauna, has warm and humid... Continue Reading →
Banaras, a gastronomical haven offers a staggering variety of scrumptious sweets like malaiyo, jalebi, gulab jamun, rabdi and others but launglata is undisputedly the choicest sweet of this holy city. Believed to be derived from the Bengali lobongo latika, this sweet is said to have made an appearance in Banaras more than 500 years ago. Also known as lavanga... Continue Reading →
One of the most interesting and rarest tubers found in the dense forest cover of Baba Budan Giri, Malnad, Yelagiri, Kollimalai and parts of the Western Ghats is bhoomi chakra gedde or bhoomi sakkaravalli kizhangu. For some reason, its botanical name and from where and how this root is extracted and sourced is shrouded in mystery.... Continue Reading →
An authentic preparation of Bihar called litti chokha made its appearance in eastern Uttar Pradesh and specifically Varanasi a few decades ago. This scrumptious dish took on a new avatar in the holy city and was coined baati chokha. Baati chokha is essentially a harmonious combination of baati (wheat balls stuffed with sattu roasted over charcoal) and chokha (curry... Continue Reading →
The Similipal biosphere reserve in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district is renowned for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. This thickly forested area is blessed with many rare medicinal plants, trees, orchids, wildlife and honey. It is estimated that over 70 percent of the population of Mayurbhanj are semi-nomadic tribes who have a deep connection with... Continue Reading →
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