Category: 365 Days
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Bael fruit
Bael fruit, also known as wood apple, is a traditional Indian tree, especially found in Shiva temples; all parts of the tree can be used, fruits, bark, leaves, flower, and root. It has a rich profile of nutrients and a wide spectrum of medicinal values, Vitamins B1 and B2, phytochemicals, and essential amino acids. The…
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Pumpkin sabji
Pumpkin is an all-season vegetable that can be kept in the storeroom for a while. It can be used in many ways, from soups to curries, sweets to powder! A really simple way to use it is to cut it into cubes without removing the skin; the skin is both nutritious and tasty, then sautee…
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Sambhar
Sambhar is the most generic of all Tamil dishes. Its basically, a dal curry cooked with vegetables and tamarind. At solitude, as we have so much sundakai and banana stem, we always add them along with the traditional ingredients of drumstick and green mango. Sambhar can have so many variations of taste depending on the…
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Banana stem prep
The banana pith, also known as banana stem, is a vegetable obtained from the inner core of the banana tree. It is a fiber-rich food that supports weight loss and provides a plentiful supply of potassium and vitamin B6, essential for hemoglobin and insulin production. While it boasts a high fiber content, proper preparation is…
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Food Forest
Many people often ask me, “What is a food forest?” and “How does one create a food forest?” Starting a food forest is a wonderful journey, and I am fortunate to showcase an authentic example at Auroville’s Solitude Farm. This food forest is a magnificent display of plants growing together in harmony, each choosing its…
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Mango pachadi
To value local foods effectively, one must have different recipes for the produce at different stages (i.e., the same plant produces a vegetable and a fruit). Mango is quite versatile; it can be eaten raw in a salad, made into pickles, and cooked in sambar. Another wonderful way to use it is to make it…
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Amla Ice Cream
Despite the fact that amla has the highest vitamin C content of all the fruits, unlike the local Tamilians, who love to eat it raw, my kids included! Myself as a British-born, grown up with apples and pears find it too tart. There are many ways other ways to enjoy this fruit, one of them…
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Mango Pickle
In the summer season, when unripe mangoes are falling from the trees, it is our duty to pick them up and use them!!! It’s harvesting time!! Let’s leave aside the actual pickles for a moment and just look at what making pickles means on a social level. People come together, cooperating on a collective task…
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Microclimates in a food forest
After many years of creating a food forest with a huge diversity of plants and trees, we discovered that there were many microclimates. In the shade, where this drop in temperature can be found, only certain plants will grow; one of them, we discovered, is Cacao. It was with skepticism that I agreed to try…
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Passion fruit
How do we get from this to this? First, remove the seeds and wash them. Usually, the seeds are dried and then planted in good potting compost. The little plants grow from this into big plants Then these are planted with a tree on which they can grow up. A neem tree is ideal.…