Barnyard Millet or Kudiraivali rice is mainly grown in the hilly areas of Uttaranchal, India. Also popular as Samwat ke Chawal, under ideal climes, it is the fastest developing crop,...

Chana Dal or Split Brown Chickpeas has been this nation’s staple favourite for quite a while now. It is said to be one of the oldest lentils known and cultivated...

Did you know? Masoor dal in its original whole (sabut) grain form is dark brown in colour, but when polished turns a bright pink tint. It is skinned and broken...

Urad Dal is also known as Black Gram. It is oval shaped and once the outer layer is peeled off to reveal a white seed inside, it is then split...

Toor dal, also known as Arhar dal is a ‘must-have’ staple in Indian homes. A go-to dal, this humble pulse translates into comfort food on the plate. Bringing cheers on...

Chickpeas or Kabuli Chana is another Indian favourite dal. The chickpea or kabuli chana is called garbanzo bean, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea and so on. This grain is also called ‘Safed Chana’ as the colour...

Coconut oil has stood out among many oils for its health and beauty benefits in the past few years and still growing in popularity. Be it for skin, hair or...

Peanut plant is a member of the Leguminosae family. The fruits or peanuts grow underground even though the peanut plant blossoms over the ground. This is the reason why peanuts...

The mere mention of olive oil conjures up delicious images of Greek-European cuisine, Mediterranean salad, soup drizzle and an amazing variety of naya zamana dishes. Olive oil has worked hard to...

What gives the popular Bengali dish Chingri Malai Curry its peppy zest? Is it the mustard oil? Yes, you are right!  What about Rui Shorshe? No prizes for guessing, it is our mustard oil!  The mouthwatering Hilsa dishes…? Yes, once again it...

Gingelly oil is a lesser-known oil but is definitely a better substitute to other vegetable oils. In India, it is popular as ‘Til‘ oil or ‘Sesame’ oil. Though extracted from the same...

Ironically, Vanilla which is a sublime expression for plain and boring is the second most expensive spice in the world!    Its vine-like stems come from orchids of the genus Vanilla...