First Food Recipes: Unique and simple recipe Bhang Ke Pakode

Bhang has its place in the Ayurveda, it is used to improve digestion, irritable bowl syndrome, insomnia, and alleviates muscle pain. Here is a simple recipe from the book called First Food on how to make bhang pakodas or marijuana fritters. Because Bhang is an intoxicant, it should be used in moderation and care should be taken before consuming it.

First Food Recipe: Tamil Karuveppilai Podi or curry leaves powder with rice

Curry leaves are more than just a common seasoning. This leaf is a storehouse of carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin E. Curry leaves are a tonic for the heart. They fortify you against infections and are a boon to the skin and hair. Here is an easy recipe from Tamil Nadu called karuveppilai podi or roasted curry leaves powder from the …

First Food Recipes: Aloo ke Gutke and Dawai Phool ke Daal

A confluence of different cultures on a plate Jakhiya or Cleome Viscosa comes from the tribes of Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Also known as wild mustard or dog mustard, they are found in tropics throughout the world. When cooked with potatoes, they make a flavorful combination. Dhawai phool or dried flowers of Woodfordia fruitcosa, a flowering bush, grows on the wastelands of Chhattisgarh and is …

First Food Recipe: Delicious Dessert Mango Curd with Ramdana (Amaranth Seeds)

Ramdana are the seeds of chaulai or amaranth. These seeds are a good source of calcium, protein and amino acids and is rich in iron, magnesium and Vitamin A, B and C. Ramdana is an integral part of Hindu fasting diet. Here is summer recipe which is both nutritious and healthy.

First Food Recipe: Healthy and easy Makhana Breakfast

Makhana (Euryale ferox) or fox nut is traditionally known to be eaten during a religious fast in India, but due to its immense health benefits, it is now relished across the country. Makhanas are rich in iron, phosphorus and calcium. It is low on fat, rich in antioxidants and helps treat palpitation and insomnia. A perfect combination of taste and nutrients, Makhana for breakfast is the …

First Food Recipe: Spicy, sweet and sour Karanda Pickle

Karanda or karonda is cultivated in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. As the fruit's sour taste makes it difficult to eat it raw, it is often processed into jellies, pickles and chutneys.This Karanda pickle can be made in under 15 minutes and can be consumed for upto a week's time. It is rich in iron, Vitamin C and acts as a good antioxidant.

Spicy and minty Chulu chutney

Chulu or apricots are grown in almost every home garden across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. These fruits are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and rich in calcium, iron and phosphorous. Due to their short growing season, people dry the chulu fruits and use it for the months to come. This chutney is a mix of subtle spices and fresh mint that will enhance your appetite and add flavour to your …

Crunchy purple bites

Perfect for a evening snack or as part of a meal, purple potatoes make for a delicious and nutritious dish. Rich in Vitamin C and micronutrients, these almond shaped potatoes are found in Bihar, Assam and other northeastern states. Cook them till they turn crunchy and serve hot. Recipe by Chitra Balasubramania.

Spicy and sour pomelo salad

Pomelos are giant citrus fruits. They are native to Southeast Asia and are commonly known as jambura is Bengali, robab tenga is Assamese, babloos naranga and kambili naranga in Malayalam, bablimaas in Tamil and chakotra in Hindi-speaking states. Pomelos are used to make pickles, chutneys and salads and make for a delicious treat during the winter time.

Why Diesel Vehicles should be regulated in Delhi

Diesel vehicles are allowed to pollute more and their exhaust is directly linked to cancer. This is a good enough reason to regulate the sale and use of diesel vehicles, especially in cities like Delhi which has a perpetual problem of air pollution.

Analysis of Budget 2018 with Sunita Narain: Key takeaways and implications

Sunita Narain, Director Centre for Science and Environment and Richard Mahapatra, Managing Editor Down to Earth discuss the 2018 budget and what it means for agriculture, environment and health.

Will India lose one of its last patches of Jurassic forest?

Kathalekan, in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, is a relic forest with Myristica swamp ecosystem. It has remained unchanged for over 100 million years. It is spread across an area of 25 square kilometres. Today, this ancient forest is under severe threat from human interventions in the region.

Balaghat: How to decentralise waste management in a small city

Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh has shown the way for small cities to adopt sustainable decentralised waste management practices. The town is pushing its residents to segregate waste at source.

Litter-free Tirunelveli

Litter-free Tirunelveli is a movement started by this city in Tamil Nadu to encourage segregation of waste at source. Find out how the city is going about it.

CSE launches Forum of Cities that Segregate

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been working with cities to promote and implement source-segregation model of waste management. To advance this work and create a movement in India on segregation at source, CSE launches the ‘Forum of Cities that Segregate’.

The karma of AD Negi

AD Negi is a retired bureaucrat. He has voluntarily planted and nurtured 65 hectares of lush green forest in a cold desert area of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.

Turning barren land into a food forest

Permaculture practitioners Narsanna and Padma Koppula have turned a barren piece of land in Telangana's Pastapur village into a productive farm full of diversity

"Weak outcome for climate-induced loss and damage at COP23"

Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change at Action Aid, explains the outcome of the negotiations on loss and damage caused by climate change at the 23rd Conference of Parties 

Dr Devi Shetty talks about antibiotic resistance

Dr. Devi Shetty, cardiac surgeon and founder of Narayana Health, has seen increasing cases of antibiotic resistance at his hospital. Even those who had never taken antibiotics are reporting it.