Have you heard people say the rice from PDS (ration shop) is “plastic rice” or adulterated with floating grains? Recently, I heard Dinesh tell Esakki akka to sort out the plastic rice while washing it. Turns out, they were not joking… there’s a story behind it. Okay, lets back up. What’s going on? India eats…
Vaanavil Farm Stay and the Thought Behind Its Rooms!
We are not a resort! We are a farm foremost and the farm stay is our endeavour to share our way of life with you. The only other tag that I would attach is home stay. The room is only one of many aspects of the stay, but it is an important one. While we…
Slow Living isn’t an Escape — It’s a Responsibility
The purpose of money is to remain in constant circulation, not to be instrument for hoarding wealth and power. But unfortunately the modern socio economic system has evolved to incentivize saving at an individual level while collectively destroying ecosystems that guarantee a healthy future for our children. By choosing the lowest priced industrially produced produce…
Karuppu Kavuni Aapam
By now most of us know the history of Karuppu Kavuni – the fragrant black rice that was brought from Burma to Tamil Nadu by the Chettiar community. The first time I learnt about Karuppu Kavuni was a few months after we moved to Tirunelveli in 2018. It looked so exotic and I decided to…
Ode to 7 years of Vivasayee’s Life at Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest
10th July 2025 I now live in a farmAt the edge of a reserve forestOutside a small villageRight outside a small tier 3 town It has been 7 yearsSince i made the switchFrom the city to the rural itchBecause the urban lifestyle was a bitch I was attracted to the romanceOf being amidst natureI wanted…
Where am I from?
People around here are often puzzled — and sometimes unsatisfied — when I tell them that my sondha ooru (native place) is Vikramasingapuram. It’s the town where my farm is, where my family lives, and where I’ve put down roots for the past seven years. But that answer rarely feels enough for many locals. I…
Karuppu Kavuni Sakkarai Pongal Recipe
Deepa Reddy of Paticheri fame, a few years back, featured in and shared with us the beautiful short film Thirunel by Bigshortfilms. From that documentary, I gathered that the word Kavuni is adopted from the Burmese word Kao Hynin, which means Sticky Rice. Karuppu, in Tamil, means black. I love how the language of our food…
Karunkuruvai Idiyappam Recipe
In Tirunelveli, we share more than just a border with Kerala — we share a love for breakfast dishes like idiyappam, appam, and puttu. Most restaurants here in Southern Tamil Nadu serve Idiyappam for Dinner only. At Vaanavil Farm Stay, Noushadya has been offering it for both breakfast as well as dinner to our guests….
A Bowl of Comfort: Navara Rice Kanji
On days when we want a light meal, we make rice kanji. We had this delicious light Unpolished Navara rice Kanji for lunch few days ago. Paired with Sundakkai (Turkey Berry) kootu and Kollu (Horsegram) thogayal. Here’s how to make Navara Kanji: Navara or Njavara is a variety from Kerala. It has been cultivated in…
From City Life to Farm Life: A Journey Rooted in Health
A lot of you have asked about our transition — how Noushadya and I moved lock, stock, and barrel from city life to full-time farming. At a time when most of civilization is moving toward urbanization, as agriculture becomes increasingly mechanized and automated, it’s a valid question: Why go against the tide? There were many…
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