Cassava and spinach subzi.

Cassava and Spinach Subzi

Our Cassava and Spinach Subzi recipe is inspired by the subzi we enjoyed so much in our thali lunch at Solitude Farm Cafe in Auroville. Subzi is a Tamil word referring to a dry curry. Spicing is still present but these recipes omit the fluids that make the usual curry or spicy gravy Indian dishes …

A green and minty smoothie with a purple flower garnish

Green and Minty Smoothie

One thing that was reinforced on our visit to Auroville was the powerful flavours of fresh local food. Anandi of Satchiananda Cafe and Krishna of Solitude Farm are both quite famous for their smoothies. We enjoyed a reviving green and minty smoothie during our visit, which worked wonders to beat the heat and restore our …

The large golden orb of the Matrimandir in Auroville - City of Dawn

Auroville – City of Dawn

Imagine a vast plain of dry, fissured red earth baking like clay under the hot sun. It collapses and erodes under the weight of each South Indian monsoon. Scruffs of grass are the only growth it bears after decades of deforestation. Visiting the city of Auroville now, you’d never guess that this was the condition …

Onlookers at the Matrimandir in Auroville - City of Dawn

Faces of Auroville

Auroville. We were fascinated that there is a place (and people) on this blue earth existing for the sole reason of promoting human unity. We made a brief visit to Auroville in 2014 before returning in 2016 for a better understanding of this unique place. In order to make the connections we value, we needed …

Sun Salutation Puducherry

Puducherry – The Top 10 Things We Love Here

There’s much to love about Puducherry. Called Pondicherry until 2006, it’s now mostly known as Pondi. The city was the French capital of India from 1674 to 1954 and as such is decidedly different than any other part of India.

Cooking French Creole in Puducherry with Anita Goubert and Sumeet Nair

Creole. In North America, we associate the word with Louisiana. We see it as a sultry mix of cultures and food, a blend of races, spices and language. It’s where French (and Spanish) colonials met with African-Americans and Native-Americans, free or enslaved, in the heat of the south and everything melded together, willingly or unwillingly. …