THE LONG WAY TO THE PLATE

A close look at farms, food systems and food habits reveals how far we have strayed from the land that feeds us.

- NIDHI CHANANA

Preparing food, for me, is an elaborate, almost meditative, exercise.

This is not because my family demands variety, as is common in many Indian households shaped by the country's culinary diversity. Rather, it stems from my stubborn insistence on method and using only whole grains and pulses. Hard grains such as rice and millets are soaked overnight; pulses for at least four hours. Cooking is done in earthen pots over a low flame, regardless of how long it takes. Those around me are often frustrated by this behaviour. Yet I cannot bring myself to yield to the fast-food culture. Or perhaps, I am simply afraid of losing what little nutrition remains in modern foodgrains.