Nisarga Kitchen… Everyone who has visited Nisarga has enjoyed the finger licking food made here… The kitchen and the menu are personally supervised by Ma Neelam for all to relish… In a couple of groups, the facilitators were constantly requesting for the food to be dull and boring, it was not supposed to be stimulating but our dear ma felt helpless as she couldn’t make it any less exciting for the participants…
The credit of the yummy food goes not only to the cooks and helpers but also, to the hard working gardeners. Almost everything we consume here is organically grown. And that’s the secret of the richness in flavors…
Five hardworking gardeners take care of the big and small vegetable gardens scattered, here and there in the Nisarga campus. Use of organic manures, cow dung, neem and our special friends, the earthworms, help in maintaining the fertility of the soil. Also, crop rotation is practiced and the weeds are manually removed periodically.
Almost all vegetables are grown here. In winters, peas, methi, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, tomato, onion, garlic, ginger… you name it and you find it here… and summertime is full of lady finger, zuccinni, gourds, potato, brinjal, capsicum and cucumber. It’s so beautiful to see them growing around; strolling in the premises. Kachchnar trees bloom in full grandeur and delight our taste buds as they make amazing pickles and raitas and not to forget the lemon grass bushes, which add flavor to our masala chai every morning.
One can also spot mango, litchi, guavas, grapefruit and amla growing on the trees and the unforgettable figs which make a luscious combination with vanilla ice-cream at lunch time.
Amongst the crops, wheat, rice, finger millets and mustard are a few which are commonly grown. The kitchen also makes its own tofu from home-grown soybean. The corn stuffed parathas (bread) no-wonder taste so delicious, for the maize seems to be in meditation all day, standing right outside the mandir. And the home made butter which we relish with it; thanks to Kashish and Kajal, the two cow sisters, who happily feed on our left over fruit and vegetable peels, and give us ample milk for chai, curd and butter.
It’s just the vibe here; everything is blooming, swaying in this loving, meditative ‘Buddha field’. This symphony where these greens, the trees; they shower their unconditional love on us always and we love them too.
To view the Organic Food at Nisarga album please click here.
