Tamil Nadu - The Locavore

Personal Essay

From Tamil Nadu to Mumbai’s Jari Mari, Kanji is a Story of Dalit Sustenance

July 17, 2026
Pooja Ashokkumar

In Mumbai's suburbs, the agrarian reality of kanji persists. Illustration by Anugraha Mahesh.

Kanji is a verb, not just the name of a dish, asserts Pooja Ashokkumar as she traces the fermented rice-and-water dish's relevance through the migration of her community.

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Suhoon Sothi

July 16, 2026
Vasunthara Ramasamy

Easy to prepare, easily adaptable, and deeply comforting, this Malaysian-Tamil recipe reflects generations of migration.

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Everyday Locavores

“If the water turns fresh, what happens to this cycle? How can it be a sustaining project?”

July 12, 2026
Subasree

—Narayanan R., fisherman and activist, Kovalam Kuppam

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Foxtail Millet Pudding

May 26, 2026
Malarkodi

This recipe from the Kolli Hills of Tamil Nadu combines foxtail millet, jaggery, and coconut into a slow-cooked dessert.

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From the Fields

The Slow Disappearance of Karal Meen from Rameshwaram’s Fish Markets

February 3, 2026
E. Haripriya

Industrial demand is making one of the most affordable species of fish along the east coast of India more expensive. E. Haripriya explores what these ripple effects mean for local kitchens in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.

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Everyday Locavores

“I hadn’t even driven a car when I began with the tractor”

November 29, 2025
Sumaiya Mustafa

—Ratish, who pushes and moors fishing boats

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How Food Producers in the Mountains Navigate Unseasonal Rains

August 26, 2025
Yashvi Shah

From harvesting honey to growing indigenous vegetables, unpredictable rainfall severely impacts the food we eat. In the face of such varying weather patterns, farmers and producers, including The Locavore’s partners, often have to contend with challenges such as landslides, logistical hurdles, and even changes in local diets.

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Producers

Farm Made Foods: Raising Hens in a Free, Open Environment in Tamil Nadu

August 6, 2025
The Locavore Team

For Farm Made Foods, it is important that the hens, given the social birds they are, are able to move around freely, as opposed to always being in an enclosed space. All photos by Farm Made Foods.

A family-run business in Tamil Nadu retailing free-range eggs

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Karapodi Kayi Masala Curry

May 12, 2025
Inseason Fish

This recipe celebrates the delicate flavour of the silverbelly fish—locally known as Karapodi—cooked in a fragrant Kayi masala blend. Rooted in the coastal kitchens of Tamil Nadu, this dish highlights the comfort of home-style cooking.

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Bommi’s Crab Pepper Fry

April 11, 2025
Bommi

Seasoned by the Sea is a coastal community cookbook published by Uyir Pathipagam (2025). Bommi’s family is widely known as crab-sellers in the Thazhankuppam region of Tamil Nadu. Her crab dish, involving simple ingredients and techniques, highlights the flavours of fresh crab.

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