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Catagory: Crafts, Home & Lifestyle

Stories from a Kargili Kitchen

The untold story of Kargil—told not through war, but through food
Tucked between some of the most forbidding folds of the Himalayas, Kargil is a land too often seen only through the lens of war—yet its valleys hold a tenderness, resilience and faith that endure through food.

Born from years of travel, cooking and friendships, foodways researcher Yash Saxena gathers voices from mountain kitchens and firesides—of shepherds, monks, farmers and mothers who feed a world shaped by both faith and frost. From slow-simmering broths to shifting borderlines, from ancient Bon rituals to the echoes of Bofor gunfire, each story reveals how a community sustains itself through ritual, memory and the quiet grace of everyday cooking.

Blending memoir, travelogue and cultural history, this is part food book, part love letter and part act of remembrance—a tender, sensory journey through Kargili kitchens, whose flames fight to keep centuries of wisdom alive against the winds of change.

Plated by Parth

Unlock the magic of baking with Plated By Parth, a delightful collection of recipes that will elevate your baking skills, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro. From decadent desserts to everyday treats, this cookbook is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of creating delicious baked goods at home.
Inside, you’ll discover:

  • Step-by-step recipes for cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, pies and more, with easy-to-follow instructions and helpful tips.
  • Secrets of the trade, from measuring the ingredients to mastering baking techniques that ensure perfect results every time.
  • Creative twists on classic favourites, bringing fresh flavours and innovative ideas to your kitchen.
  • Baking basics and troubleshooting tips to help you overcome common mistakes and boost your confidence.

With a focus on quality ingredients, simple methods, and a pinch of creativity, this book will inspire you to fill your home with the irresistible smells of fresh-baked goods. Whether you’re preparing for a special occasion or just enjoying a cozy day at home, Plated by Parth will make every moment sweeter.

Learn to Think Using Riddles, Brain Teasers, and Wordplay

Learn How to Think: Develop Creativity, Wit, and Problem-Solving Instincts with Fun Riddle-Solving Tricks by Patrick King

Unlock the power of creative thinking, problem-solving, and quick wit with engaging mental challenges!
Are you tired of simply memorizing information and regurgitating it without understanding? Traditional education teaches you to take tests, but it doesn’t teach you how to apply knowledge in real-life situations. Learn to Think Using Riddles, Brain Teasers, and Wordplay takes a completely different approach—one that will make you think backwards, forwards, and sideways.
What you’ll gain from this book:

  • Develop your creative thinking by solving fun and challenging riddles
  • Enhance your problem-solving instincts with brain teasers and wordplay
  • Improve your ability to analyze, investigate, and hypothesize
  • Learn how to ask the right questions to unlock solutions
  • Become naturally curious, inquisitive, and insightful in everyday life

This book will challenge you, confuse you, and ultimately make you a better thinker. You’ll be thrown into the mental deep end, forced to explore every angle, draw connections, and think critically—skills that are essential for real-world problem-solving.
Ready for a mental workout?
Can you solve these?

  • What 5-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
  • A woman gives birth to two sons in the same hour, on the same day, and in the same year. But they’re not twins. How is that possible?
  • A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays for three nights, and leaves on Friday. How can this be?

Challenge yourself and watch your thinking skills grow. By the end of this book, you’ll be equipped to think more clearly, solve problems faster, and approach life with a sharper mind.

Roots

Four friends embark on a transformative journey through India, united by a quest to discover their roots and understand who they truly are. As they traverse diverse landscapes, they delve into the rich tapestry of local art and craft forms, each region offering a unique glimpse into its cultural heritage. Through their travels, the friends realise that the essence of art and craft lies in expression—a mirror reflecting their identities. This adventure becomes not just about exploring art but about widening their horizons and reconnecting with their origins to truly grasp the depth of their selves.

We envision a generation of young readers who not only revel in captivating stories but also develop a profound awareness of their heritage, roots, and the diverse art and craft forms that make our culture truly unique.

Masalamandi

The book you are holding is a unique cookbook about Indian spices, specifically focusing on the intricate
world of spice blends. What is fascinating about spice blends, you ask? Well, a garam masala may
contain anywhere between four and fifteen varied spices; a pickle masala may have a different recipe
in Andhra Pradesh than it does in Delhi; a chai masala may have a distinctive recipe in the winter
than it does in the summer.

In Masalamandi, the author sets out on a quest to unravel how a single dish can be prepared with
multiple spice blends, all created from the same whole spices yet resulting in distinct flavours! While
sharing his own experiences and interactions with these spice blends, he also offers a comprehensive
exploration of the history, mythology and cultural significance that surrounds each of them.

This is a spice trail like no other.

The Power Of Imperfect Eating

Dr. Bhatnagar’s book offers us timely and effective guidance on how to change our eating habits if we want to move away from a lifestyle of ”living to eat” to a lifestyle of ”eating to live well”. Professor Das Narayandas, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

In Power of Imperfect Eating, Dr. Kavita Bhatnagar introduces readers to a unique journey through the lens of a food technologist, nutritionist, and psychologist who is deeply passionate about food choices and consumer behaviour.

Rather than dictating which foods are good or bad, this book offers a different perspective. It’s not about laying down dietary rules or giving nutrition advice. Instead, it weaves together stories—stories that mirror the intricate, emotional, and often imperfect connection we all share with food. Through these narratives, it invites you to reflect, not just on what you eat, but on how food fits into the broader journey of your life.

Through these stories, you’ll explore how food shapes our lives, our behaviours, and our choices in ways that go far beyond the plate. You’ll meet characters navigating real dilemmas around food, health, and lifestyle—whether it’s reading food labels, balancing health goals, or simply understanding why they eat the way they do.

The book encourages readers to embrace imperfection in their relationship with food, finding peace in progress rather than perfection. Challenging the conventional habit of categorizing food as either “good” or “bad,” she guides readers to re-evaluate how they engage with food in their everyday life without guilt, without judgment—just curiosity and understanding.

And just when you think you’ve learned it all, the author unveils something truly transformative at the end—a powerful tool that will become the reader’s greatest asset in creating lasting, positive change in their relationship with food and health. This revelation makes Power of Imperfect Eating an essential guide for anyone ready to take control of their well-being.

Alwan-E-Nemat

That the Mughals were fond of the good life is well known, especially their penchant for exquisite food and divine drinks. But what was the food in the imperial kitchen actually like? This book offers some answers.
Alwan-e-Nemat (Colours of the Table), the sixteenth-century Persian manuscript offers a rare taste and glimpse into Mughal Emperor Jehangir and queen Nur Jehan’s kitchen. Meticulously calligraphed on 155 pages of cream-coloured paper with a painted blue margin, it is possibly the first book in the world to be devoted entirely to recipes and methods of processing and serving food. It is also the only manuscript that highlights the unique contribution of Empress Nur Jehan.

Originally in Persian, this manuscript has been translated into English for the first time opening the doors to a treasure trove of unique recipes and culinary techniques that were authentically Mughal. From the Naan-e-Khamaaj Khasa, bread made in traditional style to the Qalya Naranj, deep fried tangerines in spicy lamb curry to the Gulgula Khasa, Deep fried dumplings floated in sugar syrup, this book has nearly 120 original mughal recipes along with detailed cooking techniques and helpful hints making it a rare collectible.

Naam, Namak, Nishan 2

Did you know that an IAF officer commanded the Ghana Air Force as its first air chief?
Or that the Teen Murti Memorial honours Indian soldiers from the princely states of Jodhpur, Hyderabad and Mysore who fought in World War I?
Or that an iconic Indian military vehicle’s name is actually an acronym honouring its city of origin?
Or that a British lady anthropologist once led an intelligence-gathering guerrilla unit in the North-east and was called the ‘Queen of the Nagas’?

Find out the answers to these and more in Naam, Namak, Nishan 2, the much-awaited sequel to Naam, Namak, Nishan—India’s first quiz book on Indian military trivia that connects the Indian Armed Forces to more topics, exploring trivia in new, engaging formats. Written by a team of quizzer-doctors from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, this is military history like you’ve never read before.

Meghdoot/मेघदूत

मेघदूत एक विख्यात गीतिकाव्य है, जिसमें यक्ष द्वारा मेघ से संदेश ले जाने की प्रार्थना और उसे दूत बनाकर अपनी प्रिय के पास भेजने का वर्णन है।
मेघदूत काव्य दो खंडों में विभक्त है। पूर्वमेघ में यक्ष बादल को रामगिरि से अलकापुरी तक के रास्ते का विवरण देता है और उत्तरमेघ में यक्ष का यह प्रसिद्ध विरहदग्ध संदेश है जिसमें कालिदास ने प्रेमी-हृदय की भावना को उड़ेल दिया है।
इस संस्करण का उद्देश्य विद्यार्थियों, शोधार्थियों और प्रतियोगियों के लिए एक ही स्थान पर सारगर्भित सामग्री को पाठ्यक्रम के अनुसार एवं महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रश्नोत्तरी सहित उपलब्ध कराना है।
मेघदूत के इस संस्करण का हिंदी अनुवाद महान शिक्षाशास्त्री डॉ. भगवतशरण उपाध्याय ने किया है एवं इसकी भूमिका हिंदी साहित्य के द्विवेदी युग के प्रणेता महावीर प्रसार द्विवेदी ने लिखी है। 

The Nepal Cookbook

Not many people are aware that a small country like Nepal is home to incredibly diverse culinary traditions. Each community in this beautiful country has nurtured a unique culinary legacy influenced by geographic and climatic conditions on one hand and their individual cultural heritage on the other. This is true of the Sherpas and the Thakalis from the Himalayan mountain ranges, the Brahman, Chetri, Gurung, Tamang, Newar and Kirati communities in the lower mountain ranges to the Tharus and the Madeshis in the Terai jungles in the south.

Rohini Rana, food connoisseur and the author of The Rana Cookbook, has travelled the length and breadth of Nepal interacting with different ethnic communities and recording in painstaking detail their recipes and knowledge of food and nutrition. The result is this remarkable book featuring a carefully curated selection of 108 recipes, each accompanied by stunning photographs. Its purpose is to offer readers a glimpse into the kaleidoscope that is Nepali cuisine. From the delicious rikikur (potato pancake) and the Newari Haans Ko Choela (barbecued tempered duck) to the lip-smacking momos, this book takes you on a captivating journey across Nepal—a journey that nourishes both your belly and your soul.

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