By now most of us know the history of Karuppu Kavuni – the fragrant black rice that was brought from Burma to Tamil Nadu by the Chettiar community. The first time I learnt about Karuppu Kavuni was a few months after we moved to Tirunelveli in 2018. It looked so exotic and I decided to…
Category: Farm Produce for Sale
Karuppu Kavuni Sakkarai Pongal Recipe
Deepa Reddy of Paticheri fame, a few years back, featured in and shared with us the beautiful short film Thirunel by Bigshortfilms. From that documentary, I gathered that the word Kavuni is adopted from the Burmese word Kao Hynin, which means Sticky Rice. Karuppu, in Tamil, means black. I love how the language of our food…
Karunkuruvai Idiyappam Recipe
In Tirunelveli, we share more than just a border with Kerala — we share a love for breakfast dishes like idiyappam, appam, and puttu. Most restaurants here in Southern Tamil Nadu serve Idiyappam for Dinner only. At Vaanavil Farm Stay, Noushadya has been offering it for both breakfast as well as dinner to our guests….
A Bowl of Comfort: Navara Rice Kanji
On days when we want a light meal, we make rice kanji. We had this delicious light Unpolished Navara rice Kanji for lunch few days ago. Paired with Sundakkai (Turkey Berry) kootu and Kollu (Horsegram) thogayal. Here’s how to make Navara Kanji: Navara or Njavara is a variety from Kerala. It has been cultivated in…
Seasonal, Multi-Floral, Raw: The Essence of Vivasayee’s Life Honey
We believe honey should reflect the land, the seasons, and the bees — not a factory standard. Our honey is raw, seasonal, and as diverse as the forests and farms it comes from. We do not homogenize or pasteurize it, because we trust nature’s way more than industrial shortcuts. In this blog, I’ll take you…
Why producing Pure Ghee matters now more than ever?
I have written several blogs on the topic of ghee. you would be wondering if i am obsessed with ghee. You can head to the bottom of this blog to check out my older blogs. I am and I am not. I am not obsessed with consuming ghee. I am obsessed with producing it the…
About Nellaiappar : Not the temple or the deity, the Rice
Thamirabarani, the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu, flows through Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi districts. Its steady water supply has supported rice cultivation for centuries. Tirunelveli —also called Nellai —derives its name from “Nellu” (paddy), and the temple deity Nellaiappar reflects this agrarian heritage. One legend tells of a devotee who left paddy to dry…
Vivasayee’s Life – Organic Store : Product Catalogue – March 2025
When we started selling our produce in 2019, it was just a handful of groceries from just our farm. We now have more than 70 products from 20 different farmers in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts. We are also contemplating adding more produce from trusted organic farmers in other districts. The product list in this catalogue…
Iluppai Poo Samba : An aromatic rice variety of Tamil Nadu
When i was working with ITC, I faced a couple of instances of kidney stones. The painful experience in the hospital got me thinking about dietary choices. It was one of the many triggers for moving to a physically active farm life. Transitioning to Brown rice was one of the most popular choices that the…
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