The University of East Anglia, PRADAN, OneStage (registered as Charities Aid Foundation, India), Gram Vaani, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) & NNEdPro have worked together to ensure the sustainability of indigenous food systems in Eastern India.

Our project sought to address food and nutrition insecurity, a problem severe in rural and tribal communities, particularly for women and children. One of our objectives was to preserve and give recognition to traditional tribal food, knowledge and information in a creative way.

The Santali Recipe book is an attempt to fulfil that objective.

The Santali recipes were designed by local people and dietitians, with each being nutritionally complete with focus on specific micronutrient deficiencies in the local population.

This Recipe Book is designed to provide details of the recipes, as well as their nutritious value, so that you can cook and share healthy, tasty food at home, with a side of education to help those most dear to you.

The meals are cooked in a manner which retains nutrients but are only nutritionally complete when eaten as a whole menu. To be nutritionally complete, meals have been specifically designed to incorporate all necessary vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals from plant-based foods.

Santali templates are also rich in protein, giving you building blocks to sustain your muscles and allowing growth in children. The template menus contain plenty of fibre which prevents bowel disease and has been linked to keeping your gut healthy with “friendly” bacteria. They are also affordable, accessible to many dietary patterns as well as being a step towards environmentally friendly food patterns by reducing meat intake.