There is a heatwave alert in large tracts of India. In Dogra households of Jammu, fermented curd-potatoes and brown mustard seeds are used to prepare the cooling Auriya. Easy to cook, the traditional dish is also considered a probiotic food.

Humble but fresh ingredients form the basis of rich Indian culinary tradition, where every dish evolved, has a specific purpose, place and accompaniment. This Diwali try these traditional recipes

Naag Panchami is being celebrated in Dogra households today. Figures of serpents adorn walls and special Dogra delicacies such as babroo, deliya, maal pude, rutt and keyur are cooked up. People also visit temples dedicated to Naag Devta.

Open up your hearts to regional cuisine, use Diwali as an occasion to learn more about traditional recipes and try making few in your kitchens

Happiness and sweetness go together and Diwali is the perfect marriage of the two. Spread cheer and love with homemade sweets and savouries for family and friends

A group of rural women from Jharkhand run their catering business cooking tribal delicacies such as simjeel peetha, marhva laddu, hav chatni and rokoj to popularise their healthy cuisine and earn a living.

A potter family in Srinagar makes diyas to be used during Diwali. The ‘diyas’ are in great demand and are a shining example of inter-faith harmony in the valley.

It has been roughly 20 years working with the forest dwellers and during this period I have hardly witnessed any forest dweller afflicted with heart ailments. When I asked them the secret behind this, they said they eat well-spiced food to keep the heart and liver healthy