Best Meghalaya Village Food | Putharo making + Saras Aajeevika Food Court @ Shillong

We visited Langtor Village and the 6th Saras Aajeevika Fair in Shillong to experience some of the region’s local flavours. Our host for the day was Allfondbirth Kharsyntiew, a farmer and the General Secretary of the Hill Farmers’ Union, Meghalaya, who offered us deep insights into the region's culinary culture. He drove us to his sister’s home in Langtor, where we witnessed the making of Putharo, a traditional rice pancake. We saw the process from scratch. Native red rice is hand-pounded into a fine powder, mixed with hot water to make a smooth, pourable batter, and then poured over a clay griddle. The result is a soft, fluffy pancake with distinct holes inside, a texture that comes only from hand pounding. We enjoyed the freshly made Putharo with black tea. After this, we headed to Dap’s Putharo Restaurant to savour more Khasi dishes. We indulged in a second round of Putharo, paired with potato fry, pork intestine curry, and smoked pork. Everything was delicious, with comforting, homemade flavours. This was followed by Sophlang, a local root vegetable that is widely used in Khasi cuisine. From there, we travelled to Mawkriah village to visit a very special family-run nursery. The sheer variety of flowers left us amazed. The lady of the house shared how she is taking her passion forward and spoke about how flowers truly light up our lives. Our next stop was for a cup of tea and pukhlein. Later, we returned to Shillong to visit the 6th Saras Aajeevika Fair 2025. The fair is a platform that celebrates rural livelihoods, women-led enterprises, and traditional knowledge, bringing together artisans, farmers, and food producers from across the state. Here, we were guided by members Romet and Rinki into a vibrant world of flavours. We sampled a plethora of dishes, many of which we had never heard of before, all deeply rooted in nature and tradition. While it wasn’t possible to cover food from every district, we still managed to experience a wide range. Women entrepreneurs from different parts of the state had come with their recipes, some deeply traditional, others innovative and fusion, each offering distinct and memorable flavours. Some dishes that stayed with us were mushroom jadoh, smoked pork, yam curry, sesame-stuffed crepes, fish with dry bamboo shoots, and finally, the refreshing Khasi mandarin. This journey offered a beautiful glimpse into Meghalaya’s food traditions, community spirit, and the stories that continue to thrive through local kitchens and markets.