Saras Food Festival: Empowering Women From 21 States

The Union Ministry of Rural Development is hosting Saras Food Festival at Handicraft Bhawan, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, from December 1 to December 17, 2023. 

As many as 150 women entrepreneurs and members of self-help groups from 21 states across the country are taking part in this event.

The 17-day festival aims to empower women on a large scale, by featuring them as entrepreneurs and part of self-help groups formed under the ‘National Rural Livelihoods Mission’ of the Ministry. 

Smriti, serving traditional Rajasthani cuisine, shared, “Many people are coming to taste a variety of food along with their families. Since it is cold, people are really liking our Moong halwa.”

The festival attracts a good crowd, especially in the evening, thanks to a festive atmosphere created also by a small stage for performances.

Bhumi Sharma, a visitor, expressed her appreciation, “This is the first time I am coming to Saras. I really liked the variety of food here, especially the Northeastern food, which we don’t get much of.”

However, she mentioned, “I was expecting a better price for handicrafts and clothes. They are a bit too expensive. I would say it’s similar to what we get at Delhi Haat.”

The 150 women, running 30 stalls, specialise in making rural products and preparing ethnic cuisine from their states.

Visitors to the festival are keen on learning about the preparation of different types of food from across the states. 

The festival offers a diverse range of cuisines, including sticky rice with black chicken curry, black rice kheer, and sticky rice with mushroom curry from Assam; kair sagari, gatte ki sabzi, bajra roti, and pyaaz kachori from Rajasthan; fish curry from West Bengal; Hyderabadi dum mutton biryani from Telangana; Malabar biryani from Kerala; litti chokha from Bihar; siddu from Himachal Pradesh; jhuner ki kheer from Uttarakhand’ and makke ki roti-sarson ka saag from Punjab. 

Visitors can also relish dishes from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat in the food festival.

The entry to the festival is free.