Mrignyani Sehgal

Dr. Mrignyani Sehgal is an economist specializing in food policy, with a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research addresses critical issues in food security, health, nutrition, and consumer behavior, focusing on both developed and low- and middle-income countries, in rural and urban contexts. As food environments and markets evolve rapidly, even in remote regions, Dr. Sehgal explores both cultivated and formal/informal market food environments, examining the dual challenges of food insecurity and obesity. She has extensive experience in experimental and quasi-experimental methods of impact evaluation, utilizing both primary and secondary datasets. Before pursuing her PhD, she worked as a research analyst in the Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Outside of her professional work, Mrignyani enjoys photography, reading literary fiction, writing essays, and cooking regional recipes from India.

My “go-to” comfort food is… Rajma Chawal! Its not “go to” at all in its preparation but when my mom prepares it for me its convenient and comforting!

When I’m in a time crunch, I love to make… Khichri, it is a lentil rice preparation where you put lentils, rice, and spices with water in a pressure cooker to get a balanced meal with less than 5 mins of prep, must have with aachar and ghee. 

My favorite food for winter is… Saag (mustard green) and makki roti, it is a labor of love with fresh churned butter (non negotiable) and jaggery; a true representation of rich agricultural heritage of Punjab.