An important aspect of Kurukh culture that is intimately related to environmental features is food habits. The Kurukhs are primarily agriculturists. Rice is the staple food of Kurukhs. Their usual diet consists of rice, pulse and vegetables. They take fruits, fish and meat with rice occasionally. They eat the meat of goat, pig, fowl, some wild animals and birds etc. Striking feature is that leaves, flowers, seeds, roots and fruits are an integral part of the Kurukhs diet. They drink a homemade wine called haria, which is generally made from rice. Mahua, another indigenous variety of homemade wine between Kurukhs, but is rare in the Kurukhs habitats.

     What is striking, however, is that leaves, flowers, seeds, roots and fruits are an integral part of the Kurukh diet. These are procured from the forest. Only a few are grown by the people themselves. A study has shown that there are about 21 kinds of common native plants whose leaves are eaten by the Kurukhs. The number of common native plants whose flowers, roots, seeds, fruits and whole plants that are eaten stand at 10, 10, 15, 25 and 6 respectively. In all, there are 87 kinds of common native plants which are related to the food of the Kurukhs.

  Kurukhs stored food and other crops and used them during time of shortage. During lean season, they make and manage powders of leaf, grass and vegetables  for long lasting preparations. They include tamarind, dry Mahuwa, flowers, bari and leaves of different type of small grass and trees. Powders of the leaves and flowers called 'Adkha' , example - Poke Adkha(Ant grass), Mukha adkha(Frog grass), Katay Adkha, Sanay Adkha(Flower of one kind of rope plant), Bhatuwa adkha etc.