As much as monsoon is about romance and treks, it is also about the hot chai and onion pakoras. The heart craves for some hot spicy food as soon as the first rain drop patters on your window.
Here are 5 comfort food for this rainy season.
1. Chai
These are the staple in any household during monsoon. It is almost a ritual to request mums to make pakoras and welcome the rains with cozy family time over steaming cups of chai. Now add cardamom and cinnamon to your tea to avoid throat infections and cold in this season.
You can also try the Kasmiri kawha as an alternative to tea. Just boil green tea leaves with saffron, cardamom and cinnamon to make a healthy kawha. Or the gujurati ukado with the same spices and turmeric powder in milk is a good option too.
2. Soup
When you are cozy in bed with a good read or music, a hot bowl of tomato soup is all that takes to complete the moment. A dash of minced garlic to any soup preparation, during monsoon, will help to keep the flu and cold away, and will also prevent the body from feeling worn or tired.
The Dan Dan noodle of the Chinese Sichuan cuisine is also great for monsoon. With mushroom, vegetable stock, lemon grass and chillies in coconut milk base, this soup will add a gourmet touch to your monsoon cravings.
3. Maggi
This is the easiest bowl of happiness during monsoon. Especially if you are out trekking on a mountain or for car ride with friends, no trip is complete without maggi. Add a lot of peas and carrots to your maggi as vegetables are a must during monsoon to stay healthy.
Masala kichdi with rice, moong daal and lots of green veges, is also easy to make and a healthy alternative to maggi for a rainy evening. Add coriander seed powder and cloves to your preparation as these spices build immunity and keep you healthy.
4. Pakoras
The rain always brings out the urge for fried food like pakoras, samosas and kachoris. Try new fillings like carrots, beetroots, peas, spinach and corn as alternative to the usual potato filling.
You can also try appams from Kerala and pongal wada from Tamil Nadu with coriander and mint chutney if you want something tasty but low cal during monsoon.
5. Corn Cob
The fire baked corn cob with some light spices is popular favorite for monsoon. It is healthy and it is easy. Steamed corn is also healthy with minced onion, tomato and spices. The joy of standing under the rains with an umbrella in one hand and a corn cob in the other is irreplaceable and an intrinsic part of any monsoon experience.
(Image credits- wordpress.com, pinterest, harvesttotable, gkfooddiary.com, binjalsvegkitchen.com, cntraveller.in)
