Cutting chai and pakodas

The most awaited season of the year is here, finally – the Monsoons! In India, it is much cherished and with the first rain comes an array of food items to welcome the season.

 

The rains are here to stay for a while and so is the mood for hot, spicy snacks. The divine taste of delicious pakodas and snacks that are available these days is something which can’t be expressed in few words!

One such evening snack is the bread pakoda. The boring bread pieces are coated in spicy chickpea flour batter, filled with mashed potatoes with green chillies and then deep fried to golden perfection. Crisp, spicy and absolutely delicious, it goes well with the evening cuppa on rainy days.

For vegetarians, paneer pakodas is another mouth-watering dish. The outer crust is super crisp and its inside is fused with capsicum, mint and coriander. This can be well-enjoyed with tamarind chutney and of course the rain outside.

Talking to Metrolife, Sameer Dhar, chef of Excape Terrace Bar and Kitchen, said, “For monsoon we serve samosa with cutting chai, omelette with cutting chai and even prawn papad served with red chutney made from onions, red and green chillies, garlic and ginger. In monsoons, people prefer slightly spicy food which also goes well with chai and coffee.”

Cabbage and spinach pakoras are also delicious combinations mixed with grated cabbage, spinach and dipped in spiced batter of gram flour, rice flour and roasted dahlia flour, fried to crispy amusing yummy, mouth-watering snacks.

It is a simple and quick, delicious, healthy and crispy snack served with tea. This is a wonderful monsoon snack that is attractive and a popular Indian vegetarian snack too. The crisp texture and flavours that go into its making, keep most of us in asking for more. Another snack on the menu is the typical Bengali food item – beguni, made from brinjal and coated with besan, onion, mirch and cauliflower pakodas.

On the other hand, to keep one thing in mind is the hygiene. Street food like pani-puri, bhel-puri and sandwiches may tempt you, but these are food items that you simply must stay away from in the monsoons. This is because monsoon is the time for germs and bacteria to thrive in the unhygienic roadside eateries.

As a rule you should avoid eating raw food during the rains, refrigerate leftovers immediately, wash the vegetables used to make salads thoroughly and clean leafy vegetables with care.