Monsoon is, without any doubt, one of the best seasons. When all of us are fed up by the hot and humid climate, rains come up as a big relief. Those first drops of rain, when fall on earth, everything around brightens up. Trees stand tall, showing off their emerald-like leaves and flowers bloom out in joy. The environment gets filled with the wonderful aroma of wet earth. Aah, I’m able to imagine the beauty right now!
Every one of us loves rains, no? And above all, the munchy cravings that we get during rains are really irresistible. And why resist when you can cook them all in your own kitchen! Yes, you read it right. In this article, I shall enlist 5 best monsoon recipes that you can easily try at home.
So, this monsoon besides enjoying that pitter-patter of raindrops in your balcony, munch your favorite self-made snacks and just feel the joy! Now, without wasting much of the time, let’s get straight to the point. Here we go to the 5 best monsoon recipes…
5 Best DIY Monsoon Recipes:
1.Pakoras:
I need not mention the popularity of these simple yet yummy snacks in our Indian households. It has become more of a ritual that whenever it rains, pakoras are a must. There are many varieties of pakoras in India and they can be made from many vegetables which again is one of the reasons they are widely preferred. I mean in the rainy season, you don’t need to take pains to go out and shop for ingredients of pakoras. Just open your fridge and find any vegetables and it’s done! Even if there’s no vegetable at home, don’t worry. You can also make pakoras out of potatoes, onions, and green chilies, which are always available at your home. Isn’t it simple yet amazing?
Here is the recipe for pakoras-
(You may use any vegetable of your choice. The recipe remains same)
- Take gram flour(besan) and sieve it thoroughly.
- Add chopped vegetables(of your choice), salt(according to taste), red chilly powder, garam masala, cumin seeds powder, coriander seeds/leaves.
- Mix all the dry ingredients, then add water and make a thick paste.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add small amounts of prepared paste one by one in the oil and toss them after periodically.
- After they are completely fried, take them out and serve hot with ketchup or pudina chutney.
- That’s it. Your mouth-drooling pakoras are ready in not more than half an hour!
2.Masala Chai:
Tea is an addiction. Tea is love. Indians cannot imagine their day without tea. And when it rains, having pakoras with masala tea is just ‘heaven’.
Although I know I don’t need to share the recipe for masala chai because everyone must be aware of it, but still, if you are new to the kitchen, here it is-
- Put some water in a pan/pot and add tea leaves, chai masala(you can buy from the market and also make it at home). Add sugar, tulsi, mint, ginger, or any other spice available at your home according to your taste.
- Allow the water to boil so that the taste of all the ingredients mixes well.
Now when your water turns black, add milk to the mixture and put it on slow to medium flame. Let it boil. - Sieve your tea in serving cups and serve hot.
(The quantities of milk, water, sugar are your personal choice and you can add them according to your taste.)
*For How-to make Chai Masala at home, click here.
3.Samosa:
Samosa is an Indian snack famous all over India for its unique taste and easy-to-cook style. The recipe for Samosa is-
For dough-
- To a large bowl, add flour, ajwain, salt and mix well. Add oil and rub the flour for 3-4 minutes to incorporate the ingredients.
- Once incorporated, the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Knead the mixture, cover it with a moist cloth and let it rest for some time.
For fillings-
- Boil potatoes until done. Mash them and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, chopped green chilly, ginger and hing. Cook for some time.
- Add mashed potatoes and green peas. Mix everything together.
- Add salt, garam masala, amchur powder, red chilly powder according to taste.
For Samosa-
- Divide dough into small equal balls and roll them into a triangular shape.
- Make it hollow and add fillings.
- Heat oil in a pan and drop samosas into it 2-3 at a time.
- Let them fry on a low to medium flame until brown crisp.
- Serve hot with chutney or cholle.
4.Moong Dal kachori:
Another famous Indian snack is Kachori. Moong Dal kachori is a very unique must-taste dish. Its recipe is as below-
For dough-
- Take all-purpose flour(maida) in a bowl. Add ghee and mix well.
- Add water and knead the flour. Cover it with a moist cloth and let it rest.
For fillings-
- Soak moong dal in water for 2 hours. Then drain the water and grind the dal in a mixer to make a roughly coarse mixture.
- Heat a pan and add ghee. When the ghee becomes hot, lower the flame and add all the spices one by one. Stir continuously.
- Add dal mixture and mix well until it cooks completely.
- Make small balls out of the mixture and let it cool.
For Kachori-
- Cut the dough into small balls equal to the number of mixture balls.
- Flatten the dough balls and place mixture balls on it. Fold the dough and enclose it.
Heat pan, add oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the prepared raw kachoris and deep fry. - Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.
5.Bhutta/Corn:
Bhutta/corn is a snack unique to monsoons. People can be commonly seen walking around with the corn in hand in rainy seasons. Want to make that market-like corn at home? Read below-
- Remove the corn husk and strings from the corn.
- Roast the corn on the grill or open gas flame (gas stove) at medium-high heat. Move it around every 30 seconds or so, so the corn gets roasted evenly. You will hear some kernels pop. All the kernels will blacken to varying degrees.
- Mix all the spices in a bowl. Use a half lime to dip in the spice mix to pick up the spices and rub all over the corn, making sure to squeeze lime juice while doing so.
- Serve hot!
These were 5 best monsoon recipes that you can very easily make at your own home and enjoy the season. So what are you waiting for? March into your kitchen, wear your chef apron, and start hunting for ingredients.
For more on monsoon recipes, Read This.
Wishing you a wonderful cooking experience! And Happy Monsoons!