The seasons in India bring with them their own special foods — and cravings. And for no season is that as true as it is for the monsoons, when piping hot tea and spicy fried snacks are on top of the list for most Indians. Whether it’s chai and bhajiyas or samosas, the rains offer the perfect excuse to indulge in these. Here are a few thoughts on what you could try this monsoon:
Fried delights: It would be unfair not to talk about these crispy delights and the queues they create the world over — whether it is the southern American fried chicken or the Italian frito misto, the English fish-n-chips, our very own pakoras or the Japanese tempura. There are a plethora of lip-smacking fried foods from the world over. When you’re whipping up that batch of pakoras, add a twist by using ragi flour. Tamarind leaves will lend a characteristic sourness to the batter. You can also use edible flowers like hibiscus and zucchini flowers to make these fritters. Try adding some corn and baby corn.
Khichdi: Our Indian version of the risotto — try various grains like jowar, bajra and barley this monsoon. Keep the khichdi light this season, adding only salt, pepper and turmeric.
Chai: All this talk about food would be incomplete without our great Indian masala chai. Besides the regular spices you could add tulsi, mint and coriander seeds. Whole coriander seeds boiled in water with a little honey added for taste prevents many waterborne diseases prevalent during the monsoons. “Corn saffron” (or the hair on the maize) when boiled with water and strained, is a powerful kidney cleanser.
Here are two recipes for you to try during the rains — one is an inspired kachori using my favourite monsoon vegetable and the other is a spin on masala chai. Enjoy!
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Chai chocolate truffles
Yield: 24 truffles
(depending on the size)
Preparation time: 30 minutes Refrigeration needed: 18 hours
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2½ tbsp honey
- 2 black tea bags (I used Lipton Yellow Label tea)
- 6 green cardamom pods, bruised
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon powder
- 225 gm good quality semisweet chocolate, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
- Crushed or chopped pistachios for coating (optional)
Method: Place the bite-sized chunks of chocolate in a medium glass bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream along with the tea bags, cardamom pods, cinnamon powder and honey on medium-high heat, until it reaches a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze the teabags to get the entire flavour out of them. l Using a mesh strainer, pour the boiling cream mixture over the chocolate chunks and let it rest for 2 minutes. Use a whisk and slowly start mixing the chocolate and cream until you get a smooth mixture. l Now, add the butter and whisk well, till it is fully incorporated. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours. l Roll the tea ganache into balls and refrigerate for another 6 hours. l After 6 hours (or more) remove the chocolate truffles from the refrigerator and dip them in chocolate. Your chai chocolate truffles are ready to serve.
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Italian Style Arvi Kachori
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 10-12 chopped, boiled arvi
- 1 tsp carom seeds
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
- ½ tsp finely chopped green chilli
- 1 tsp finely chopped coriander
- Salt, to taste
- 6-7 fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted, chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped sundried tomatoes
- 2 tsp finely chopped dried apricots:
- Oil, to fry
- Ready dough, as required
For the garnish
- Chopped fresh apricots, tamarind chutney and coriander leaves — all as required
Method: To prepare the stuffing; in a pan, add oil and chopped boiled arvi and shallow fry till it turns dark brown. Add carom seeds, garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander, salt, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and dried apricots and mix. Remove in a bowl and mash. Let it rest for 10 - 12 mins. Take a small portion of the ready dough and make a roti. Fill the roti with the stuffing and roll it to make a shape of a kachori. Make some more like this. Fry them in hot oil and remove on a tissue paper. Place the fried kachoris on a plate and garnish with chopped fresh apricots, tamarind chutney and coriander leaves.
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Ranveer Brar is a celebrity chef and a judge on Masterchef India
