Best snacks from around India to enjoy during the rains

ldquoNOW yoursquove got my mouth wateringrdquo complains Alpana Savarna when we ask her about her favourite monsoon snack It may not be raining in Morocco where the management student is currently living but just the thought of a monsoon snack has got her dreaming of the piping hot Goli Baje from her days in the university town of Manipal Karnataka Friends enjoying a piping hot corn at the Bandra Bandstandu00a0PicShadab Khan Let it fry ldquoItrsquos a small deep fried ball of lightly seasoned maida and yoghurt batter Some might say it has no taste although it is rich in texture mdash crispy fried on the outside and soft light and elastic on the insiderdquo describes Savarna who spent seven years studying and working in Karnataka before she moved overseas Originally from Bihar she had never heard of the Manglorean snack before her first year at college in Manipal The street snack follows the north Indian pakora closely when she thinks of monsoon foods Deep fried perhaps best describes a monsoon craving for comfort food Referring to the Bengali version of what we in Mumbai know as the humble bhajiya restaurateur Anjan Chatterjee rattles off the various versions of the eastern statersquos quintessential rain food mdash the Teley Bhaja ldquoLiterally meaning fried in oil it could include beguni aubergine pyaji onion alu potato and even fried papad Teley Bhaja is probably what I miss the most among the street food of Kolkata The bhajiyas you get in Mumbai are completely different The Teley Bhaja batter includes a special Bengali masala and red chilli powder and is much spicierrdquo says the founder and managing director ofu00a0Speciality Restaurants The capital has its version of deep fried goodness too chips in Delhiresident Maidni Phul ldquoItrsquos called the Ram Laddoordquo says the 27yearold lawyer ldquoAnd during the monsoon the street thelas stalls in the capital city are thronged by foodies relishing the savoury lentil laddoos typically served with mint chutney and grated radishrdquo As long as itrsquos hot But not all comfort food needs to be dunked deep in a kadhaifull of oil adds Chatterjee If the Keralites have Kanji a steaming bowl of rice soup the Bengalis have the Bhuni Khichuri as their monsoon staple ldquoIt is a combination of roasted moong dal and an equal quantity of rice along with some vegetables My wife Suchhanda and I spent last weekend with some friends in Lonavala The khichuri she served was so delicious that no one touched anything elserdquo says Chatterjee with a laugh Pickled to perfection The monsoon claims the restaurateur is the best time to eat Bengalrsquos favourite river fish ndash the hilsa But the Goans equally fond of their seafood arenrsquot as lucky With fishermen stranded on shore all through the monsoon fresh fish is hard to come by along the coastu00a0This is why summer explains Wilma Gomes is spent pickling seafood saving it quite literally for a rainy day Born in Goa the Wadalaresident moved to Mumbai after she got married ldquoWhen I think of the monsoon of my childhood itrsquos the pickles we ate with our staple rice and curry that I think of the mostrdquo she says Apart from the better known Prawn Balchao Gomes also talks of Para ldquoBangda mackerel is washed in special Goan vinegar and left to dry in the sun Once it is dried the fish is smeared with red masala and salt and stored in an airtight container The vinegar made with toddy coconut wine is difficult to find here So instead of attempting to make my own Para I buy lots of it when we visit Goa and make sure we have enough to last us through the monsoonrdquo says the homemaker Gujarati Patra Recipe by Smita Bhimjiani homemaker Ingredients 6 patra leaves Chickpea flour Red chilli powder Turmeric Dhanajeeru the Gujarati mix of cumin and coriander powder Jaggery finely sliced Tamarind Salt to taste For tadka and garnish Finely chopped coriander Grated coconut Sesame seeds Mustard seeds Cumin seeds Method Wash and devein the patra using a knife Mix tamarind with a little water to make a paste and set aside Add the dry spices mdashred chilli powder dhanajeeru turmeric in the chickpea flour Then add tamarind paste and jaggery Ensure that the paste remains thick Apply paste carefully on each leaf placing one on top of the other and rolling them tight like a springroll Steam the rolls for about 1520 minutes Test them with a knife they should not be soggy Slice the rolls and prepare the tempering Heat oil in a pan Sauteacute mustard cumin and sesame seeds Fry the slices in the tadka for about five minutes Garnish with coriander and coconut Bengali Bhuni Khichuri for four persons Recipe by Suchhanda Chatterjee Director Design and Interiors SpecialIty Restaurants Ingredients 1 cup mustard oil 2 big tejpatta bay leaves 2 pcs each cinnamon amp cardamom 4 tbsp of cumin powder 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp red chilli powder 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp ginger paste 1 tbsp garam masala powder 1 tbsp green chilli paste Salt to taste 1 big tomato chopped 8 pcs of cauliflower cut 4 pcs of potato cut Handful green peas 2 frac12 cups Moong dal yellow Ghee 6 tbsp Method Dry roast the Dal in a pan till golden brown Fry the Rice with 2 tbsp oil for 2 minutes Fry the Vegetables cauliflower potato and green peas in oil till light brown with salt Put ghee in a kadai and add tejpattacardamomcinnamon fry for 30 seconds then add cumin powderturmericred chilli powder and fry for 1 minute add tomato and ginger paste and fry till all mixes well Add the vegetables stir well and add the rice and dal stir it for 30 seconds add 2 cups of hot water and salt Cook it on slow fire for 20 minutes For garnish add ghee and garam masala powder Serve Hot u00a0