Cozy Recipes for a Rainy Day



Monsoon season is here and that means rainy days for most of the week. There is nothing that compares to enjoying a crispy pakora with some chai while enjoying this gloomy weather. There are many classic rainy day snacks that include chaats, fried foods, and even street food items, however, most of those foods tend to be unhealthy or made using a lot of fat and oil, especially those that are fried. However, a lot of such rainy day recipes can also be made using healthy ingredients without compromising on taste and aroma. 

A lot of cooking oils tend to be heavily refined and contain bad cholesterol that leads to clogged arteries and is detrimental to cardiological health. A healthy substitute for cooking oil when preparing fried foods is ghee, as it contains healthy fats and CLA, which promotes good cholesterol for better heart health. Another healthy substitute for cooking oil can be virgin coconut oil, especially if it is cold-pressed, as it retains a lot of the nutrients that are usually removed due to heat processes, which is common with other cooking oils. Another way rainy season recipes can be made healthy is by substituting refined sugar for natural jaggery powder or raw honey as these do not contain any preservatives and provide nutrients in addition to the sweet flavor. In this manner, a lot of your favorite rainy day foods can be made healthier, and here are a few monsoon recipes that take a healthy twist on some classics.

Healthy Vegetable and Ghee Pakoras

This healthy twist on the classic pakora recipe results in some lightly fried, crunchy pakoras that are perfect to enjoy with a cup of chai on a cool, rainy afternoon. Substituting healthy ghee for cooking oil in this recipe results in lesser cholesterol, and the use of baking powder ensures that the pakoras don’t absorb too much fat while being fried.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped vegetables of choice (carrots, onions, beans, capsicum)
• ½ tsp pink salt
• ¼ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig of curry leaves 
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• ½ cup besan flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tbsp ghee for frying

Instructions

• Place chopped vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle in some salt.
• Mix the veggies together, then squeeze them to release the moisture.
• Add in the coriander, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric, and pepper to the bowl, then sift in besan flour and baking powder.
• Mix everything together until well combined.
• Add a little bit of water just to combine the vegetables and the batter.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the ghee to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Pick up bits of the vegetable batter, shape them into little spheres and add to the pan.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden, then flip over and repeat on the other side.
• Transfer the cooked pakoras onto a plate or bowl covered with a paper towel.
• Serve hot with some mint chutney and chai!

Chickpea and Mint Soup

Nothing beats a bowl of piping hot soup on a gloomy rainy day. This recipe for chickpea and mint soup combines hearty chickpeas (a great source of protein) with the herby freshness of mint topped with some light ghee tempering to bring you this aromatic and refreshing soup that is soul-warming during this monsoon season.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chana dal cooked and drained
• 10 chopped mint leaves
• 3 cups of water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Tempering:

• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 knob ginger grated

Instructions: