MONSOON MAGIC

Its the monsoon magic mesmerizing Mumbai. Dark clouds gathering, unexpected and sudden showers, the rattling of the windows , the whistling of the winds and the ruffling of the trees. The Monsoons have set in but not as much as we would have liked it. But, nevertheless monsoons brings with it its own fun, its own memories and monsoon related food!

Remember when it would start to rain, the sweet smell of wet earth? Missing school and staying in just because the roads have flooded? Running to hide under trees to get less wet then you already are? Playing football and getting all muddy and wet? But the rains, the winds and the wetness also arouse my appetite and hunger!

With the advent of the rains, my first thoughts are of hot bhajiyas or batter-dipped fritters, not to be mixed with the delicate japanese tempura! These are dipped in a thick layer of gram flour batter and deep fired in hot oil. The combinations could be various, from the regular like potatoes, onion , green peppers to methi, palak, baby corn , bhindi , cauliflower , and the very risky banana and mango. Yes we even batter fried bananas and mangos to make delicious bhajiyas. If you are lucky in late Monsoons you may hit upon juicy purple yam,skin and slice them, deep fry them (no batter required) and serve with loads of chaat masala and lemon, very very delicious. You could experiment with sliced sweet potatoes, brinjals and even jackfruit. Team them up with freshly made corriander chutney, tamrind chutney and ketchup and the monsoons just became more enjoyable. The crunch of the crispy onion pakora keeping up with the thunder , the bite of the chillie pakora to drive away the cold and the fulfilling aloo bhajiays re-assuring you that life cant get any better than this!

Another favorite monsoon snack is the bhutta  or corn on the cob, roasted over charcoals, rubbed with a large lemon teamed with salt, pepper and chilly powder. The last time I made a chilly butter by taking a dollop of butter mixing it with cayenne chilly powder and a bit of lemon juice and spread it over a freshly charcoal roasted corn. Amazing !!! the tingling spicy chilly balanced by the creaminess of the butter and the sweet roasted corn was just perfect to spend a rainy evening staring into the waves and lashes of rain. 

Monsoon dinners also included loads of soups especially coming home from work, drenched to the bone, shivering and cold. A hot bowl of soup after a warm shower always helped. I experiment with soups a lot, recently I tried the  Summer Veggies and Pesto soup. Made with Leeks and Zucchini , leek a fairly western vegetable, but just like the onion without its pungentness and Zucchini similar to kheera kakdi found more up north. Start by frying some leek, and zucchini in some two tbsps of olive oil, till the leek starts to turn translucent and the zucchini soft and tender. Take a bowl of vegetarian clear broth, no tomatoes please. Add to it white beans, use canned or boiled ones if you have the time, some vermicelli and salt, pepper to taste. At the first boil add at the leeks and zucchini and let the broth come to a gentle simmer. Once the broth is thick enough, take off the gas and add diced tomatoes and garnish with a big dash to pesto. Hmmmm, the freshness of the pesto will first hit your nose and as you devour the rest of the soup, in front of the TV and hear the thunder outside, you know you are safe and comfortable at home.

But nothing in the world is like a nice cup of steamy hot tea or chai , perfectly brewed with a bunch of fresh pudina or lemon grass, a generous dash of ginger to drive away the  shivers and lots of elaichi or cardamom. Monsoons and cups of tea go hand in hand and if you have a plate full of Bhajiyas or pakoras, then your evening couldn't get better however hard it may rain, how ever loud the clapping of the thunder and however startling  the lightening. As you curl up with a cup of spicy Indian Tea and garma-garm  pakoras,  you know you are in a safe , happy , cozy place. Nothing more mesmerizing than Mumbai Monsoons!










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