Rainy day cravings? These homemade monsoon snacks are perfect for cosy evenings
Pakora, noodles, and fried stuff are some classic monsoon snacks that are irresistible and irreplaceable. While the monsoon is quenching the earth’s thirst, it’s time you start preparing snacks to elevate your season.
These snacks are perfect to try at home for monsoon. (Unsplash)
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Bread Pakora
Chef Santosh Patra, Sr Chef De Partie, Deltin Jaqk, Goa, shared this quick bread pakora recipe you can try at home.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3 – 4
Ingredients
For the pakora batter:
4–6 bread slices (White or Brown)
1½ cups besan (Gram Flour)
2 tbsp rice flour (for extra crispiness)
½ tsp ajwain (Carom Seeds)
1 tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
Salt, to taste
Water, as required
Oil, for deep frying
For the potato stuffing:
3 medium boiled potatoes, mashed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
½-inch ginger, grated
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, to taste
Method
Here’s the step-by-step process:
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with green chilli, grated ginger, coriander leaves, chaat masala, and salt.
Step 2: Spread the stuffing evenly on one bread slice and cover with another slice.
Step 3: Press gently and cut into triangles or rectangles, as preferred.
Step 4: In a mixing bowl, combine the besan, rice flour, ajwain, red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt.
Step 5: Gradually add water to make a smooth, lump-free batter of coating consistency.
Step 6: Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Step 7: Heat oil in a deep kadai over medium heat.
Step 8: Dip each stuffed bread piece into the batter, ensuring it is evenly coated.
Step 9: Carefully place it into the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side.
Step 10: Remove and drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup.
Chef’s tip:
Maintain the oil at a medium temperature. Oil that is too hot will brown the pakodas quickly while leaving them undercooked inside, whereas oil that is too cool will make them absorb excess oil.
Coriander lime noodles
If you are tired of usual noodles, then try Ayushi Gupta-Mehra’s steaming hot coriander lime noodles to bring a twist to your monsoon platter.
Ingredients
200-250 gm noodles of choice
2.5-3 tbsp sesame oil
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2-3 tsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1-1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce (or swap with 1 tbsp light soy sauce)
1/2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce (optional)
¼-⅓ cup basil leaves, chopped
¼-⅓ cup scallions chopped
¼-⅓ cup coriander, destemmed and finely chopped
2-3 tsp sesame seeds
Juice of 1 lime/ lemon
Method
Here’s step-by-step process:
Step 1: Cook noodles until just shy of al dente, drain and set aside.
Step 2: Heat sesame oil in a small pan and add garlic, onion, and chilli flakes. Let it simmer gently to infuse the flavours.
Step 3: Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, basil, scallions, coriander, sesame seeds, and lemon / lime juice.
Step 4: Pour the hot infused oil over the noodles and mix well until fully combined.
Step 5: Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more lime juice for zing or more vegan oyster sauce for depth.
Step 6: Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve fridge-cold.
