Monsoon recipes: Onion pakoda, apple pasta and more

Dark clouds and lashing rains - as the summer heat gets washed away, the freshness of the green trees outside my home makes me crave for some masala tea and pakodas.

I guess it’s the same everywhere when the human tongue wants to taste on warm and tangy food.

Just a note of caution: Go easy on the salt. Don’t use too much of it in your food.

This is because, unlike the summer months when due to sweating the body’s salts get depleted, it does not happen during the monsoons and, instead, most of the salt eaten is retained within.

1. Onion Pakoda

Ingredients

• 2-3 large sized onions
• 1.5 cups of gram flour
• ½ tablespoon red chilli powder
• 2 tablespoon of rice flour
• ¼ tablespoon asafoetida powder
• Salt to taste
• A cup of water

Method

• Take the gram flour in a bowl
• To this add salt, asafoetida powder, red chilli powder and rice flour
• Add water and mix all well
• Slice onions into thick rings
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan
• Dip the onion rings into the gram flour batter and then deep fry them in the hot oil
• Once brown, remove them from the oil and place on a tissue paper to soak out the excess oil
• Serve hot with ketchup or chutney

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Ingredients

• 4-5 slices of bread
• 1.5 cups of gram flour
• A cup of water
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1-2 green chilli
• ½ teaspoon of ajwain
• ½ teaspoon of chaat masala
• Salt to taste

Method

• Make a batter out of water and gram flour
• Add chopped onion and green chilly to the batter
• Add salt, chaat masala and ajwain to it and stir it well
• Take bread slices and cut them in halves, diagonally
• Dip each slice into the batter
• Deep fry each in hot oil
• This can be served with mint chutney or tomato ketchup

Ingredients

• 1 cup of boiled and then crushed corn
• ¾ cup grated cheese
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• ½ cup of flour
• 1 cup of milk
• Salt to taste
• For dipping the balls – either two eggs or ½ cup flour
• Three arrowroot biscuits

Method

• Melt the butter in a pan
• Add the flour and sauté it
• Add the milk and stir it well so that the flour does not form lumps
• Add the corn kernels and the cheese and stir the mixture well
• Once it begins to thicken add salt to taste
• Remove from flame once all the liquid from the mixture has evaporated and it can be rolled into balls
• Cool it a bit and then roll it into balls
• Either dip the balls into whisked eggs or into a batter made of flour and water
• Then dip them into a plate filled with arrowroot biscuit powder
• Deep fry the balls in a pan till brown
• Drain off the excess oil and serve with a cheese dip

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 olives
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• ½ cup flour
• Pinch of pepper powder

Method

• In a bowl, mix the butter, cheese and the flour. 
• Add pepper powder and blend altogether well to form a dough like mixture.
• Take one olive at a time and wrap each of them with this dough.
• Place the olives in a greased oven proof dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Once they begin to turn golden you will know that they are done.
• Serve warm with a dip of your choice. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ cup cooked rice
• ½ cup cooked minced chicken
• Juice from one lemon
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 chopped celery sticks
• 1 chopped carrots
• ½ cup green peas
• A pinch of crushed pepper
• A pinch of salt

Method

• Boil chicken stock with the lemon juice, flour and the vegetables in a large pot for 15 to 20 minutes
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Once it begins to boil, then put it on simmer for another 5 minutes
• Beat the egg yolks in a fairly large bowl.
• Once done, add some of the sop to it while constantly stirring.
• Pour the mixture into the pot.
• Add the cooked rice and stir it into the soup mixture.
• Last add the minced chicken.
• Close the pot and allow the soup to cook for a few minutes
• Pour into bowls and serve piping hot with a dollop of butter of fresh whipped cream

Ingredients

• 10 turmeric leaves
• 1 cup jiggery
• 1 cup coconut (grated)
• 1 cup rice flour
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of powdered green cardamom

Method

• Melt the jaggery in a pan.
• Add a cup of grated coconut to it.
• Stir till it looks dry.
• Add the cardamom to it.
• Prepare rice batter by adding water to rice flour.
• Take a turmeric leaf and spread the rice batter on it.
• Take the coconut filling and heap a spoon of it on one end of the leaf.
• Cover it with the other side of the leaf. Keep it aside
• Repeat the procedure with the other leaves till the entire filling is over.
• When you're done, place them in a steamer and cook for a few minutes
• Serve hot

Ingredients

• 2 apples
• 1 packet pasta
• 1 cube of cheese
• 2 eggs
• Half a cup of chopped nuts
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon green cardamom
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup sour cream

Method

• Boil the pasta of your choice in water with a pinch of salt.
• Remove the skin and boil the apples after chopping them into tiny pieces.
• Mix the apple pieces with cheese, nuts, a little sugar, green cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg powder.
• Spread melted butter in an oven proof dish.
• Begin layering by alternating with the pasta and the apple mixture.
• Whisk two eggs and pour once the layering is complete.
• Sprinkle brown sugar and roasted oats.
• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
• In the mean time whisk sour cream and brown sugar together.
• Once the pasta is baked, let it cool down a bit and then garnish it with the sour cream mix.

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 ripe bananas
• 4 to 5 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
• ¼ cup raisins and chopped almonds
• Pinch of salt

Method

• Slice the bananas and fry them in ghee till they turn light brown.
• Mash them with a fork.
• Add sugar, green cardamom and nutmeg powder to it and mix it in.
• Add a handful of roasted raisins and chopped almonds.
• Add two tablespoons of rose water and stir altogether.
• Pour the mixture into a pan and spread it out smoothly into it.
• While cooking on very low flame make holes in them.
• Add eggs, one at a time, to fill each of the holes.
• Sprinkle salt over the eggs and cook till the eggs are done.
• Cut and serve with buttered garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 table spoon of butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup rice
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

• In a pan, add the dates and sugar.
• Melt the butter and add to the mixture.
• Beat the eggs and stir it into the date mixture.
• Cover the pan and place it in boiling hot water.
• Keep stirring for 15 to 20 minutes till the mixture is thick.
• Add a rice cereal, chopped nuts and a little vanilla essence to it.
• Once it has cooled down, roll them and cut out small cylindrical pieces.
• Refrigerate.
• Warm a little, top it with caramel syrup and serve.

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 ripe plums
• 4 cups of flour
• ½ cup almonds
• 1 ½ cream cheese
• ½ cup of milk
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ¼ cup baking powder
• Salt and sugar to taste

Method

• Remove the seed from the plums and then boil it in sugar water till the water becomes syrupy.
• Roast a handful of almonds and keep aside to cool.
• In a bowl, mix cream, cheese and milk.
• Add half a cup of vegetable oil and salt, sugar and cinnamon powder for taste.
• To this, add flour and baking powder.
• Mix well to form a smooth dough.
• Place it on a floured surface and roll it into an even square.
• Place the boiled plums and spread out the red syrup on the surface as well.
• Sprinkle the almonds over it.
• Roll the dough so that it forms a cylindrical shape.
• Slice them into pieces and place in an oven proof dish.
• Grease it well with butter and bake till golden brown.
• Serve with sweetened whipped cream.