A cup of tea served with pakodas — the sight of the first shower every monsoon is incomplete without this combination of gastronomical treat, in imagination at least if not in reality. Monsoon is synonymous with crispy fried rainy day specials – which the season makes us crave for.
However, monsoon is also the time for tummy troubles. So, be careful about what you eat during this time.
Here are some healthy and tasty recipes that won’t spoil the monsoon flavour but ensure nutrition. Celebrity chefs Vicky Ratnani, Sabyasachi Gorai, Macao’s unique food culture and others have shared these exciting and sumptuous delicacies for you.
FALAFEL WITH WALNUTS
Ingredients
250 g of dried chickpeas
30 g breadcrumbs
50 California walnuts
3 cloves of garlic
½ onion
1 sprig of parsley
1 sprig of cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
Sunflower oil
Black pepper
Salt
Mixed lettuce as a side
For the yogurt sauce:
1 plain yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
A sprig of mint
Pepper
Salt
Preparations
1. Leave the chickpeas to soak in cold water throughout a night. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash the parsley and cilantro, dry with paper towels and chop the leaves finely using a sharp knife.
2. Grind the drained chickpeas into a grinding with bread crumbs, onion, walnuts, garlic and herbs. Add the cumin, salt and pepper and let stand 30 minutes. Form balls of dough and fry in batches in a pan with hot oil until golden brown.
3. Prepare the yogurt sauce whisking all the ingredients. Serve the falafel with salad and yogurt sauce.
(Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai)
CHATPATA PRAWNS
Ingredients
Prawns 140gm
Onion 60gm
Tomato 60gm
Ginger Garlic Paste 10gm
Red Chilli Paste 10gm
Green Chilli 03gm
Fennel Seeds 03gm
Coriander Seeds 03gm
Curry leaves 04gm
Corriander fresh 05gm
Salt 05gm
Cumin powder 05gm
Turmeric 03gm
DeghiMirch 05gm
Garam Masala 05gm
Pao bun 02nos
Butter 10gm
Refined Oil 20ml
Chaat Masala 03gm
Lemon 01nos
Preparations
1. Take 7 to 8 pcs of prawns clean and deveined
2. Heat oil in a pan add fennel seeds, crushed coriander seeds & curry leaves.
3. Add chopped onion sauté nicely.
4. Add ginger garlic paste, green chili, tomato, red chili paste, sauté everything nicely.
5. Add cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala and degi mirch.
6. Add Prawns into the mixture & let it cook in masala.
7. Add seasoning as per taste, remove from heat and add freshly squeezed lemon juice.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves.
9. Take two pieces of pao bun, toast and spread butter.
10. Take the serving plate and arrange the prawns nicely.
11. Garnish with Chopped Coriander Leaves and fried curry leaves.
12. Place buttered pao on side.
(Recipe by The Beer cafe)
GRILLED TOFU SANDWICH
Ingredients
Tofu ground -70 grams
Tofu steak -100 grams
Celery -1 stalk (chopped)
Soy sauce-20 ml
Pesto – 10 grams
Lemon juice – Quantity needs to be specified
Salt to taste
Pepper -2 grams
Lettuce-10 grams
Tomato – 1no
Oil – Quantity needs to be specified
Butter – Quantity needs to be specified
Preparations
1. Take ground tofu to mix it with finely chopped celery, soy sauce, lemon juice and make a patty out of the mixture and grill it.
2. Take the tofu steak and grill it on the pan.
3. Apply mayo on the steak and arrange lettuce, tomato and the tofu patty on it and place the other steak on it
4. Insert a skewer with olive on it. Serve it with French fries/ potato wedges.
(Recipe by Taj Hotel)
STUFFED EGGS
Ingredients
Egg 6
150 g Onion
100 g Parsley
80 g Fresh shitake mushroom
80 g Fresh chicken leg mushroom
80 g Fresh oyster mushroom
Salt & white pepper
200g Breading kit (egg, flour and breadcrumbs)
Preparations
1. Boil the eggs, peel the shell and cut to half longitudinally,
2. Dig out the egg yolk keeping the white halves intact and whole.
3. Crush the egg yolk and mix together with sautéed onion, parsley and mushrooms . Season
with salt and pepper (if the mixture is very dry, add a whole raw egg)
4. Stuff the whites with the mixture, so it resembles a whole egg.
5. Bread the egg in this order. Flour, Beaten egg and fine breadcrumb.
(Recipe by Chef David Wong )
DRIED TOMATO, ARGULLA, MOZZARELLA AND WALNUT CUPCAKE
Ingredients
2 eggs
125 g of soft olive oil
125 g of sugar
160 ml of skimmed milk
270 g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons yeast powder
35 California walnuts chopped
1 ball of mozzarella
3 dried tomatoes
20 g of arugula
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Pepper
Salt
Preparations
1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Drain the mozzarella cheese and chop finely. Chop the tomatoes and the arugula.
2. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and the soft olive oil until obtaining a smooth and foamy mixture. Add milk and sifted flour with the yeast and continue blending using an electric blender for 2 minutes until getting a light cream texture. Add the California Walnuts, the mozzarella, the dried tomatoes and the arugula, all finely chopped. Add salt and pepper and mix lightly.
3. Having 12 cupcake backing liners, fill them with the mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°C, until they have risen and feel firm to the touch. Remove them from the oven, let cool a few minutes and let stand on a rack to cool completely.
4. For the topping: Whisk the ricotta with a pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop the small tomato. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to cover the cupcake surface with ricotta.
5. Decorate with dried tomatoes and chopped walnuts and arrange a piece of arugula on each of them. Serve immediately.
(Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai)
KANDA BHAJJI
Ingredients
Onion 160gm
Besan 20gm
Rice Flour 10gm
Salt 02gm
Chop Green Chilli 03gm
Ajwain 02gm
Turmeric Powder 02gm
Red chilli Powder 02gm
Chaat Masala 02gm
Mint Chutney 30gm
Oil for Frying 100ml
Preparations
1 Peel Onion & cut thinly slice.
2 Place it in a bowl, add finely chopped green chilies.
3 Add Ajawin, turmeric powder & red chili powder.
4 Mix besan into it & little rice flour; add salt to taste & mix well.
5 Add little water if required.
6 Make uneven shapes & deep fry it till golden brown in colour.
7 Sprinkle chat masala on top &served with mint chutney.
(Recipe by The Beer cafe)
SPICY PANNER WITH BEETROOT & CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
For marinade:
250 grams Cottage Cheese (cut into
squares or any desired shape)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Salt n pepper to taste
For the Chutney:
1.5 tablespoon Olive oil
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Pepper and fennel powder
2 sliced Jalapenos
10 curry leaves
½ tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ginger garlic red chili paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of Hing/asafetida powder
1/3 cup frozen U.S. Cranberries
Salt to taste
½ cup grated beetroot
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
½ cup coconut milk
To garnish:
Thinly sliced spring onions
4-5 Coriander leaves
Preparation:
Marinate the cottage cheese for 30 to 45 minutes in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Pan sear in olive oil until golden brown and rich in color.
For the chutney, heat oil, add mustard seeds, hing and cumin seeds along with the curry
leaves.
Fry for 30 seconds. Add the grated beetroot and fresh frozen cranberries and simmer for 10
minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice and serve with cottage cheese
Garnish with coriander and thinly sliced onions.
(Recipe by Chef Vicky Ratnani)
SWEET POTATO TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS
Ingredients
200 grams ground smoked chicken
50 grams diced onions
2 egg whites (lightly beaten)
1 clove garlic minced
20 grams semolina
1 tsp. ground black pepper
25 grams lettuce
Half tomato
1 no Cucumber
250 grams Sweet potato
50 grams Olives
5 grams –sumac
Vinaigrette dressing
Preparations
- Take ground smoked chicken; mix diced onion, egg white, minced garlic cloves, black pepper and salt to taste.
- Mix it well and make patties out of it.
- Dust the patties with semolina
- Cook the patty on a hot pan with little oil.
- Take sweet potato peal it and cut steaks out of it.
- Grill sweet potato steak on hot pan.
- Take the grilled steak arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber and the smoked chicken patty on it. Sprinkle some sumac and vinaigrette dressing.
- Take the other Stael and arrange it on top. Insert skewer with olive. Serve it with French fries/ potato wedges.
(Recipe by Taj Hotel)
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CRANBERRY MASALA
Ingredients:
For marinade:
1 Tablespoon red chili powder
1 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/3 Cup U.S. Dried Cranberries
1/3 Cup U.S. Cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh curry leaves
A dash of lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
250 Grams boneless chicken breast
For Slaw:
½ Cup grated radish
½ Cup grated carrots
½ Cup Corn
½ Cup sliced sweet cucumbers
A dash of lemon
1 Tablespoon dried U.S. Cranberries
½ Sliced spring onions
Olive Oil One Tablespoon
Preparation:
In the blender, mix all the above ingredients for the marinade except the chicken, to make a
fine paste.
Massage out the marinade paste on the chicken and pan fry till cooked.
Serve hot along with the nicely mixed cranberry slaw
(Recipe by Chef Vicky Ratnani)