The arrival of monsoon brings about a change in almost everything. The roads tend to become lakes; people tend to stay indoors, enjoying their ‘rainy day’. Rains, also suddenly change the appetite of people. We start to crave for something hot. Pakodas and a hot cup of tea come first in mind.
But pakodas are a thing of the past now. This monsoon, try these delicacies from the South. This tasty detour will definitely make craving for more.
1. Banana chips
Although banana chips are more traditional in the south, there have been different variations to the humble chips. The unripe fruit is cut in thin slices and deep-fried. The chips are then tossed in salt and light masala.Jackfruit chips are a delicacy that can be made easily at home and enjoyed with a nice, hot cup of tea or coffee.
2. Pazham pori
Think of it as the South-Indian variant of the chinese banana fritters. Only its recipe requires little to no expertise.The ripe bananas are peeled and tossed in the sweet batter made with simply sugar, water and all-purpose flour (maida). Then they are deep-fried until golden brown in color.If you are a health conscious person, you can use whole-wheat flour instead.
3. Paniyaram
For those bored with idli and dosa everytime they wanted to have south-indian food, paniyaram is a refreshing change. The batter used is the same as idli/dosa. To that, fried onion, coconut, green chillies, ginger and coriander are added. The flavoursome batter is now poured in a hot idli-pan and fried until golden brown. Serve with tomato chutney and voila ! You have a mouth-watering dish right there.
4. Parippu vada
How to move over pakodas ? Well, parippu vada is the simple answer. Soaked chana daal or toor dal is ground to a fine paste and mixed ginger, dry red chilli, onion and curry leaves. The balls made from the mixture are flattened and deep-fried. There you have it. A healthier alternative to pakoda which is crunchy, spicy and definitely yummy. Have them with green chutney and tea, sit back, and enjoy the rain.
5. Sundal
A humble street-food from Tamil Nadu. Boiled kabuli-chana tossed with chillies, coconut and lemon juice. Wholesome, tasty snack which is really simple to make.
This is an excellent alternative to all that fried stuff we tend to consume more during monsoons.
6. Rasam vadai
Rasam vadai is vadas made of lentils and served with piping hot rasam. The crispy vadas along with the hot rasam make up for a wholesome snack during the rains.
7. Lukhmi
Lukhmi is often compared to samosas due to the similarity in shape. However, this traditional snack of Hyderabad often has a filling of minced mutton and various spices.
If you are a vegetarian, you can always choose to substitute the filling with spicy potato and other vegetables. Served with green chutney, this light snack flavours the whole mosoon experience.
