Deluge of flavours

Pushpesh Pant

Several parts of the country are reeling under floods, but, away from the scenes of natural disasters, one wishes for the monsoon to linger a bit. Not just because it sends the temperatures tumbling, it also ushers magic on the platter. And, believe us, there is much more than pakoras and samosas to liven up the scene.

There is nothing like a steaming bowl of hot soup that can be slurped without any sense of guilt. Our all-time favourite is laksa, a signature dish from a street side food hawking stall in Malaysia. The soup — redolent with fresh turmeric, galangal and lemon juice — comes fortified with two kinds of noodles, assortment of vegetables, shredded pieces of chicken and spiked with chopped chillies and coriander. It imbibes many culinary influences — from Thai to Vietnamese and Indian. It reminds us of khao suey from Myanmar.

We love to shift gears and change directions with each thunderclap or rumble in the clouds and palak badi seems to fit the bill. It satisfies the craving for fried stuff without being drenched in oil. Steamed and shallow fried on a non-stick pan, it creates the illusion of fried savouries.

Chopped spinach is mixed with thick gram flour and spiced to taste, rolled into cylinders and steamed. The purely vegetarian ‘sausage’ is cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Anointed with green coriander, mint and green chilli chutney that accents the hue, the bari comes close to perfection. Another plus point is that the steamed roll can be prepared beforehand and grilled when the urge to indulge is strongest. Sabudana vada packed with crunchy peanuts and diced potatoes is another good option.

We were recently treated to sweetcorn chaat (once again steamed and enriched with melted butter), homemade chaat masala sprinkled all over it. A little chana jor garam adds a delightful crunch.

Ajwaini arbi ki katli and cheesy masala mushrooms along with zimikand tikka have the potential to add a refreshing variety to the monsoon platter. If there is an oven or a gas tandoor around, you may try your hand at pethe ke dooley too.

In all this, the greatest challenge remains to tickle the sweet tooth. Jalebi and gulab jamun are always welcome when clouds in the sky frolic like elephants in rut. But these are difficult to prepare at home and don’t taste quite the same after reheating. So, we prefer baked/roasted beetroot paired with caramelised onions over a bed of hot melted sugar-free chocolate. Serve it along with mini skewers of lightly scalded sultanas peppered with black peppercorns. 

And if you really wish to revive nostalgia, you may exert a little more and deep fry some pua. Not the malpua bought from the neighbourhood halwai, but the traditional stuff at home. At a pinch, even gulgule will pass muster. Also try out a small shot of hot kesariya milk garnished with almond flakes, pistachio slivers and diced dried dates. Yumm!