Comforting Food For Monsoon: Recipes For The Rainy Season
Image Credit: Freepik

Relieving everyone of the intense summer heat, the monsoon season feels like a blessing. As the raindrops fall on your window pane, the urge to drink a chilled beverage lowers. The culinary preferences, however, shift to comforting dishes and warmer food options. If you’re done with making pakoras every time it rains, here are some healthier recipes you must explore.

Curated by chefs Anirudh Deshpande from Coorg Marriott Resort and Spa, Prateek Jha from KOCA, the buzzing restaurant by Yuvraj Singh, and Ashish Singh from Cafe Delhi Heights, the pan-India favourite food spot. From picking up avocados to exploring regional favourites of Coorg, here are some step-by-step recipes that you can easily recreate at home.

Coorg Pandi Curry By Chef Anirudh Deshpande, Executive Chef, Coorg Marriott Resort And Spa

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg pork, cut into cubes (preferably with some fat)
  • 1.2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2.5 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to spice tolerance)
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 15 shallots
  • 3 green chillies
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 5-inch piece of ginger
  • 2 tsp Coorg pork masala (or homemade roasted black masala – see below)
  • 3 tsp kachampuli (Coorg vinegar) – or substitute with 1 tbsp thick tamarind extract
  • 2–3 tbsp coconut oil (or preferred cooking oil)
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
  • 1 cup water

Ingredients For Optional Coorg Black Pork Masala Powder:

1 tsp black peppercorns

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 dry red chillies
  • Small stick of cinnamon

Grind coarsely and store airtight.

Instructions:

  1. Wash pork cubes thoroughly.
  2. In a pressure cooker, combine pork with turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, and 1 cup water.
  3. Cook for 3 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally and set aside.
  4. For the masala, take a blender, and combine ginger, garlic, green chillies, and one-fourth of the shallots.
  5. Blend to a fine paste using a little water if necessary. Coarsely grind the remaining shallots separately.
  6. Heat 2–3 tbsp oil in a large kadai (wok) over medium-high heat. Add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and sauté until aromatic. Add the coarsely ground shallots and sauté until golden brown and soft.
  7. Add the cooked pork (with its juices) to the kadai. Mix well and fry on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  8. Once the masala coats the pork evenly, sprinkle in the Coorg pork masala and pour in the kachampuli.
  9. Continue to cook uncovered, stirring, until oil begins to surface and the curry thickens (~10–15 minutes). Check for seasoning and adjust salt or sourness if needed.
  10. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with akki rotti, kadambuttu (rice balls), or steamed rice.

Tandoori Avocado Hummus By Chef Prateek Jha, KOCA (Kitchen of Celebratory Arts)

Ingredients:

Green Chickpea Hummus:

  • 500 g green chickpeas, boiled
  • 30 g garlic
  • 100 g garlic oil
  • 15 g tahina paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 25 g lemon juice

Tandoori Avocado:

  • 130 g avocado (half a piece)
  • 100 g hung curd
  • 5 g degi mirch
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 g dhaniya powder
  • 5 g jeera powder
  • 2 g chaat masala
  • 4 g Kashmiri lal mirch powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
  • 15 g garlic paste

Wasabi Chaat:

  • 10 g tomato, chopped
  • 7 g onion, chopped
  • 2 g green chilli, chopped
  • 2 g coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 g lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 pinch degi mirch
  • 1 g chaat masala
  • 3 g olive oil

Basil Oil:

  • 500 g fresh basil leaves
  • 100 g refined oil

Instructions:

  1. Boil green chickpeas and shock in ice water.
  2. ⁠⁠In a separate bowl, marinate avocados in the masala and keep aside.
  3. ⁠⁠Combine all ingredients with the blanched chickpeas ( tahini, garlic, oil, lemon juice ) and blend on high with ice water till smooth.
  4. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
  5. In a new bowl, prepare ingredients for the wasabi chat. Mix everything together, season with lemon and salt and get ready to plate.
  6. ⁠⁠Using a tandoor or oven, char the avocado till it gets colour and is slightly cooked.
  7. ⁠For plating, add 2 dollops of hummus and spread evenly. Place the charred avocado on the side and fill the Centre of the hummus with the wasabi chat. 
  8. Garnish with basil oil and edible flowers and serve.

Roasted Beet & American Pecan Salad By Head Chef Ashish Singh, Cafe Delhi Heights

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

  • 1 cup fresh arugula
  • ½ cup roasted beetroot, cut into wedges
  • 1 ripe plum, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp crushed pecans
  • 2 whole pecans (for garnish)

For the Balsamic Glaze:

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp red wine
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • A pinch of cinnamon

For the Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, sugar, red wine, bay leaf, and a pinch of cinnamon.
  2. Simmer over low heat until the mixture reduces and thickens into a glaze (about 5–7 minutes). Remove from heat, let it cool, and strain to remove the bay leaf.
  3. Wrap peeled beetroot in foil and roast at 200°C for 30–40 minutes until tender. Let it cool, then cut into wedges.
  4. In a large mixing bowl or serving plate, lay down the arugula as a base. Arrange roasted beetroot wedges and plum slices over it. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and crushed pecans.
  5. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad.
  6. Drizzle the prepared balsamic glaze for a glossy, flavorful finish. Garnish with whole pecans. 
  7. Serve immediately and enjoy the contrast of flavours and textures.