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

1. Take ground smoked chicken; mix diced onion, egg white, minced garlic cloves, black pepper and salt to taste.
2. Mix it well and make patties out of it.
3. Dust the patties with semolina
4. Cook the patty on a hot pan with little oil.
5. Take sweet potato peal it and cut steaks out of it.
6. Grill sweet potato steak on hot pan.
7. Take the grilled steak arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber and the smoked chicken patty on it. Sprinkle some sumac and vinaigrette dressing.
8. 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)