Monsoon snacks that will make your rainy weekend perfect!

Most people enjoy the rain. The song it sings when it drops on the sand, the smell of the wet soil, and the cool breeze it brings. Rains bring so much joy and happiness to everyone’s life. A rainy weekend at home slows you down and relax from the weekday stress. With the weather being a sight to behold, it is a different kind of experience to munch on tasty snacks with a ‘chuski of chai.’ Find the perfect monsoon snacks you can have at your chai parties here.

1. Pakoras

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Are you even enjoying monsoon season if you don’t have pakoras with chai? Monsoon and chai pakora go hand in hand. We are talking about all kinds of pakoras here – aloo, pyaz, spinach, paneer, chicken, and more. Served with spicy green chutney and hot tea, they make your day and mood a lot better.

Recipe:

• Firstly, slice onions roughly in length-wise. You also have to prepare all the other ingredients (mint leaves, green chili, ginger).
• Then, take sliced onion in a mixing bowl. After that, add all the other ingredients except for the oil for deep frying.
• Add water only under ¼ cup. Mix well but be gentle. 
• After mixing, heat oil and start deep frying. It is suggested not to rest the mixture as it turns brown.
• Keep the oil heat in medium until it is pale golden and bubbling reduces a little.
• Drain over a paper towel and repeat to finish all. Always remember while dropping, the heat should be high, then medium to low, and again high heat while taking out.

2. Samosa

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A snack loved by everyone, how can samosa not make it to the list of monsoon snacks? Who are we even kidding? No matter what the fillings contain whether aloo, paneer, aloo matar, corn, or even noodle, this triangular delight brings out the same reaction from everyone – ‘Mmmmm, oh so yum!!’ Don’t forget to have a cup of tea with it.

Recipe

• The first step is to cook the potatoes and peas for the savory and spiced filling.
• Then, roast or toast the spices. This helps to release their flavors and must not be skipped.
• Peel the skin off the cooked potatoes, and chop them in ½ to 1 inch cubes.
• In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour (250 grams), 1 teaspoon carom seeds, 1 teaspoon salt and 6 tablespoons ghee (50 grams).
• In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams), 1 teaspoon carom seeds, 1 teaspoon salt and 6 tablespoons ghee (50 grams).
• The final step to making the best samosa is to fry them to a perfectly crisp golden brown.

3. Bread Pakoda

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Right behind Samosa, bread pakoda is one of the most favorite monsoon snacks that just taste right. It takes a small amount of your time to prepare bread pakoras. Stuffed with aloo, veggies, paneer, or even eggs and chicken, this monsoon delicacy is heavenly with a cup of tea.

Recipe

• Boil or steam 2 medium-sized or 1 large potato in a pressure cooker or steamer. When the potatoes become warm, then peel and grate them. Set it aside. You can also mash them.
• In a mixing bowl, take the following ingredients: 1 cup besan (gram flour), ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), 1 to 2 pinches baking soda and salt as required.
• On the chopping board, slice the bread into triangle or rectangle slices.
• Heat the oil for deep frying in a kadai or wok. Check if the oil is ready by adding a drop of the batter. If the batter starts sizzling and comes gradually on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready. Make the fried bread pakodas.

4. Bhutta

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Right from the onset of the monsoon, you will see streets filled with bhuttas and vendors selling roasted or boiled bhuttas. The sweet smell of roasted bhutta is enough to make you drool. You can go out on a bhutta date with your friends and undoubtedly enjoy every bit of it. Even if you just want to be curled up at home, you can roast bhuttas at home, apply some chat masala and lemon, and have it while enjoying the drizzle.

Recipe (Roasting Bhutta at home)

• Remove the corn husk and strings from the corn.
• Roast the corn on the grill or open a gas flame at medium-high heat. Move it around every 30 seconds or so, so the corn gets roasted evenly. You will hear some kernels pop. In some time, all the kernels will blacken to varying degrees.
• Mix all the spices in a bowl. Use a half lime to dip in the spice mix to pick up the spices and rub all over the corn, making sure to squeeze lime juice while doing so. Serve hot!

5. Momos

Known by many names like dumplings and dim sums, we just want excuses to have momos. Whether you like steamed or fried, veg fillings or non-veg, there is at least one variety of momos for everyone. Dipped in spicy chutney, each bite of fresh and hot momos just enhances the beauty of the rain.

Recipe

• The dough for momos is made with all-purpose flour, salt, and lukewarm water. You can use whole wheat flour but the wrapper will be really dense and chewy. 
• The vegetarian filling for momos is cooked or stir-fried before using it. You can use a variety of veggies like onions, cabbage, carrots, capsicum or bell peppers, mushrooms, corn, paneer, etc.
• Steam the momos for about 6 minutes, which is enough time to cook both the wrapper and the filling.
• When it comes to making, place the stuffed momos on a silicone-lined baking sheet in rows, making sure none of the pieces touch each other. Cover the tray with a clean, wet towel as you prep to prevent them from drying out.
• Once all momos are ready, place the tray straight into the freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours
• You can transfer the frozen momos to a ziplock bag after dividing them to into smaller portion. 
• When you are ready to cook, just place the frozen momos straight into the steamer and steam for an extra minute or two.

6. Kachori

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One of the popular snacks to have in monsoon is kachori and kachori chat. The cozy monsoon weather becomes even more beautiful when you munch on crunchy and crispy kachoris. The options are never-ending, from the classic aloo kachori to pyaaz kachori, hing kachori, and dal kachori. Treat your taste buds right with a plate of kachori or its chat accompanied by chutneys and chai.

Recipe

• Take 2 cups of all-purpose flour in a bowl or pan. Add ½ teaspoon salt or as per taste.
• Add ¼ cup ghee. Make sure the ghee is in a semi-solid molten state.
• Rinse ½ cup of yellow moong dal in a bowl. Soak moong lentils for 2 hours in enough water for moong daal stuffing.
• After 30 minutes, lightly knead the dough. Then roll the dough into a log. Assemble and stuff to give it a shape.
• Heat oil for frying in a kadai and keep the heat to a low or medium-low. When the oil is just hot enough, you can add 2 to 3 kachoris or more depending on the size of your kadai or pan. Make sure the oil is not medium hot or very hot.

7. Pav/Bun

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Of course, Pav made it to the list. Was there any doubt? The cool monsoon weather is better with pav dishes. Not only one, but there are multiple dishes around pav – pav bhaji, vada pav, pav vada, missal pav, bun maska, omelette bun, and whatnot. Pav in any dish makes it pav-erful.

Go to the trusted shops to buy the pav and mix it with anything that you might like to have this monsoon!

8. Aloo chaat 

Petition to make aloo national vegetable! While we are kidding but there might not be a single soul who doesn’t like aloos. Aloo Chaat is one of the best monsoon snacks that you can make at home easily. Sizzling fried potatoes with chaat masala, just the thought of it makes your mouth water.

Recipe

• Fry potatoes in the shape you want.
• Add boiled chickpeas for aloo chana chaat.
• Drizzle seasoned yogurt on top for dahi aloo chaat.
• Add some pomegranates for a sweeter crunchier kick.
• You are ready to serve hot in a quick time.

9. Jalebi

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If you thought this snack list wouldn’t have any sweet snacks for all those having a sweet tooth, you couldn’t be more wrong. The only sweet dish that is acceptable as a monsoon snack is a hot, crisp and juicy jalebi. You can pair it with rabdi to get the best taste.

Recipe

• Add all-purpose flour, gram flour, baking soda to a bowl and mix well.
• Add ghee, yogurt, and water and mix well until the batter is smooth and completely lump-free. 
• Keep the batter aside for 20 minutes.
• Make the syrup, add sugar, water, cardamom powder, and saffron strands to a 4-QT saucepan and cook until it comes to a boil stirring frequently.
• Turn the heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until the syrup has a one-string consistency. Turn the heat off and stir in lemon juice.
• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• After 20 minutes, you will see small bubbles on the batter. Pour the batter into a condiment bottle. Make sure the hole is out 2 to 3 mm wide for the dough to flow out. Once the oil is hot, start making the jalebi by squeezing the bottle and making spirals starting from the inside and going outside.
• Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on low heat, then carefully flip the jalebis. Cook for another 2 minutes on low heat as they get lightly golden brown.
• Carefully lift the jalebis in a slotted spatula that will help drain out excess oil and add them to the warm sugar syrup. Keep the Jalebis in the syrup just for a few seconds.
• Turn the Jalebis over so both sides are coated with syrup and take them out using a pair of tongs leaving the excess syrup in the pot.