Monsoons are finally here! And when I say monsoon, the thing that pops into my mind instantly is – Chai-pakoda. My heart suddenly yearns for something hot, spicy to munch on. Pakoras or bhajiyas are hands down drooling food options even for the ones who are health conscious. 

Imagine it is a chilly evening with the sky pouring its love and you crave some delicious mouthwatering hot fritters seated by your window and sipping some hot tea or coffee. 

Nobody can resist having a bite or two in this appealing weather. That is how we enjoy monsoons. 

But… we cannot have fritters every second day during the rains, can we? Monsoon not only arrives with food cravings but also with health concerns. With the earth petrichor during monsoons comes along diseases such as flu, fever, cough, etc. It is advisable to eat healthily and stay safe. But who says eating homemade healthy food needs to taste bland? You surely need to check out these tempting recipes shared by these certified food nutritionists. 

 

To win against your evening monsoon cravings, we have come up with some really delicious and Healthy Monsoon Recipes. To make sure we provide you with some wholesome recipes, we have asked Nutritionists and Dieticians, to share their favourite monsoon recipes, with their health benefits. 

 

So sit down with a hot cup of tea and enjoy these delicious recipes. 

 

 

1. IMMUNITY BOOSTING HERBAL TEA

 

By AVANTI DESHPANDE. Avanti Deshpande is a Specialist in PCOS AND GUT HEALTH with a master’s degree in food science and nutrition. She works as a consultant nutritionist. 

 

In this cold weather and the days of covid-19, your health comes first. Immunity-boosting herbal tea is a perfect blend of ingredients for the rainy season to keep away from cold and cough.

 

Ingredients- 

1. Tulsi leaves (holy basil)- a handful
2. lemongrass handful
3. peppercorns-  3-4 numbers
4. ginger grated- 1 inch 
5. honey- 1 tsp
6. lemon juice of half a lemon 

 

Method 

• boil 2 cups of water 
•  add the ingredients as shown 
•  boil to make it up to 1 cup
•  filter it, add honey and squeeze lemon juice

And your tasteful, hot herbal tea is ready. 

Health Benefits

• Tulsi Leaves are natural immunity boosters, reducing cold and cough. 
• Lemongrass has anti-bacterial properties and lowers cholesterol.
• Ginger’s antibacterial powers help the body ward off germs and have powerful medicinal properties.

 

2. FAKE GUACAMOLE 

 

By NISHITA MEHTA. Mrs. Nishita Mehta is a certified Food Nutritionist as well as an Inter CA.

Ingredients-

1. Boiled Peas
2. Coriander Leaves 
3. Mint Leaves 
4. Dill Leaves
5. Olive Oil
6. Lime Juice 
7. Ginger.

 

Method

• Transfer all the ingredients into a blender 
• Add a pinch of salt, 
• black pepper powder, 
• and chili flakes.

And done.

Enjoy it with nachos, slices of bread, or sautéed veggies of your choice

When you have homemade dips or sauces ready,  the chances of eating junk are very negligible.

Homemade is always healthy since you cut down on hidden calories, improve your gut health, and make your meals more interesting.

3.  5-INGREDIENT DOSA

             By Nishita Mehta.

Ingredients-

1. Rice Flour, 
2. Sprouts, 
3. Ragi flour, 
4. a piece of ginger,
5.  2 green chili.

 

Method-

• Mix all this in a blender with salt and little water and blend into a smooth paste.
• Make dosa out of the batter prepared

and enjoy it with tomato chutney, sambar, and gunpowder.

Wasn’t it easy? It is an instant recipe with multiple health benefits.

The benefits of the ingredients are-

• Rice Flour: good carbs 
• Sprouts: protein 
• Ragi: Calcium and Iron

 

Why include Ragi in our diet? 

• Weight watchers, this is for you-

1. Ragi and Sprout’s dosa keeps you full for a long time.
2. High in Dietary Fibre.
3. Controls Diabetes, Cholesterol, Iron Deficiency.
4. Keeps Skin Healthy.
5. Bone development, Excellent during pregnancy & post-pregnancy
6. Local and Pocket Friendly.

 

 

4. CORN CHAAT 

 

By KRUSHI SHAH. Krushi Shah is a Qualified Clinical Nutritionist with B.Sc. in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics; ️M.Sc. in Specialised Dietetics ’21 (Specialisation in Renal Nutrition), and a Certified Diabetes Educator.

I believe that: ‘You don’t have to eat less; you just have to eat right and smart.’

Sweet corn or ‘bhutta’ with monsoon rains is the perfect blend of health and taste. Today we are sharing recipes of healthy, delicious, and spicy chaat made from boiled corn.

Ingredients-

1. 3/4 cup Boiled Corn
2. 1 cup – Chopped bell peppers, tomato, and onion
3. 1 green chilli (finely chopped)

For Oil dressing-

1. 1tsp Olive oil or any vegetable oil
2. + 1tbsp lemon juice
3. + Salt acc to taste
4. + 1/2 tap red chilli powder
5. + 1/4 tap cumin powder (jeera powder)
6. + 1/2 tap chaat masala

Garnish-

• Coriander + Raw mango

Method-

• ️ Remove, rinse and then boil the corn. Boil them with little water until tender. 
• ️Saute them in little ghee (this step is optional)
•  Make the oil dressing by mixing all the ingredients
• ️Pour the oil dressing into sautéed corn. Mix well
• ️ Add the chopped vegetables and green chilies
• ️ Transfer the corn chaat into the serving bowl and garnish it with coriander and raw mango.

Benefits-

Corns are high in complex carbohydrates, which help to curb hunger and boost energy levels. Corns, being a good probiotic, help to enhance our gut bacteria while also aiding digestion and enhancing metabolism. It has essential nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants that support the immune system. And by adding colourful vegetables to this corn; the fibre, Vitamin C, and antioxidants content increases making it a perfect healthy and yummy evening snack.

 

We think spending the rainy days, cooking and eating together with your loved ones is the most exciting feeling. So this monsoon, while you have to take a leave from your work due to a heavy downpour, get up from your couch, head to your kitchen, and try these appetising recipes and share them with your family.