“The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfillment of its own nature, which was to fall and fall.” Helen Garner.
It’s Monsoon once again! Mumbai sky is overcast in much more than fifty shades of grey. From my balcony, the city is drenched with splashes of vibrant greens and the trees are swaying in a merry dance to the rhythm of incessant rains and the cool monsoon breeze. My WhatsApp groups are spilling over with tempting images of every possible culinary delight suitable for this weather. I feel an intense craving for a strong cup of ginger tea.
MUMBAI SKY FROM MY BALCONY
Every season has its own charm but the Monsoons tend to have a special soft corner in the hearts of all. It’s the rejuvenating season for mother nature. We eagerly wait for this season to get some respite from the long, tiring, sultry weather of the Indian Summer but when it comes to our taste buds, we like hot, spicy and crispy. Opposite attract each other no doubt!
The famous Bhajiya Pavs and the Vada Pavs are one of the best treats during the Mumbai Rains. Throughout the rainy months, these are high on demand in my house at tea times. The recent Pandemic situation since last year has sadly put a temporary ‘brake’ on our weekend drives to the famous stalls of Mumbai, in quest of these popular snacks. Especially the one near Kirti College, Dadar and a few near Juhu Beach. We are compensating, fine-tuning and adjusting to the homemade varieties this season once again.
Unlike, other parts of India, in the desert, rains are celebrated like festivals. Every household enjoys the rain with their specialty dishes. The few months that I spent in Rajasthan, the Spicy Mirchi Vadas and Pyaaz kachoris were the highlight of my rainy indulgence during the occasional, most-awaited torrential desert-showers.
Rain and Khichdi are the classic jugalbandi in a Bengali household and I grew up in one. It’s served with different bhajas (fried veggies), sometimes Ilish Maach bhaja(fried Hilsa fish) or even with an egg omelet and it is ‘The Comfort Food’ for the weather.
Near the Metro Station of Shyambazar in North Kolkata, is a small shanty that is famous for its different pakoras, popularly known as Telebhaja in that part of India. One can literally sniff up the mouth-watering aroma from almost half a kilometer! I remember the utter delight of munching the crunchy, soft-centered, pakoras and meditating on the explosion of tastes in my mouth! Those were my favorite indulgences on rainy evenings back home.
ICONIC TELEBHAJA SHOP OF SHYAMBAZAR, KOLKATA
Waking up to the smell of hot puri, sabzi, or halwa, puri breakfasts were the pampering, luxuries of rain-washed holidays at home. Much to the misery of the adults, I like many other kids used to wait for the city to get water-logged. We never missed the opportunity to make paper boats out of used newspapers and sail them in the overflowing sewage water of the city with sheer excitement every year!
Some things never change. The charm of Rainy days for me remains to be good food, a steaming cup of tea, someone to enjoy the rain with if not, a good book to read or the latest suspense thriller on Netflix. It is my ultimate monsoon celebration!
I am sure most of you have your Monsoon time favorites when it comes to food. I am eager to learn about the local, regional delicacies and family food traditions, related to this season. Please do share your preferences from the food- treasures in the comment section. ☺️🙏🏼
