Enjoy 5 monsoon delicacies that are both healthy and tasty

Monsoon is a time to savour delicacies. What can be better than munching on some crispy savouries while enjoying the rain from the confines of your verandah. Speaking to this correspondent, Chef Narayan Salunke, Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Alibaug says that as much as the rains disrupt life, he prefer this season the most. “Rain reminds me the most about treks, chai-pakodas, the ‘terrifying and soothing at the same time’ property of nature, and the romantic breeze, of course,” he adds.

The chef goes on to reminiscence, “Out of these, I have had few best memories during monsoons. One of the first memories I have of ‘fun in the rain’ is of making paper boats and releasing them in nearby gutters and seeing how many reach the far end.  Preparing for school is another memory I relish, right from neatly washed and ironed uniforms a week in advance the task comes down to hunting shoe laces followed by polishing of the shoes.”

The onset of monsoons usher in the craving for a plate of steaming hot snacks with a warm cup of tea.

To celebrate this season, Chef Narayan Salunke, Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Alibaug curates five fun and easy monsoon recipes that are sure to satiate your crispy cravings.

Healthy Oven Baked Raw Banana Samosa

Samosa made from raw bananas

Everyone loves eating frying hot samosas, but many of us don't like eating too much oil. If you are one of them, you can opt for baked samosa. Additionally, using raw banana instead of potato in the recipe gives this a uniqueness and a different taste to the samosa.

Ingredients:

• Finely chopped onion-100gm
• Chopped ginger-5gm
• Curry powder-5gm
• Coriander fresh n chopped-10gm
• Green chili finely chopped-5gm
• Boiled raw banana paste-200gm        
• Refined oil-1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds-5gm
• Phyllo sheets-4 sheets
• Salt-to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil, crackle the mustard seeds.
• Add onion, ginger, and garlic, sauté until its turn golden brown.
• Mix with raw banana paste, add curry powderand chopped fresh coriander. Add seasoning.
• Take a phyllo pastry, cut in to three strips.
• Put 2 table spoon of mixture on a strip and fold over itself in to a triangle. Put all the samosas on a non-stick baking tray.
• Bake for a 15 to 20 minute until golden brown. Serve with fresh mint chutney.

Green Herbs Stuffed Spicy Spanakopita

Spanakopita

Green Herbs Stuffed Spicy Spanakopita is a complete vegetarian meal combining herbs, vegetables, starch, dairy and good fats. Since this is contains healthy ingredients like herbs, it is one of the quick recipe to be prepared in the monsoon.

Ingredients:

• Boiled chopped spinach-100gm
• Fine chopped green onion-50gm
• Fine chopped green garlic-10gm
• Green chili paste-5gm
• Fine chopped green bellpepper-50gm
• Chopped parsley-5gm
• Feta cheese-100gm
• Chopped Coriander leaves-50gm
• Olive oil-100ml
• Butter-50gm
• Phyllo sheets-10 sheets

Method:

• Heat one table spoon of oil in a pan sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper.
• Fry for 2 minutes and add the spinach.
• Mix well, add the parsley, coriander leaves.
• Turn of the heat. Let the mixture cool. Mix butter and feta cheese in it.
• Fill the mixture in the phyllo sheets in a triangle shape.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F and keep the triangles in the center of the oven.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and serve.

Mexican Jalapeno

Mexican Jalapeno

The Mexican Jalapeno ingredients combine to make a surprisingly addictive hot-dog. The mayo and pinto beans bring richness, and the salsa and pickled jalapeños provide a tangy, refreshing bite to have during monsoons.

Ingredients:

• Jalapeno chili-6no
• Gram flour-100gm
• Cornmeal-25gm
• Rice four-25gm
• Turmeric powder-pinch
• Paprika powder-pinch
• Salt-to taste
• Hing-pinch
• Baking soda-pinch

For stuffing:

• Processed cheese grated-40gm
• Cottage cheese grated-30gm
• Mashed potato            -30gm
• Graded ginger -1/2 teaspoon
• Chopped fresh coriander-1tbsp
• Chopped white onion-100gm
• Chopped Serrano chili-1/2 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder-1/2tsp
• Fresh lemon juice-10ml

Method:

• Make a smooth and fluffy batter with mixing cornmeal, gram flour, rice flour, paprika powder, turmeric powder, hing and salt.ad baking soda in last. it should be light in texture.
• Mix well all the stuffing ingredients.
• Slit the jalapeno and make it seedless
• Stuff the jalapeno with the mixture
• Deep in the batter and deep fry till it become golden brown.
• Cut it in on by two vertically
• Put some dry mango powder, chopped onion, fresh green coriander and some sev on top.
• Serve it hot.

Thai Charcoal Roasted Corn 

Thai Charcoal Roasted Corn

Grilled corn is considered a perfect snack for monsoon. Thai charcoal roasted corn provides the body with numerous nutrients and is also rich in fibre.

Ingredients:

• Lemon grass finely chopped-1/2 tsp
• Galangal finely chopped- ½ tsp
• Finely chopped garlic-1tsp     
• Chopped fresh coriander-1tbsp
• Hung curd-2tbsp
• Coconut milk powder-10gm
• Red Thai curry paste-1tsp
• Butter -1tbsp
• Lemon wedges-2no.

Method:

• Mix the all ingredients lemongrass, galangal, garlic, coriander, hung curd, red curry paste.
• First roast the corn on charcoal up to 90%.
• Apply the masala on the corn and roast again for few minutes.
• Rub some lemon juice, sprinkle coconut milk powder on it and serve.

Vegetable Frankfurter

Vegetable Frankfurter

Vegetable Frankfurter combines the crunch of the vegetables to give life to a delicious, perfectly balanced dish with an explosion of flavours for monsoon. This can be consumed along with a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients:

• Potato mash-100gm
• Red pumpkin mash-100gm
• Cheddar cheese strips-100gm
• Garlic chopped-10gm
• Red onion chopped-100gm
• Chopped carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, asparagus-20gm each
• Grated nutmeg paprika powder-pinch
• Crushed black pepper-pinch
• Salt-to taste
• Bread crumb-150gm
• Corn flour and refined flour   30gm each.
• Oil for deep fry

Method:

• Heat the oil, sauté garlic, onion till it turns light brown in color.
• Add all chopped vegetables n cook for another few minutes, season it.
• Let it cool, mix it with mashed potato, pumpkin and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Take one strip of cheese and roll with the mixture.
• Shape in to sausages about 10cm.
• Deep in to the batter made by corn flour, refined flour and water.
• And then roll in the breadcrumb. Deep fry in the oil till golden brown.