Monsoon food

                                         

Jackfruit Chip's 

A cool season, a cool breeze and more than everything else is the heavy showers that puts on an end to the summer and gives the majestic entry of rainy season. The cool breeze which flows around reminds us of the hot spicy dishes one would crave to have. 

Like every year it is rainy season again and it is time to indulge in eating lip smacking spicy dishes. We remember of those old days were our grandparents used to cook these special dishes during the arrival of monsoon. It was a must in every home. 

With the advent of rainy season a no of varieties of food are being prepared to quench the desire of eating oily fried food. Along with the coolness of this season we relish the sweet aroma of jack fruits. 
The raw form of jack fruits are treated with the salt marinated water and kept in store which are later on used for the monsoon, and the ripened ones are being used to make a variety of sweet flavor dishes.

Uppad Pachir

In earlier days, when children came home from schools soaking wet, women of house served them with oil fried crispy snacks like jack fruit chips, jack fruit fritters to quench their desire of eating something tasty.  Along with children, elderly grandparents also crave for these crispy fried aromatic foods.



A custom of cooking these dishes has been passed on from generations to generations. This has been one of the most preserved cultures.
A variety of dishes are seen which are cooked using jack fruit like the jack fruit fritters/jack fruit appa( ghariyo), jack fruit ada( ponsa patholi), jack fruit chips, santane (dried and roasted form of jack fruit seeds), ponsa gharai, uppad pachir and the usage of turmeric( haldi) leaves in the preparation of  arasina ele ghattihaldi patholi.

Patholi (jack fruit ada) is a signature dish of Konkani cuisine.

Ponsa Patholi

Haldi Patholi is a sweet rice dumpling steamed in turmeric leaves. It is a aromatic dumpling with sweet coconut filling inside a thin rice batter coating. A thin, long rice cake packed in a slender, delicate and fragrant turmeric leaf.
The seasonal fruits which are widely seen during monsoon mainly the jack fruit and haldi plants which grow in rainy season are used in the preparation of these dishes.

Haldi Patholi

In olden days there was no fast food, in its place our grandparents used to eat home prepared snacks and dishes. 
For early morning breakfast pathrode, ponsa patholi was served, and this was the reason for their healthy lifestyle which is now been replaced to junk foods by today’s generation.
Other than these vegetables like varieties of gourd, colocasia leaves, raw mango chutney would be used in this season.


One famous dish in the konkan coastal area during this season is pathrode.Pathrode is a special dish prepared using colocasia leaves. These leaves are usually grown in the rainy season in the backyards of most of the houses in Mangalore.

Pathrode

In Konkan part, pathrode is made as a steamed dumpling wrapped in a leaf. As per Maharastrian cuisine the leaves are smeared with a spicy, tangy masala paste and stacked upon each other.And while it comes to non vegan eaters’ dry fish is being used since fresh water fish cannot be found during rainy season.Seafood which is the main source for non vegan eaters especially in the coastal areas, is usually prepared over wood and coal fires in kitchen which is highly traditional here.
The idea that there would be no fishing during the season would use this method. They also dry salt and store fish for consuming in monsoon.

Roasted Prawn Chutney

Ganji oota (congee) along with dry fish fry and roasted prawn chutney is one of the best meals a non vegan eater would like to savor during this season.The cold wind and the pouring rain would enhance the taste of these hot flavored dishes.
Now all these products have entered into the international market. 
Exhibition of varieties of jack fruit and its products are to be seen all over the world, were there is a huge response from the customers.

The old traditions have stepped back into our country as well as also penetrated into the gulf which has brought about a great demand for jack fruit and other monsoon varieties.
The old tradition of consuming these seasonal healthy foods has now been back with a demand for a healthy lifestyle. The authenticity of these foods is very high and the season is back so now it’s mine and your time to relish their flavor again.

                                                                    
Credits:Google Images