This monsoon try seasonal recipes from regional cuisines of India

There is hardly anyone who does not celebrate by the sights and sounds of rain. And in India rains are always welcomed with special meals. Monsoon special recipes have been a part of India's culinary heritage and every region has its own specialty. We bring you some monsoon classics from Kerala, Maharashtra and Bengal by the best home cooks of the region. Do give them a try!

Chimboricha Kaalvan - Crab Curry

Monsoon is mud carb season in Maharashtra, and this recipe is a classic from the region. This is a coastal Marathi recipe with a coconut and onion base and a complex set of spices, adding kokum for sourness. You can always use whatever regional masala you have handy. One of the key flavour enhancers in this crab curry is a ‘essence of crab’ if you will, and this is derived by grinding the crab feet with water and straining it. As gruesome as it sounds, this really enhances the flavour of the curry and ensures you don't waste anything. From being someone who was too petrified to deal with crabs (twitching limbs used to freak me out!) to mercilessly grinding the crab feet in a blender, I've certainly come a long way and I have my fisherwoman to thank!

By Saee Koranne-Khandekar

Ingredients:

4 mud crabs, portioned (the fishmonger will do this for you, separating the body from the claws. Ask them to save the legs and pack them separately)

½ cup dried coconut, grated.

¾ cup fresh coconut, scraped

2 medium-sized onions, sliced roughly

4 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

10 dried red Byadagi chillies

3 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1-inch stick cinnamon

4 green cardamoms

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 star anise

2 tbsp Malvani masala or Koli masala

Salt, to taste

2 tsp + 3 tbsp oil 6–8 kokum petals

To make the chimboricha kaalvan

1. Grind the crab feet in a blender with some water. Strain and reserve the liquid.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a wide pan. Add the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, peppercorns, star anise, garlic, ginger and onions. Sauté over a medium flame until the onions begin to turn pink.

4. Add the dried coconut and roast everything together until the coconut turns golden brown. Grind in a blender jar along with the fresh coconut and coriander leaves using a little water.

5. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pot. To this, add the chopped coriander stem and the ground masala paste and cook over a medium flame for 10–12 minutes or until the fat separates from the sides and the masala looks glossy.

6. Add the salt, Malvani or Koli masala and mix well. Tip in the crabs and the liquid made by processing the feet.

7. Top with another 1½ cup of water. Bring to a brisk boil.

8. Turn the flame down and simmer for 8–10 minutes or until the curry thickens to your liking. Serve warm with Bhakri or plain rice.

Bengali Masoor Dal Khichuri

For a Bengali, Khichuri signifies monsoon like nothing else. It does not matter if it is lunch or dinner, it does not matter if it is just a drizzle or torrential rain, it is Khichuri with Deem Bhaja (fried egg) or Bhaja Ilish Maach if it is raining. And no, we not only focus on meat; the khichri is almost always accompanied with freshly fried fritters like eggplant, potato, pointed gourd, pumpkin. As the rain intensifies, exploring the layers of masoor dal, mug dal and rice drowned in ghee is the ultimate pleasure. You don't need to be a Bengali to enjoy Khichuri, here is how you can make it too.

By Anindya S Basu

Ingredients:

1/2 cup masoor dal red lentils
1/4 cup moong dal small yellow lentils
1/2 cup Gobindobhog rice or any short-grained fragrant rice 3 nos large onions or 8-10 shallots
2 tbsp chopped garlic
4-5 nos garlic cloves
1 tsp ginger paste
3 nos cloves
2 nos green cardamom
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 tsp turmeric powder
2 nos bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
1 cup green peas
2 large potatoes
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp mustard oil
2-3 green chilies optional

To make Khichuri

1. Dry roast moong dal over medium flame until reddish; leave it to cool.

2. Measure masoor dal and rice and add the cooled down moong dal to this.

3. Wash all three and drain. Peel and cut potatoes and onions into quarters.

4. In a pressure cooker add 1 tbsp of mustard oil and 1 tbsp of ghee.

5. When the oil smokes add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds.

6. As soon as they start to splutter, add the cumin seeds, onions, ginger and garlic. Stir for a couple of minutes on medium flame.

7. Add the potatoes and green peas. Sprinkle some salt and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

8. Add the rice and dal mixture, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and stir with the spices and vegetables for two to three minutes.

9. If you want, you can add a couple of green chilies here. Add 3.5 cups of water and give it a boil until tender.

10. Serve hot with dollops of ghee and deem bhaja, begun bhaja, or all bhaja.

Rice Kanji with Cherupayar Thoran

Kanji is by far the best monsoon food. Ayurveda recommends kanji as a mandatory food during the season because it is light on the stomach and aids digestion. At Oottupura , we make special monsoon menu with kanjis that are made from Navara rice, podi ari or broken Matta rice and a kuruva ricei. Accompanied with Chammandi, or green moong thoran and roasted pappadam it is the easiest and yummiest food .

By Marina Balakrishnan

Ingredients

For Kanji

1 cup Kuruva rice or broken Matta rice
6 cups water

For Thoran

1 cup green moong
½ cup coconut
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 shallots
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 dry red chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

To make kanji

Wash rice thoroughly. Soak for about 45 minutes.
Add in the water and pressure cook for about five to six whistles.
Once cooked pour it into a bowl, set aside

To make thoran

1. Wash and soak moong for half hour
2. Pressure cook moong with and enough water to cover it. Turn off after a whistle.
3. Blend the coconut, green chilies, cumin, shallots and turmeric into a fine paste.
4. Once the moong is cooked, add the blended paste and cook until the water dries
5. Heat coconut oil and add the seasoning, mustard seed, dry chilies and curry leaves. Pour over the moong
6. Serve as an accompaniment with the kanji

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