It’s raining in Delhi and the weather is just gorgeous. We had a fun lunch with Rajesh and Seema and then a siesta. We woke up and thought we will go for a walk as usual. We hardly had gone around a couple of blocks that it started to drizzle again and so we just came back home.
Couldn’t watch any movie since Tatasky stops working if it rains and Krishnan said, this is the perfect weather for eating “pakoras”. Now mom-in-law and son-in-law both like pakoras and in 15 mins Amma had made them !! All rules of not eating after 630 were broken and we ate them with sauce. Ofcourse pakoras are being made at home after some six months so it’s not indulgence everyday :):) I guess it’s ok.
Each type of weather has certain foods associated with it – in summers it’s the “Chach”, Lassi and cold Shikanji. In the winters it’s the nuts, gajar ka halwa and sarson ka saag with Makke Ki roti. (Gajar is carrot, sarson is mustard leaves, Makka is corn). If it rains it is usually pakoras and ginger tea. Am sure there is some seasonal factors associated with these treats, mustard leaves generate heat and are available during the winters, the special red carrot similarly is available during this time. The Chach and Lassi help in cooling the body down during summers or so it’s believed. Don’t know the reason why pakoras got associated with rains but glad they are :):).
The range of snacks that we have in the Indian cuisine can keep us going for months – different types of samosas, types of kachoris, Bhelpuri, types of pakoras, pani puri, dahi Bhalla, murukku, thattai, Seedai, dhokla, varieties of bhajji, bonda, murmura, mirchi and other types of Vada, papad, chips etc etc. Fascinating.
We hear of the French cuisine or the Italian cuisine but not much about the Indian cuisine. Wonder why !
Anyway – the pakoras were tasty and it felt good to have them.