Yummy monsoon delights

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Monsoon in Mumbai is truly magical and romantic.

There’s something so endearing about the monsoons that really gets me upbeat; whether it’s the sound of the raindrops or the smell of wet mother earth, the green gardens or cool breeze, I love everything about monsoon. And then the blissful teacup just adds to your day that only a chai lover knows and understands what I mean, but tea is not just a word. Chai is an emotion. Chai without the yummiest snacks makes an incomplete and insatiable combination.

How about spending a beautiful rainy evening with a cup of piping hot Masala Chai and yummy yet healthy snacks and your dearest companions, your books?

Oh, my…. “how I miss my rainy evening, when I enjoy the blissful rain in my balcony with greenery all around, my favourite books with a cup of steaming Chai and munchies.”

MOTHERHOOD YOU SEE…

Books and Baby, truly a bad combination at least when it comes to Baby.

Mumbai rains and food are to die for. A combination you can never refuse.

There is no feeling better than eating hot, steamy food on a dark, gloomy day. So, whether you are out struggling and cursing the traffic snarls or you are home curled up in your bed, these monsoon foods will definitely bring a big smile on your face. Everybody craves for monsoon foods, don’t you all?

There is no dearth of better options in rainy season cuisine, like some of the most scrumptious options that we have are, rainy food samosa, vadapav, bhaiya, Maggie, paratha etc...What about your healthy eating and weight loss goals. Once in a while is ok ….but it’s a rainy season and it’s going to be a foodie romantic season…

Let’s make them healthy too…let’s swap the junk and un-junk it….

So how about Chai and paratha !?

Options for paratha

*Paneer paratha (Cottage cheese)

*Mix veggies paratha

*Masala paratha

*Green paratha (mix all greens)

*Spinach paratha (Spinach)

*Palak paneer paratha (spinach cottage cheese)

* Matter paratha( Peas paratha)

* Mattar paneer paratha(Peas and cottage cheese paratha)

*Cabbage paratha

*Coriander paratha

* Methi paratha ( Fenugreek theplas/  paratha)

*Ajwain paratha

* Mix sprouts paratha

* My personal favourite platter paratha, (A must try this one, it has 1 piece of all varieties of paratha)

*Pizza paratha (same fillers as pizza, just replace cheese with cottage cheese)

* Pav bhaji paratha (Use bhaji as filler and u can add pumpkin, cottage cheese and potato or banana as binger, yummm..)

Oh…so many paratha …  I can go on with the types of paratha … so next time you make paratha,  try all these varieties and do let me know if you like.

Let’s see how can you unjunk the junk.

*Opt for Patra /alu vadi (colocasia leaves)

*Ragda patty with mixed beans or mixed veggies pattie rather than aloo ki pattie with chole or Ragda

*Mix sprouts with green spicy Chutney, sweet dates Chutney, garlic Chutney.

*Oats chaat a must try for this season.

http://slimpossiblediet.com/2017/04/12/oats-chat/

* Swap your biscuits with whole wheat Rusk, oats and dates cookies, oats banana cookies.

* Instead of pakoda opt for poha croquettes. Croquettes are actually an Italian recipe. It is nothing but cheese balls but to give it a healthier twist, prepare them using poha. Make a mixture of soaked poha and boiled potatoes and make little balls out of it. To bring more taste, you can add mozzarella cheese in between the balls and fry them till golden brown, always choose air-fryer over deep frying to keep them healthy. I make them on non stick pan like a patti, to add twist to it, I add pepper and sometimes boiled mix veggies (corn, carrot, pepper, peas, broccoli etc ).

Have you tried masala or ginger tea with Chapatti Bhel, try varieties of Bhel

*Murmur Bhel,

*Peanuts Bhel ,

*Corn Bhel,

*Sprouts Bhel

Link for my SPECIAL Chaat:

The spicy, tangy flavours of Bhel makes it tasty and added veggies like onion, tomatoes, chilli and coriander makes it nutritious and filling and perfect rainy evening snack .

*A perfect combo of chai and chilla/dosa, let’s see varieties –

*Moong dal ka chilla

*Mix daal ka chilla

* Oats ka chilla

* Mixed veggies oats chilla

* Ragi ka chilla

* Multi grain flour chilla / Dosa

*Green Moong dal dosa with flex seeds

* Masala idli

* Idli Manchurian

* Kebab idli

*Try healthy uttapam like oats uttapam, onion uttapam , and Tomato onion rava uttapam .

Let me tell you my secret 🙂

I make a paste of spinach, coriander, flex seeds and add it to my batter. It not only adds nutrition but its green colour looks brighter and nice. DO TRY AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE .

* How about a steaming hot soups? Try mix veggies, Chinese soups, Tomatoe soup.

* A hot tangy bhutta (corn ) with a Lemon pepper and salt …nostalgic isn’t it ?

* Try cutlets/ pattie /tikki / fritters / kebab/ kofta ..Call it by any name … a really, very healthy option –

-Beetroot cutlet ,

-Mix veg cutlet,

-Soya green pea’s cutlet ,

-Hara bhara kebab ,

-Cauliflower fritter,

-Aloo paneer kofta

Oats daal tikki

*Instead of noodles and Maggie, try Idiyappam (see my insta handles for varieties ), try whole wheat noodles with loads of veggies and Maggie masala you can put, try whole wheat pasta with red and white or pesto sauce instead of All purpose flour pasta and add all veggies to it .

* I like to have wraps / Frankie and rolls I swap the Maida Roti to whole wheat Roti, lettuce and cabbage leafs to  crunch . Varieties you can try –

*Aaloo paneer roll

*Sprouts frankiee

*Whole wheat roll

http://slimpossiblediet.com/2017/04/12/whole-wheat-roll/

*Tandoor Paneer frankiee

*Schezwan frankiee

*Veg khathi roll

http://slimpossiblediet.com/2017/04/12/frankie-khathi-rolls/

* I know baked pakoda sounds boring but do give it a try swap it with your oily fried pakoda, must not be as tasty as fried one but defiantly not that bad.

 For more recipes head to my website www.slimpossiblediet.com

So, let’s give our favourite tea a best companion. Choose healthy. As I always say, stay connected stay healthy.

Enjoy monsoon. Don’t forget to read my monsoon read.

https://allaboutkiids.com/health/fitness/just-monsoon-things-you-must-keep-in-your-mind/06/

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She is the owner and founder of SlimPossibleDiets, with 5 years of experience in nutrition and dietetics. Academically, a diploma holder in food and nutrition and a Diploma holder in food and diet planning, from Tulip International, an affiliate of Gold Coast Training Academy (GCTA) Australia, Diploma holder in weight management from BFY , MUMBAI , a Diploma holder in clinical nutrition and Diploma in childcare nutrition from, VLCC MUMBAI. She worked for a lifestyle management and weight loss clinic for 2.5 years and now independent dietitian. HER MANTRA IS “ STAY CONNECTED, STAY HEALTHY “ She does not believe in giving medicines for obesity or any supplements, she thinks that the kitchen ingredients are enough to help for the same. An online diet consultant, and diet planner for therapeutic diets i.e. diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOD/PCOS) etc.