Delhi romances the rains with comfort food

This week, the city woke up to the most beautiful weather. It was raining cats and dogs and the winds were gusty too.
Fritters are the go-to food when  it rains in India
Fritters are the go-to food when it rains in India

This week, the city woke up to the most beautiful weather. It was raining cats and dogs and the winds were gusty too. Suddenly, the dread of Monday was overtaken by the pleasant surprise that came with the relief that the much-needed rain brought with it. The petrichor wafting through the air was the most comforting smell especially after the heatwave that the city experienced. This feeling was topped off with the melodious raag malhar that played in the background as I cooked; it was a near-perfect start to the week—even if it was for a day.

But that is the magic of these days, you see. Out came the kadhais to deep-fry pyaaz [onion] and aloo [potato] ke pakode [fritters] to go with the morning cup of kadak adrak chai [ginger tea]. While I sliced the potato and onions, I wondered how other people in our apartment complex must be celebrating. I could smell the aroma of moong dal [yellow split gram] being roasted in my Bengali neighbour’s house as she prepared for the customary bhaja khichuri and fried fish in mustard oil to go with it. There was also a faint whiff of a curry leaf tadka from the house on the first floor, and I am assuming they were making sambar—to be paired with steamed idlis and vadas, perhaps!?

Another neighbour’s son called my husband to ask if he wanted to eat fresh, steamed momos. It is a truly sensory experience—amid the sound of the torrential rain, there was the crackle of the frying pakode, the geeli mitti ki khushboo [smell of wet soil], and then, all the nostalgia that always floods in with a day of heavy rain.

While it rained outside, inside the homes, the warmth was exuding from the kitchens. It was a city-wide celebration, albeit privately at our own homes. I chuckled at how ironic it was that while we were craving for some respite from the heatwave just a few hours ago, we also quickly rushed for snuggly warmth as the rain continued.

Through it all, I suddenly wondered why we crave for pakode (specifically, that) every time it rains. Interestingly, author Krish Ashok, whose book Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking is one of the best scientific guides in the Indian culinary space, tells us that this is because our bodies crave to make up for the loss of serotonin levels—caused by less sunlight during this phase.

Poetic justice, I thought as I sipped on chai and crunched on a kanda [onion] pakoda in my balcony, that on such glorious days, it is deep-fried food that serves as nourishment for our body, and is actually good for us.

Vernika Awal is a food writer who is known for her research-based articles through her blog ‘Delectable Reveries’.

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