Monsoon meals: Tasty bites with a nutritious twist

July 19, 2025 Grandma's Medicine Valli Sarvani

The monsoon season brings cosy weather, the smell of rain-soaked earth, and strong cravings for hot, indulgent foods.

While pakodas, chai, and stuffed parathas are popular choices, it’s possible to enjoy the season with a balance of taste and nutrition.

During the four sacred months of Chaturmas or Chaumasa, digestion tends to slow down.

To stay light and energised, one should focus on local, seasonal produce. Including the right mix of grains, pulses, and vegetables supports overall well-being during this time.

There are a few foods that should be eaten at least 2-3 times a week. These include oilbed peanuts, which are rich in protein and healthy fats. Pulses, soaked, sprouted, and cooked, make for wholesome dals or sabzis.

Include seasonal vegetables like corn, bottle gourd, cucumber, pumpkin, and other creeper vegetables. Root vegetables such as yam and taro are also beneficial.

Some foods should be on your plate once a week. This includes millets like amaranth and buckwheat.

Also, try wild or uncultivated vegetables of the season, like sorrel and colocasia leaves. These offer unique flavours and are rich in minerals.

Once a month, enjoy traditional steamed delicacies. These include patoli, modak, bafla, and siddu.

They are light, easy to digest, and packed with seasonal ingredients. For something indulgent yet traditional, go for bhajis or pakodas made from snake gourd flower, mayalu, or ajwain leaves.

Other monsoon superfoods include wild mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, and bamboo shoots.

These can be cooked into curries or preserved as pickles. They’re nutritious and add a distinctive flavour to your meals.

Seasonal eating helps strengthen immunity, supports digestion, and keeps you full without feeling heavy.

Most of these ingredients are affordable too, available for under ₹50 in local markets.

So while you enjoy the rain, let your meals be rooted in tradition, rich in nutrients, and full of flavour.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on March 25, 2017