Monsoon Food Rituals of India
India is land of Spices (Masalas) and also a land where monsoon is celebrated as the biggest festival ever "designed" on earth. In India food production and harvesting are still deeply seasonal, hence monsoon is welcomed in various ways. The arrival of monsoon clouds over the Arabian Sea in June every year is an eagerly awaited event in India. As they say, India is all about "Unity in Diversity", the food rituals too vary from state to state, even from city to city. Though one thing is common about all these rituals- whatever they eat as their "first rain food rituals", ranging from Coconut Rice to Vadapao to Wadas to Pakoras to Chops- they all are rich of spices. For India, Spicy food doesn't only mean battling tears and a running nose while eating it, but it simply means it has to be flavorful. For Example, in monsoon Keralians have Coconut Rice. Coconut Rice is nothing but simple rice cooked up with tender coconut, allowing the flavors of coconut to enter into the rice, along with the other flavors like Ghee, Cashew nuts, li’l bit of Zafran(Saffron) and curry leaves, served with Popaddum or deliciously roasted potatoes. You might feel that the flavors are not strong, but if the dish is made full heartedly, trust me these flavors turn out so amazing, your nose will force you to have this dish.