Monsoon means rain and rain means a lot of traffic jam, a heat of a different kind and, of course- sipping chai by the balcony of your apartment or house. Isn’t it? Few things are as enticing and lovable as monsoons and endless cups of tea and snacks.
But hey, is that the only thing about monsoons?
Implicitly tied to the time of monsoons is the quintessential pakodas- something none of us can resist. If anyone thought that India was just about Taj Mahal, Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood, Rajasthan or the enigmatic colours of Holi- then perhaps, they didn’t see the larger picture.
There’s so much of food to discover here that it may take a life-trail to get one’s mind around all of it. Such definitive is the immensity. Yet, few things run top of the mind when it’s the monsoons- something we all rave about. And it ought to be asked- can any monsoon season be ever complete without tugging into pakodas?
Probably not. And here’s the latest thrill factor about pakodas. While almost all of us have had a lot too many aaloo pakodas, mirch pakodas or paneer pakodas (potato, spice and, cottage cheese, respectively) but have you ever tried the cashew pakoda?
Probably not. And the possibility is, that you’ve hardly ever had a bite even. Well, now is the time to announce the latest member of the delectable pakoda family- the crispy, cashew pakoda- that’s made its way into the enigmatic food-scape of India right from Tamil Nadu.
A southern delicacy that you simply cannot avoid, provided you’ve got a penchant for gorging on fry food- the cashew pakoda entrusts its eater with a taste of a different kind. Among the perfect snacks for the current monsoon days, a cashew pakoda is ordained to tease the tastebuds like few other mini-dishes can.
If you were to actually think of it, then you’d find that in the cultural landscape of India- pakodas have charmed eaters from all walks of life. A little secret probably has it that even the most health-conscious or gym-freaks amongst us can hardly ever say no to something as delectable as a cashew pakoda- if truth be told.
Well, here’s the truth. The cashew pakoda, or quite complicatedly put (at least for North Indian tongues and pronunciations) Munthiri Puruppu is gaining traction amongst food lovers in a very popular way.
In a country where dialects or language aren’t the only things that change with every new mile but so do culinary eating habits, the cashew pakoda is consumed a tad bit differently in its native Tamil Nadu. While eight out of ten people in a Delhi could be seen gorging on samosas and paneer pakodas with the good-old cup of tea during the rainy season, in Tamil Nadu, the culture is slightly different.
The greatest cousin of tea- coffee- is the perfect substituent of the cashew pakodas, a novel and enticing new way to consume a snack in the ravishing, spicy southern state.
Noted food blogger, Nithya Ravi has passionately shared an observation of the rising cult of cashew pakoda and expresses, “Cashew Nut Pakodas are popularly eaten in Tamil Nadu and are made with besan and rice flour to add crispiness, chilli sauce, green chillies and curry leaves, and then deep fried in oil.”
If you are a sucker for green vegetables or something leafy other than having a plain-jane pakoda- so to speak- then you might want to add a bit of cauliflower to the pakoda. It will only go onto enhancing your taste that you so delightfully seek from the pakoda.
Well, after all, who doesn’t want to add a little flavour in his pakoda?