We absolutely love the idea of relishing fried pakode (fritters) with a hot cup of tea while enjoying the rain. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the monsoon season comes with its own set of health concerns. While building immunity has been one of the top health goals, the monsoon tends to hamper progress by making the body susceptible to diseases and infections. One effective way to support our immune system is by sticking to a well-rounded diet. Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, in an Instagram post, shared a three-part monsoon food guide along with some easy-to-follow recipes. "Monsoon food guide. The grains, pulses, vegetables, and special preparations you must try. Note - recipes are for reference only; you should use your local, regional recipes, and preparations," Rujuta Diwekar captioned the post. Take a look:
Also Read: Boost Your Immunity This Monsoon With These 5 Essential Vegetables
In the first part of the monsoon food guide, the nutritionist advised consuming foods like boiled peanuts, pulses (soaked, sprouted, and cooked as dal or sabzi), corn (makai), dudhi, cucumber, pumpkin, and other creeper vegetables, along with suran, arbi, and other root vegetables, at least 2-3 times a week. Additionally, Rujuta Diwekar shared a recipe to incorporate arbi into the diet. To prepare her arbi chi kaap, all you need are sliced arbi and a handful of spices like salt, red chilli, and turmeric.
In part two, Rujuta Diwekar listed down food items that should be consumed at least once a week. The list included millets like rajgeera and kuttu, as well as wild and uncultivated vegetables of the season like ambadi (gongura) and alu (colocasia), among others. She also shared a recipe to use ambadi. Ambadi chi bhaaji is prepared with chopped ambadi leaves, jowar/rice kani, tur dal, and soaked peanuts. For spices, you would need rai, hing, haldi, salt, some chili powder, and red chillies. Adding some jaggery and grated coconut helps to balance the flavours and reduce the edgy taste.
Also Read: Boost Your Immunity With Alkaline Foods: Your Monsoon Wellness Guide
In the third part of the monsoon food guide, she mentioned foods that should be consumed at least once a month. It includes steamed local dishes like patoli, modak, bafla, siddu, along with specialty preparations of the season like bhaji or pakoda of ghosala, mayalu, ajwain, among others. You should also consume wild mushrooms, lingdi, and bamboo, either cooked fresh or turned into pickles for 2-3 months. The nutritionist has also shared a quick recipe to prepare modak without any hassle.
Include these foods in your monsoon diet to stay fit and healthy this season!