🌦️ Monsoon Farewell Flavors: Comforting Indian Recipes to End the Season on a Warm Note 🌿🍲🥥

Bilkul Online | Sunday Special | 31 Aug 2025

By Sarita Shah

Moong Dal Khichdi with Ghee Tadka 🍲🌼

A comforting, earthy dish – light on the stomach after the heavy monsoon foods, yet full of flavor.

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• ½ cup rice
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 1 bay leaf, 1 small cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander for garnish
• Method:
• Wash rice and dal, then pressure cook with 3 cups water, turmeric, salt, and bay leaf.
• Once cooked, mash lightly for a soft texture.
• In a small pan, heat ghee. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, onion, ginger paste, and green chilies.
• Pour this tadka over the khichdi, mix gently.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot with papad, pickle, or kadhi.

👉 A soothing bowl of khichdi is ideal as monsoon ends – balancing warmth, comfort, and nutrition.

Gud (Jaggery) Coconut Kheer 🥥🍯

A traditional South-Indian-inspired kheer, lightly sweetened with jaggery instead of sugar — earthy and aromatic, perfect for the season shift.

• Ingredients:
• ½ cup grated coconut (fresh or desiccated)
• ½ cup jaggery (grated or powdered)
• ½ cup rice (small-grain works best)
• 3 cups full cream milk
• 3–4 green cardamoms (crushed)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 10–12 cashews
• 8–10 raisins
• Method:
• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Cook with 2 cups milk until soft.
• Add grated coconut and stir well.
• In another pan, melt jaggery with ¼ cup water, strain to remove impurities.
• Add the jaggery syrup slowly into the cooked rice-coconut mixture (keep flame low so milk doesn’t curdle).
• Add cardamom for aroma.
• In a small tadka pan, fry cashews and raisins in ghee, pour into the kheer.

Serve warm.