In India, August is paradoxical; the skies are all rain, the air is buzzing with freshness, and the kitchens are simply more daring. The monsoon can hamper travel, and often the outdoor living we have long wanted to explore - and while it can be frustrating, what it gives back is so much more precious - a cornucopia of fruits that can potentially be ripe, juicy, fragrant and nourishing. These fruits are, of course, not simply ways to quench thirst or satiate cravings. They remind us of seasonality, of long-held traditions grounded by Ayurveda, and recalibrations between the rhythms of earth and what arrives on our plates.

In monsoon, our bodies are challenged to find balance - there is a thirst for warmth yet a need for lightness, and this is precisely what these fruits available to our kitchens in August. Now, let's explore some ways to cook with Indian monsoon fruits using recipes that are rich in tradition but encourage experimentation!

Recipes with Plum 

Plum Chutney 

Plum Chutney with Jaggery and Ginger is a tangy-sweet condiment that works beautifully with parathas, pakoras, or grilled meats.

Ingredients for Plum Chutney:

• 2 cups ripe plums, deseeded and chopped
• ½ cup jaggery
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup water

Method for Plum Chutney:

1. Heat a pan and add plums with water. Cook until soft.
2. Add ginger, chilli powder, cumin, and salt. Stir well.
3. Mix in jaggery and simmer until the chutney thickens.
4. Cool before storing.
5. This Plum Chutney with Jaggery and Ginger can be refrigerated for a week and used as a versatile side dish.

Spiced Plum Halwa

Spiced Plum Halwa is a monsoon dessert that combines the tartness of plums with the richness of ghee and semolina.

Ingredients for Spiced Plum Halwa:

• 1 cup semolina
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1½ cups plum puree
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped almonds

Method for Spiced Plum Halwa:

1. Roast semolina in ghee until fragrant.
2. Add plum puree and cook until combined.
3. Stir in sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Garnish Spiced Plum Halwa with almonds and serve warm.

Recipes with Cherry 

Cherry Sheera

Cherry Sheera is a semolina halwa infused with fresh cherries, giving it a vibrant colour and fruity sweetness.

Ingredients for Cherry Sheera:

• ½ cup semolina
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ cup cherries, halved and pitted
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups milk
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped nuts

Method for Cherry Sheera:

1. Roast semolina in ghee until golden.
2. Add warm milk gradually, stirring to avoid lumps.
3. Mix in sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Add cherries and cook until they release colour.
5. Garnish Cherry Sheera with nuts and serve warm.

Cherry Chaat

Cherry Chaat is a sweet-spicy monsoon snack perfect for evenings.

Ingredients for Cherry Chaat:

• 1 cup cherries, pitted
• ½ tsp black salt
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method for Cherry Chaat:

1. Toss cherries with black salt, chilli powder, and cumin powder.
2. Drizzle honey and lemon juice.
3. Mix gently and serve fresh.
4. This Cherry Chaat balances sweetness and spice, making it a unique twist on Indian fruit salads.

Recipes with Pear 

Pear and Cucumber Raita

Pear and Cucumber Raita is a cooling side dish that complements heavy monsoon meals.

Ingredients for Pear and Cucumber Raita:

• 1 pear, grated
• ½ cucumber, grated
• 2 cups yoghurt
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ¼ tsp black salt
• Coriander for garnish

Method for Pear and Cucumber Raita:

1. Whisk yoghurt until smooth.
2. Add grated pear and cucumber.
3. Season with cumin and black salt.
4. Garnish Pear and Cucumber Raita with coriander leaves.

Kashmiri Pear Curry

Kashmiri Pear Curry is a sweet-spicy dish where pears soak up aromatic spices.

Ingredients for Kashmiri Pear Curry:

• 2 pears, cubed
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method for Kashmiri Pear Curry:

1. Heat mustard oil, sauté onions until golden.
2. Add tomato puree and spices, cook until fragrant.
3. Add pear cubes and simmer until soft.
4. Serve Kashmiri Pear Curry hot with steamed rice.

Recipes with Peach 

Peach Chutney

Peach Chutney is sweet, tangy, and spicy, making it perfect with snacks.

Ingredients for Peach Chutney:

• 2 peaches, diced
• ½ cup jaggery
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Salt to taste

Method for Peach Chutney:

1. Cook peaches with jaggery, ginger, and vinegar.
2. Add chilli flakes and salt.
3. Simmer until the chutney thickens.
4. This Peach Chutney goes well with samosas, dosas, or cheese platters.

Peach Rabri

Peach Rabri is a creamy dessert that combines saffron milk with peaches.

Ingredients for Peach Rabri:

• 1 litre of full-fat milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• A pinch of saffron
• 2 peaches, diced
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Pistachios for garnish

Method for Peach Rabri:

1. Boil milk and simmer until reduced by half.
2. Add sugar, saffron, and cardamom.
3. Stir in diced peaches.
4. Garnish Peach Rabri with pistachios.

Recipes with Custard Apple 

Sitaphal Basundi

Sitaphal Basundi is a Maharashtrian dessert with custard apple pulp mixed into thickened milk.

Ingredients for Sitaphal Basundi:

• 1 litre of full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup custard apple pulp
• 1 pinch saffron
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped nuts

Method for Sitaphal Basundi:

1. Boil milk and reduce it to half.
2. Add sugar, saffron, and cardamom.
3. Cool completely before folding in custard apple pulp.
4. Garnish Sitaphal Basundi with nuts and serve chilled.

Custard Apple Kulfi

Custard Apple Kulfi is creamy, fruity, and refreshing.

Ingredients for Custard Apple Kulfi:

• 1 cup custard apple pulp
• ½ cup condensed milk
• 1 cup cream
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Method for Custard Apple Kulfi:

1. Blend custard apple pulp with condensed milk and cream.
2. Add cardamom powder.
3. Pour into moulds and freeze.
4. Serve Custard Apple Kulfi garnished with nuts.

Recipes with Melon 

Melon Raita with Mint

Melon Raita with Mint is light, cooling, and perfect for monsoon meals.

Ingredients for Melon Raita with Mint:

• 2 cups melon, cubed
• 2 cups yoghurt
• 1 tbsp mint, chopped
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ¼ tsp black salt

Method for Melon Raita with Mint:

1. Whisk yoghurt, add melon cubes, mint, cumin, and black salt.
2. Chill before serving.

Melon and Mint Sharbat

Melon and Mint Sharbat is a refreshing drink for humid days.

Ingredients for Melon and Mint Sharbat:

• 2 cups melon puree
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• Fresh mint leaves

Method for Melon and Mint Sharbat:

1. Blend melon with lemon juice and honey.
2. Add mint leaves and chill before serving.

Recipes with Papaya 

Raw Papaya Paratha

Raw Papaya Paratha is a nutritious stuffed flatbread.

Ingredients for Raw Papaya Paratha:

• 1 cup grated raw papaya
• Wheat flour dough
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Method for Raw Papaya Paratha:

1. Mix grated papaya with chilli, coriander, and salt.
2. Stuff mixture into dough balls, roll, and cook on tawa with ghee.
3. Serve Raw Papaya Paratha with chutney or curd.

Papaya Halwa

Papaya Halwa is a fragrant dessert made with ripe papaya.

Ingredients for Papaya Halwa:

• 2 cups ripe papaya, grated
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Cashews and raisins

Method for Papaya Halwa:

1. Heat the ghee, and sauté the grated papaya until soft.
2. Add sugar and cook till thick.
3. Add cardamom, garnish Papaya Halwa with cashews and raisins.

The monsoon in India speaks a different language—the rhythmic patter of raindrops, the earthy scent of moist soil, and the markets bursting in colour with fruits native to this season. These fruits are not just for enjoyment: they are a means of food for the balance of nature during the humid, wet weather. Sweet, tangy, creamy, or refreshing; these seasonal fruits can be transformed into brightly hued, especially lively dishes, lifting the monochrome greys of rainfall and dampness to invite us to celebrate the day.

Let's jump into the kitchen and see how we can transform the August harvest of the Indian monsoon into Indian monsoon fruit recipes which are food-rich with tradition that can easily adapt to modern tables.

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