When the skies turn grey and the air feels damp and the weather forecast carries the risk of rain, our cravings take an even cosier turn. While we might reach for the standard rain suspects—pakoras, chai, or khichdi—there are so many choices lurking on ranges across India's culinary continuum for this weather—some steeped in tradition, others with a little modern kitchen mojo.

So whether you'll nestle a book and wait for the rain to stop, or have a cosy dinner with family or friends during another stormy spell, these deliciously unique recipes will add a few nice surprises to your monsoon table.

Foodism is here with a curated list of unique Indian recipes for rainy weather - 

Bhutte Ka Kees Recipe

Ingredients for Bhutte Ka Kees:

• 2 cups grated sweet corn
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of hing
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 chopped green chillies
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup milk
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Grated coconut (optional)

Instructions for Bhutte Ka Kees:

1. To begin making Bhutte Ka Kees, heat ghee in a pan.
2. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing for the Bhutte Ka Kees tempering.
3. Add grated ginger and green chillies and sauté to build the base for Bhutte Ka Kees.
4. Add the grated corn and turmeric powder to the pan to form the heart of the Bhutte Ka Kees.
5. Cook the corn mixture for 3–4 minutes until aromatic for a perfect Bhutte Ka Kees flavour.
6. Pour in the milk and allow Bhutte Ka Kees to simmer until thick and creamy, around 8–10 minutes.
7. Add salt and optional sugar to balance the taste of Bhutte Ka Kees.
8. Turn off the flame, add lemon juice, and garnish Bhutte Ka Kees with chopped coriander and grated coconut.
9. Serve Bhutte Ka Kees hot with chai or alone.

Patoleo Recipe (Patoli)

Ingredients for Patoleo:

• 10 turmeric leaves
• 1 cup rice flour
• Hot water as needed
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• ¾ cup grated jaggery
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• A pinch of salt

Instructions for Patoleo:

1. Mix rice flour with hot water and a pinch of salt to form a soft Patoleo dough.
2. In a bowl, mix coconut, jaggery, and cardamom to make the sweet Patoleo filling.
3. Wash turmeric leaves thoroughly and pat dry for the Patoleo steaming.
4. Take a turmeric leaf, spread rice dough evenly over it to prepare the Patoleo base.
5. Place a spoonful of the Patoleo filling in the center and fold the leaf in half.
6. Steam the Patoleo for 10–12 minutes in a steamer or idli pot.
7. Once the Patoleo is soft and cooked, remove and serve warm.
8. Enjoy Patoleo as a festive, cloudy day dessert.

Khar Recipe

Ingredients for Khar:

• 1 raw papaya, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp mustard oil 
• 1 tsp panch phoron
• 1 dried red chilli
• 1 tsp khar solution (banana peel ash filtrate)
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Instructions for Khar:

1. Boil the papaya cubes until soft to form the base for Khar.
2. Heat mustard oil and add panch phoron and red chilli for tempering the Khar.
3. Add boiled papaya into the pan and sauté well to start forming the Khar.
4. Add the khar solution and water to the papaya mix to make the signature Khar flavour.
5. Simmer Khar for 5–7 minutes, allowing flavours to blend.
6. Serve Khar hot with steamed rice.

Pathiri with Chicken Coconut Stew Recipe

Ingredients for Pathiri:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 ½ cups water 
• Salt to taste 

Ingredients for Chicken Coconut Stew:

• 300g chicken
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit 
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon)
• Salt to taste

Instructions for Pathiri with Chicken Coconut Stew:

1. Boil water with salt, add rice flour, stir, and knead to form Pathiri dough.
2. Roll out thin Pathiri rounds and cook on a hot tawa till soft.
3. For Chicken Coconut Stew, heat coconut oil, add whole spices, onions, and ginger-garlic paste.
4. Add chicken, green chillies, and curry leaves to the stew base.
5. Pour in the thin coconut milk and cook the Chicken Coconut Stew until the chicken is tender.
6. Add thick coconut milk and simmer briefly to finish the Chicken Coconut Stew.
7. Serve Chicken Coconut Stew hot with soft Pathiri.

Kurkuri Bhindi & Black Urad Dal Khichdi Recipe

Ingredients for Kurkuri Bhindi:

• 2 cups thinly sliced okra
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Ingredients for Black Urad Dal Khichdi:

• ½ cup black urad dal 
• ½ cup rice
• 1 tsp ghee
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste 
• Water as needed

Instructions for Kurkuri Bhindi & Black Urad Dal Khichdi:

1. Toss okra in rice flour, chilli powder, and salt, and fry to make Kurkuri Bhindi.
2. For Black Urad Dal Khichdi, wash and pressure-cook dal and rice with a bay leaf.
3. Temper ghee with cumin seeds and mix into the Khichdi.
4. Serve hot Black Urad Dal Khichdi topped with Kurkuri Bhindi.

Bajra Raab (Saandha) Recipe

Ingredients for Bajra Raab:

• 3 tbsp bajra flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp jaggery
• ½ tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp ghee
• ½ tsp grated ginger

Instructions for Bajra Raab:

1. Mix bajra flour with water to make a smooth base for Bajra Raab.
2. Heat ghee, add ajwain and ginger, and then add the bajra mixture for Bajra Raab.
3. Simmer Bajra Raab till thick and add jaggery.
4. Serve hot Bajra Raab in a cup.

Shakarkandi Chaat with Spiced Yoghurt Foam Recipe

Ingredients for Shakarkandi Chaat:

• 2 cups boiled sweet potato cubes
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Spiced Yoghurt Foam:

• ½ cup yoghurt
• ½ tsp black salt 
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• Use a hand blender or foam maker

Instructions for Shakarkandi Chaat with Yoghurt Foam:

1. Toss the sweet potato with spices to prepare Shakarkandi Chaat.
2. Whip yoghurt with salt and lemon juice to create Yoghurt Foam.
3. Serve Shakarkandi Chaat in bowls topped with foamy spiced yoghurt.

Methi na Gota Waffles Recipe

Ingredients for Methi na Gota Waffles:

• 1 cup besan
• 1 cup fresh chopped methi leaves
• 2 tbsp yoghurt
• 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste 
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ajwain
• 1 tsp oil
• ½ tsp Eno or baking soda
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed 
• Oil spray

Instructions for Methi na Gota Waffles:

1. In a bowl, mix besan, chopped methi, yoghurt, ginger-chilli paste, turmeric, ajwain, and salt to prepare the Methi na Gota Waffles batter.
2. Add water gradually to make a thick batter for Methi na Gota Waffles.
3. Just before cooking, add Eno or baking soda to the Methi na Gota Waffles batter and mix well.
4. Preheat waffle iron and grease with oil spray before adding Methi na Gota Waffles batter.
5. Cook Methi na Gota Waffles for 4–5 minutes until golden and crispy.
6. Serve Methi na Gota Waffles with green chutney and masala chai.

Majjige Huli Recipe (Karnataka-Style Spiced Yoghurt Curry)

Ingredients for Majjige Huli:

• 1½ cups curd
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp soaked chana dal
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1½ cups diced ash gourd or cucumber
• Salt to taste 

Tempering for Majjige Huli:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing
• A few curry leaves

Instructions for Majjige Huli:

1. Boil ash gourd/cucumber in water until soft for Majjige Huli base.
2. Grind coconut, green chillies, soaked chana dal, and cumin into a smooth paste for Majjige Huli.
3. Whisk curd with turmeric and mix in the ground paste to form the Majjige Huli mixture.
4. Add cooked vegetables and simmer gently—don’t boil, or Majjige Huli may split.
5. Heat oil, crackle mustard seeds, add hing and curry leaves for tempering Majjige Huli.
6. Pour tempering over Majjige Huli and serve hot with steamed rice.

Bharwan Tinda in Mustard-Yoghurt Gravy Recipe | Stuffed Tinda Curry Recipe

Ingredients for Bharwan Tinda:

• 6 round tindas 
• ¼ cup grated onion
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp mustard oil 

Ingredients for Mustard-Yoghurt Gravy: 

• ½ cup thick yoghurt
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt and water as needed

Instructions for Bharwan Tinda in Mustard-Yoghurt Gravy:

1. Scoop out the center of each tinda to prepare for Bharwan Tinda stuffing.
2. Mix besan, onion, ginger-garlic paste, and spices with mustard oil to prepare the Bharwan Tinda filling.
3. Stuff the filling into each tinda and lightly fry them until golden for Bharwan Tinda.
4. Grind mustard seeds, fennel, and green chilli to a fine paste for the Bharwan Tinda gravy.
5. Mix the paste with yoghurt, add salt and water to prepare Bharwan Tinda gravy.
6. Heat the oil, add the gravy mix, and gently add the Bharwan Tinda pieces.
7. Cover and simmer the Bharwan Tinda in the gravy until cooked through.
8. Serve Bharwan Tinda with steamed rice or chapati.

Cloudy days might not be the most inspiring days of the year, but they do provide the perfect occasion for flavour to take center stage. So, the next time the weather looks dreary, instead of having a plain sunny-day meal, do something wonderfully crazy instead! Cook some Patoleo with its earthy scent, Bhutte ka Kees's creamy warmth, or some Bharwan Tinda in mustard-yoghurt gravy, and rain the experience of your kitchen with your memories.

And don't forget the best meals are the happiest surprises. Download Foodism and record what you made!