What Comfort Food Tastes Like When It Rains

Rain comes with cravings. Oil crackling in a pan, a mess of potatoes covered in batter, ready to be turned into something crispy and healing. This is just one end of the rainbow. Not everyone reaches out for a plate of hot bhajiyas on a rainy day. For some people, it could be a serving of tiramisu, a spicy plate of schezwan noodles or a brothy concoction of a vegetable stew.

For me, the monsoon in Dehradun meant a steaming bowl of thukpa and a side of momos with my friends after lectures. Thukpa is what I associate with the happy days of my university life and monsoon. But before there was college, there was the palak dal and rice I used to enjoy at home. A generous tadka of garlic and it was ready to make me forget the stress of my upcoming board exams.  

There are many who have been taken in the hold of food nostalgia, owing to the cloudy days we have been seeing. We asked six food lovers, from chefs to content creators, what they eat when the monsoons come calling and what emerged was a warm archive of memories and taste.

Chintan Rachchh’s Gujarati Cravings

Actor-Writer Chintan Rachchh falls in love with his Gujarati roots even more every monsoon. He says, “My current favourite is rajma, of course with pyaaz and aachar. But if I’m allowed to go overboard, I’d go with nostalgia and that’s the Gujarati masala poori, hot chai and deep fried bhavnagri mirchis that’s filled with potato masala.

And although, in his words, it might get “you enough calories for three lifetimes,” it is still worth a shot. “If I say more, I’ll just take a flight home,” he concludes. Some cravings really are worth that flight back home.

Chef Amit Ghorpade’s Misal Ritual

Misal, with its fiery kat (gravy) and crunchy farsan, is a Maharashtrian staple that hits every texture and temperature note. 

At Aragma in Pune, Chef Ghorpade might craft contemporary plates, but come monsoon, his cravings stay rooted in tradition. “My favourite monsoon indulgence is a bowl of piping hot misal packed with sprouts, spice, and flavour, paired with a cup of ginger tea, enjoyed while catching up on the Formula 1 series,” he says. 

Priya Sharma’s Rainy Day Rewind

For content creator Priya Sharma, monsoon comfort food equates to her parents’ samosas.

“When it’s raining, my favourite food is my mum's & dad’s samosa. They hands down make the best samosa in the world! When I’m having it at home I’ll pair my parents samosa with imli ki chutney and yogurt,” she says.

Would folks in Delhi be able to get anything like this soon? Priya is confident with the answer: “The only samosa I have ever had that came close to it was the freshly prepared samosa from Old Famous Jalebi Wala in Chandni Chowk, if you don’t want to make samosa from scratch go there,” she exclaims.

Yashita’s Nostalgic Homecomings

When she is not showing her creative talents on the ‘gram, you can find her reminiscing about the food back home. For fashion content creator Yashita Chandrashekhar, monsoon food is inseparable from childhood. “The smell of wet earth, paper boats in puddles, and most of all, the food. My mom’s pakoras, especially anything with potatoes and green chillies, were a rainy day ritual,” she says. 

But more than the fried treats, it’s the simplicity of hot home food that lingers. “Now that I’m constantly on the move, living between cities, I don’t always get to recreate those exact moments. But on days I need a reset, I always turn to that plate of dal chawal with achar, Indori namkeen, and lots of onion. It’s my way of coming home,” Chandrashekhar concludes.

Sneha’s Love Letter to Corn

From roadside roasted bhuttas rubbed with lime and masala to steamed corn sold outside college gates, we get it, corn is monsoon’s main character. For Chef and food content creator, Sneha Singhi Upadhyay, corn is a monsoon essential.

She says, “My monsoon comfort food is anything made with corn. Bhuttas are synonymous with monsoons and eating them in various ways is my comfort food. Bhutte ka khichu, corn elote, Cachapas or steamed masala corn. My dadi would whip corn dishes during monsoons and lovingly serve it to us.”

Chef Tenzin’s Bowl of Solace

While some lean on nostalgia, others chase soul-warming comfort in a bowl that’s travelled far from home. For Chef Tenzin, Executive Chef at Yazu, Goa, monsoon comfort takes the form of ramen. He says, “For me, monsoon comfort is all about a warm bowl of ramen packed with umami and soul. The soothing broth, fresh noodles, and that gentle steam rising with every slurp—it’s the perfect hug in a bowl while the rain taps against the window. Pair that with a good crime thriller series, and I’m set for the evening!” Sometimes, the perfect comfort is simply a good bowl and a little suspense on screen.

As the rains continue to fall, maybe this is the season to revisit the meals that made us, or try someone else’s rainy day favourite. Either way, comfort is never too far away; sometimes, it’s just a plate (and a little drizzle) away.