Rainy-Day Snacks: Namkeen for Monsoon Evenings

When the monsoon arrives and the evenings turn grey and wet, every Andhra household reaches for the same two things: a hot cup of tea and something crunchy and spicy. Rain and namkeen simply belong together.

The monsoon snack plate

Karam boondi is the easiest: small, spicy, crisp pearls you can eat by the handful or sprinkle over curd rice. Atukula mixture, made with flattened rice, is lighter. Janthikalu and chakodi are the crunchy spirals that go with tea. Cheka pakodi and palli pakoda add a deeper, nutty crunch.

Mix two or three together in a bowl and you have an evening snack that takes no cooking at all.

Keeping snacks crisp in damp weather

The monsoon's enemy is moisture. Namkeen left in an open packet goes soft within a day when the air is humid. Move snacks into airtight jars as soon as you open them, use a dry spoon or hand, and keep the jar away from the kitchen steam. Stored that way, our namkeen stays crisp for up to 30 days.

If a batch does go a little soft, a few minutes in a warm, dry pan or a low oven brings the crunch back.

Something sweet too

A rainy evening also suits a warm sweet. Bobbatlu, warmed on a tawa with a little ghee, are perfect with tea when it is pouring outside.

For more pairings, our tea-time namkeen guide suggests combinations from mild to properly spicy.