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Monsoon, with its beautiful gloomy, grey skies and lush greenery is the only savior from the scorching heat of Indian summers. For most it is a love hate relationship with rains - because getting drenched and walking on the murky streets isn’t much of a treat, but once you’re home and all freshened up, a nice cup of coffee overlooking the window while it rains is oddly comforting

When hunger strikes…

Another thing that the rain makes you feel is super hungry. And these days, for some reason, our body has evolved in a way that the moment it starts raining heavily outside you crave freshly fried onion and aloo pakoras along with a refreshing cup of tea or coffee. And the moment you eat one of those crispy munchies, the feeling is heavenly! The warm crunchy besan coating along with the perfectly cooked insides, and just then a sip of the sweet masala chai! Bliss! And while all this love for the pakoras is truly justified, nothing can beat the comfort of a hot bowl of Manchow Soup. Here’s why!

The love for Manchow Soup

Yes, I know it might sound odd to many, but this humble soup is so much better than any pakoras during the monsoon. This broth of flavours is anything but subtle. I’m sure this soup would be one of the first things you order with your family while dining at a restaurant. And although it is categorised as a Chinese dish on those menus, it is definitely not Chinese. It isn’t even Indian. This dish takes inspiration from Chinese cooking styles and flavours, blending it with a mix of veggies and tantalizing sauces – making it a hit with the Indian palate.

This garlic infused soup is meant to soothe you from the outside and from within. With the use of different kinds of chillies and chilli sauces, the Manchow soup might disinterest some non-spicy eaters, but you could always ask the chef to turn down the heat , without compromising on the flavour as it’s the garlic, vegetables and other sauces in the mix that makes it amazing.

But how can it be better than pakoras?

Now you might feel how does this soup even qualify to toss aside something as delicious as pakoras during the monsoons? Well, there are many reasons why. Firstly, as we all know, monsoons tend to get chilly and while pakoras are great when consumed warm, it doesn’t really work that well to keep you warm. On the other hand, Manchow soup is cooked with garlic and other spices, which have their own warmth, apart from the actual heat of the soup that helps us feel better from within. Manchow soup is also perfect to be consumed when you’ve got a terrible cold. It helps in getting rid of congestion and definitely works wonders for a blocked nose.

Moreover, Manchow soup is comparatively healthier than the fried pakoras too since it is cooked with many vegetables, mushrooms, and in case you’re a non-vegetarian- Chicken! Moreover, the ample use of garlic also aids in digestion- a problem people commonly face during monsoons. Pakoras, on the other hand, are oily as hell, and with the addition of besan and soda to the mix, it causes flatulence, and no one wants a flatulent tummy!

Also, you need to have tea or coffee with pakoras, and well, with Manchow Soup, you don’t really need anything else. It is a good snack that is light on the tummy but manages to fill you up just enough to still have a light dinner later.  So even though pakoras sound cool during monsoons, the humble Manchow Soup is a much ideal choice.

If you wish to make Manchow Soup at home, you could check out the cool recipe by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Here is the link

https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Vegetable-Manchow-Soup-Sanjeev-Kapoor-Kitchen-FoodFood.html