As the first raindrops hit the sea, the hilsa or ilish swims up the rivers to breed and spawn between July and October, making the monsoon the best time to eat Bengal’s most prized seafood. Hilsa mania reaches its peak in Kolkata, where ilish macha is mixed into bhaja (fried food) and paired with piping hot khichuri, a rainy day specialty. Other popular preparations include ilish bhapa (steamed hilsa), smoked hilsa and ilish jhal. It is also the time when around 300 varieties of wild edible mushrooms are consumed across Malnad, Maharashtra and Meghalaya. Be it doda in Rajasthan, boda in Chhattisgarh, lugula in Jharkhand or ueng in Manipur, mushrooms are a meat substitute for many during the monsoon. In Kashmir, morels are processed into flavoursome guchi pulao. Coorg too has its popular vegetables, including the needle-like nuchi kum, the umbrella-like kodai kum and the tree-fruited mala kum. But Coorg’s monsoon miracle food is mud top, or “medicinal leaf.” Harvested on the 18th day of Kakkada, the monsoon month when its medicinal properties are at their peak, the stems and leaves are boiled into a purple extract and used to make mud khur payasa, a sweet porridge.
How to reach: Fly to Bangalore or Kannur and then drive to Coorg.
Best Sahyadri’s in Maharashtra for Monsoon Treks
Rajgadh of Sahyadri
Photo: Getty Images
Misty roads disappearing into the clouds, seasonal waterfalls, wild flowers, green cliffs, caves carved into the rock, crumbling forts in dramatic locations. Sahyadri trekking in the rainy season is an experience like no other. Popular routes are around the Mumbai-Pune highway, so choose a trek that suits your level. Beginners can hike to Bhimashankar via the Ganeshgat route, Kandas village near Karjat to Manikgad fort, Prabalgad between Panvel and Matheran, or from Baje to Visapur. Experienced trekkers can tackle Rajgad on the outskirts of Pune, Kileshwar to Harishchandragad, or Maharashtra’s highest peaks Pachinai and Kalsubai. Good shoes, rain gear and a local guide are a must.
How to get there: To reach Bhimashankar, drive 92 km from Mumbai to Kandas Base. To reach Manikgad Fort, drive 59 km from Mumbai to Vashiwari Base. From Mumbai, drive 50 km to Thakurwadi, base for Prabalgad trek. After 2 km, detour at Prabalmachi and a treacherous 3 km hike to the steep Kalavantin Durg before a longer hike to Prabalgad Fort. To reach Visapur Fort, Lohagad and Badje Caves, drive 95 km via Lonavala and Malavli to Badje village. To reach Raigad Fort, drive 130 km from Pune to Pachad Base, 25 km north of Mahad. To reach Harishchandragad, drive 118 km to nearby Kileshwar Base or Pachinai. To reach Kalsubai, drive 150km via Kasara and Igatpuri to Bari village.
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