Skip these 6 street food items this monsoon season to avoid falling ill
As the monsoon winds and rains bring relief and respite from the sweltering heat we step outside more often than we did during the sunny summer months. During these excursions street food stalls are usually our first stop and forget that monsoon season comes with its own set of health concerns. While we understand the joy of eating something spicy and flavourful from a street vendor in the rainy season is unbeatable, we must resist the temptation if we want to avoid falling ill. Here are 6 street foods that you should bypass in the rainy season to stay healthy.
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Street foods to avoid in monsoon season and why
1) Pani Puri
Call it what you want 'pani puri', 'gol gappa' or 'puchka' these deep-fried wonders are loved all over India. But did you know the water used in pani puri is often contaminated with rainwater and can lead to gastrointestinal infections such as Cholera and E. Coli? Also, during the rainy season, many vendors do not follow proper hygiene which can lead to a lot of bacterial infections as well.
2) Ragada Pattice
A Maharashtrian dish, it is a preparation of potato patties topped with a curry prepared using dried white peas. This tasty dish can easily lead you to food poisoning because the ingredients it uses, if not stored properly, can easily go bad in the excessive moisture and humid weather conditions of the monsoon season.
3) Pakoras
Pakoras are tasty deep-fried fritters that are a staple in the monsoon season. But did you know most vendors do not dispose of the cooking oil in which pakoras are fried and keep reusing it again and again? This creates a welcome breeding ground for bacteria due to excess dampness in the air and leads to food poisoning and stomach infections.
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4) Chaat
Chaat, be it any kind, uses a ton of wet ingredients like boiled potatoes or chickpeas, mint and coriander chutney and tamarind chutney, which if not stored properly can easily go bad and cause stomach problems and food poisoning.
5) Dahi Bhalla
The curd or yoghurt which is the main ingredient of this dish has a tendency to go bad when left out too long during the hot and humid monsoon season. Also, the bhalla is made using a batter of fermented dal which also can cause a ton of bacterial infections if Consuming dahi balla with spoiled curd can lead to a host of stomach issues and infections.
6) Momos
A star of the Indian street food scene, momos is a favourite among all. But you should refrain from eating this delicious wonder because of its main ingredient 'cabbage'. Cabbage should be consumed with extreme caution, particularly in the rainy season, because the excess moisture in the air makes it a favourable breeding ground for worms that lead to major stomach infections.
No matter how hygienic and upscale of a place you go to, it is next to impossible to keep a check on the storage and preparation of street food which can easily go bad in monsoon. So to stay healthy and avoid the risk of falling ill, it is advised to skip street food, especially these dishes, in the rainy season and have fresh home-cooked food instead.
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