Jalebi

It’s the warm and crisp jalebi that one serving needs to brighten up at the first sight of rain. Jalebi is deep-fried in a spiral form and then soaked in sugar syrup. What you end up with is a grand combination of crunch and sweetness. Hot and fresh jalebis right off the syrup are the best thing ever. Add a cup of hot masala chai, and you have the ideal snack for the monsoons.

Gulab Jamuns

Gulab jamun is a famous classic sweet of India. Small dough balls soaked in rose-flavored sugar syrup are one of the best soft and melt-in-the-mouth treats, traditionally made from khoya (dried milk). These may be taken warm because of the rich, milky texture combined with the fragrance of the syrup—gulab jamuns are just paradise-like on days when it rains.

Malpua

Malpua is yet another sweet treat, a very comforting one, much like a warm hug on a rainy day. These tiny, spongy pancakes consist of a batter of flour, milk, and sugar, usually spiced with cardamom or fennel seeds, fried to a light brown color, and bathed in sugar syrup. Often, malpua are topped with nuts, which lend a nice crunch amidst their otherwise spongy, syrupy texture. If at all one had to wish for rains to last throughout the year, it would be to munch on mala every day.

Gajar Ka Halwa

Though traditionally a winter dessert, gajar ka halwa is also a comfort food associated with the monsoon season. The sweet dish is cooked by slow-cooking grated carrots with milk, sugar, and ghee and garnished with nuts and raisins. It has a rich, creamy texture and warm, homely flavors, perfectly fitting for those rainy afternoons when one craves something cozy and delicious.

Kheer

Kheer is a creamy rice pudding, an all-season food. In the monsoons, it gives the warmth and richness one craves. Kheer is made by boiling milk and rice with sugar and flavored with cardamom, saffron, and a variety of nuts; it is relatively uncomplicated yet very decadent. Each spoonful reminds you of comforting, homely meals that are basically constituted of Indian cuisine.