Rainy days are here again so head to Raina's...

Think rains and you can almost smell the fresh, wet earth. But the olfactory association doesn't stop there. It almost always brings with it the smell of steaming hot coffee or tea and all those wonderful snacks that you grew up on. If rains do this to you, then there's one place which can make rains easy on you - Raina Ruchi Centre, (#28, Girls School Street), near Triangular Park, Seshadripuram, Bangalore -560020.  This small store run by Vijaykumar (9845221083) is like a one-stop shop for a vatiety of snacks, both North and South Indian. You get varieties of mixtures, namkeens, dals, peanuts, murukkus, kharis, khakhras, biscuits and other fried stuff. You also get a few interesting North-South fusion flavours here. You also find ragi-based snacks that add an innovative twist to some traditional snacks. Calorie counters, this place has some stuff for you, but you would be advised to give up the counting when shopping here. Introduced to this place and its goodies, by my friend Sapna, my personal favourites are the bite-sized Chintamani "nippattus" - deep-fried, savoury, crisp discs made of rice flour and seasonings of til, roasted peanuts, channa, coconut, hing and curry leaves. The bite-sized "pani puri puris" with pudina flavour that are sold here are melt-in-the-mouth. Some of their mini-khakhras come from Bombay. Their masala pasta is notable too. Though priced a little steeper than other snack stores, this store promises fresh stuff made in good quality oil. All in all, well worth a visit, if you are in that neighbourhood, before the rains come pouring down again......