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Introduction
Food is one of the best way to keep yourself warm during winters. People all over the world turn to healthy and warm foods during the winter season. With the Indian cuisine being marked for its variety, there are a number of special and traditional foods particular to the winters. The winter season starts around late October to early November. This is when you will feel the cold air brush against your face early mornings. And how do you start a cold early morning? With a cup of tea! Chai with Adrak (ginger) is pretty famous in India. You will see everyone holding a cup of chai in their hands during the winter season. Now, I know that you are craving for a cup of tea too. So, I am waiting, go make yourself a warm cup of chai. And then let’s begin this wonderful blog filled with Best Food to eat in Winter in India.
Winter Season and Indian Food Essentials in Winter
Winter in India is a time when the temperatures drop, and we naturally turn to foods that keep us warm and comfortable. Our bodies need more energy to stay warm, and the Indian diet is designed to provide that. Traditional Indian foods not only help raise body temperature but also boost skin health and provide essential nutrients. During this season, Indian kitchens often use ingredients like mustard oil, sesame seeds, dry fruits, and root vegetables, as these foods are believed to have special health benefits during winter.
Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti: Punjab's Special
Talking of winter dishes, Sarson Ka Saag is a classic that is paired with Makki Ki Roti. This delicacy from Punjab is not a dish but a tradition in itself that has been handed down through generations. Sarson Ka Saag, made of mustard greens, is in fact nutritionally dense, speaking volumes with much-needed vitamins and minerals for winters. Mustard greens contain the necessary amount of iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K, which shine when consumed during the winter.
In fact, to prepare Sarson Ka Saag is a labor of love, where these mustard leaves along with other leafy greens—like spinach and fenugreek leaves—are slowly cooked with aromatic spices until they have turned into a nice, thick, flavorful puree. Tempering the dish with ghee and dolloping white butter on top to finish will add richness and depth to the flavor. This rich, hearty saag should be served with Makki Ki Roti, a flatbread prepared with maize flour. The slightly coarse texture of the roti and its earthy flavor make it an ideal pairing with the saag, thus being tasteful and wholesome.
The Health Benefits of Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti
Sarson Ka Saag is not only a super winter food that is prepared and relished but, more importantly, is a pack of essential nutrients. The mustard greens in the saag are full of antioxidants that help boost the immune system and protect the body from various winter ailments. The greens are packed with vitamins and minerals that keep the skin healthy, strengthen bones, and improve vision. Makki Ki Roti, prepared from maize flour, is a rich source of dietary fiber, which aids digestion and regulates blood sugar levels. It is the blend of taste and health that is a must during the cold season.
Root Vegetables: The Winter Superfoods
Another main constituent of the winter diet in India is the root vegetables. Sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets are on this list, as they are all vegetables that are inherently capable of developing with cold weather and hence are easily available during winter months. Root vegetables are denser in most essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, potassium, and fibre. They are also known to be heating, which helps in keeping the body warm during winter.
Root vegetables are best relished as hot, comforting soups in the winter. In a hot bowl of soup, the flavors of root vegetables such as black pepper, cumin, and garam masala are married with aromatic seasonings that exclusively cater to satiating the soul, also providing nourishment. With long-simmered soups, this really allows for the full flavor in each dish to come through. Although sweet potatoes are quite rich in vitamin A, stimulating immune function, and promoting healthy skin, carrots, on the other hand, are rich in beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A by the body, thus increasing their healthful properties.
Dry Fruits: The Perfect Winter Snack
Dry fruits form an essential component in the winter diet of India. Almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, and raisins are tasty and rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals which prove useful to provide warmth and energy during winter months. These dry fruits are eaten as snacks and also added to many dishes with the objective of enhancing their taste and nutrition.
Gond Ke Laddoo
The sweetmeat made out of dry fruits—is one of the most famous items during winters. Edible gum (Gond) is especially important, being one of the key raw materials used in the preparation of these sweet and tasty items. Other ingredients include dry fruits, whole wheat flour, and desi ghee. Gond Ke Laddoo has a warming effect on the body; it is primarily consumed during winters so that the body has enough energy and is kept warm. These laddoos are also enriched with healthy fats, which release energy gradually, making them a perfect snack during winters.
The Role of Sesame Seeds in Winter Foods
Sesame seeds, or til, are another winter superfood that is consumed widely in Indian cuisine during winters. These seeds are packed with nutrition, being a good source of healthy fats, protein, and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. There is one more fact attributed to these small seeds: they have warming properties, hence being perfect for consumption in winters.
Sesame seeds are used throughout most parts of India for a variety of delicacies cooked during winters. One such traditional sweet is Assam’s Til Pitha. It consists of a rice-flour pancake filled with sesame seeds and jaggery, which is a natural sweetener, and then deep-fried until crisp. Sesame seeds go very well with the jaggery since their sweetness and warmness are combined, making it quite a popular snack in winter.
Sesame seeds are also used in the preparation of Chikki, a brittle made with sesame seeds and jaggery. This sweet and crunchy treat is not only delicious but also full of nutrients that will keep the body warm and healthy during winters.
Traditional Indian Curries: Comfort Food for Winter
Winter is the time to indulge in rich, warm traditional Indian curries. The diet in winter, therefore, comprises slow-cooked curries made with almost all types of meats and vegetables, along with aromatic spices. Slow-cooked over a low flame for hours on end, these curries have their flavors melted together, producing something thick and satisfying.
Rogan Josh is probably the most famous of winter curries—one that has substantially remained in the old Kashmiri tradition, made with tender pieces of lamb swimming in a rich and fragrant gravy. The curry gets flavor from a peculiar mix of spices that includes fennel, ginger, and Kashmiri red chilies, which give it a special taste and warming properties. It is usually served with steamed rice or Makki Ki Roti for a complete and satisfying meal.
Another popular winter delicacy is the Paya Shorba. It is a traditional soup made from lamb trotters. The Paya Shorba is very famous for its rich, robust flavor and its nutritional values. It is slow-cooked in a broth with aromatic spices, garlic, and ginger for flavor and health benefits. Paya Shorba is considered very wholesome, especially during winters when extra nourishment is required by the body to stay warm. It is usually taken as a strengthening and immunity-boosting soup during the cold weather.
Sweet Delights: An Essential during Indian Winters
No winter meal in India gets its perfect closure without a sweet dish to end it. The winter season is one in which age-old traditional Indian sweets come into the limelight, made with seasonal ingredients. Gajar Ka Halwa is considered one of the most famous sweets consumed during winters; it’s actually a rich, sinful dessert that includes fresh carrots, milk, sugar, and ghee. Slow cooking simmers down until the carrots are tender and the flavor is full, so it comes out sweet and satiating.
Gajar Ka Halwa is an absolute favorite of literally every Indian. Dry fruits like almonds and cashews are used mainly for garnishing, which add flavor and the perfect crunch to the dish. Gajar Ka Halwa is preferred by people of all age groups and is one of the main cuisines in winter celebrations and festivals.
Another very famous winter dessert, Daulat Ki Chaat, is an odd sort of sweet delicacy from Uttar Pradesh. Fundamentally, it is the churning of milk cream for a light, frothy, cloud-like texture in nature. Flavored with saffron and cardamom, with just a sprinkle of sugar, the result is a dessert that at one time is delicate and indulgent. Slivered with silver leaf and dry fruits.
Warm Drinks: A Winter Essential
Nothing beats the cold chills more than wrapping yourself in a warm blanket and enjoying some hot beverage. At this time, traditional warm drinks such as Masala Chai and Kahwa come to the forefront. Literally translating to spiced tea, Masala Chai, and green tea of Kashmiri origin, Kahwa, are traditional drinks enjoyed during winters in India. These drinks not only keep one warm but are also filled with fragrant spices that have a number of medicinal properties.
Masala Chai is black tea brewed with spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Milk and sugar further add to its creaminess and sweetness, making it an excellent beverage to sip on during the crisp winter mornings. On the other hand, Kahwa belongs to the light, fragrant teas prepared from green tea leaves, saffron, cardamom, and almonds. It’s often sprinkled with crushed nuts and is believed to help improve digestion and boost the immune system.
Nothing can beat, for the sweet-toothed, a mug of hot chocolate that is rich in cocoa and topped with a dollop of whipped cream during a cold winter evening. This drink provides not only relief to the sweet tooth but also a short-term recharge of energy levels.
Role of Whole Grains in Winter Diet
Whole grains like wheat, millet, and barley form a main constituent of the winter diet in India. Grains are good sources of fiber besides being an excellent source of B-complex vitamins, iron, and magnesium. Whole grains are used in many traditional dishes, such as Makki Ki Roti, Bajra Khichdi, and Ragi Porridge, which are consumed during winters.
From parathas to rotis, whole wheat flour forms the base of various winter foods. These flatbreads go well with piping hot curries and dals, along with a green vegetable dish or saag—a wholesome meal that can hold its own during the winters.
Winter Superfoods: Must-Haves for Good Health
Together with these traditional dishes, the winter season also comes up with its superfoods that will keep one in fit health. These include mustard greens, sesame seeds, dry fruits, root vegetables, and whole grains. These foods are enriched with many essential nutrients and are warming in nature, thus becoming a part of the Indian diet during winters.
Conclusion
Winter is the time for India’s rich and varied flavors. From the comfort foods like warm Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti to sweet indulgences like Gajar Ka Halwa and Daulat Ki Chaat, Indian winter foods blend taste, nutrition, and warmth. Be it the traditional curry, the dry fruits for snacking, or the warm drinks—all foods in winter are aimed at keeping one healthy, warm, and full. So, as the chill begins to set in, make most of the winter season by relishing these delectable and healthful foods which indeed are a celebration of Indian winters.
If you are in India this winter season, let us know how the warm foods treat you this winter. Also, what Indian Dish have you already tried? I personally love Gajar ka Halwa and Moong Dal Halwa with khoya!
Author: Shivangi
Edit: Kinga
