Soul food and winter are a love affair, you’ll agree. There is something magical about curling up with a bowl of steaming rice and dal with your comfiest socks on. Ironically even as the season brings with it the opportunity to binge on fancy meals — gratis the string of year-end parties and of course, wedding season in India — most of us find ourselves craving simple home food, a return to our roots.
So, with the ‘cosy season’ almost upon us, we scoured chefs’ menus in search of dishes that wield humble ingredients, while managing to strike a chord with our palates. This winter, find solace in a pot of stew or let your sweet tooth run riot with some kheer (a sweet milk-based porridge).
And if you’re looking for something quick and flavourful to whip up, here are some dishes you might want to try.
1. Gur Makhana Ladoos
Hailed as the winter ‘OG’ (a Gen-Z slang for ‘original’) gur (jaggery) is quite the cult favourite in Indian homes. Its sweet, dense taste is enough to take the flavour profile of the dish up a notch. But, gur’s distinct aesthetic is not its only superpower turns out. The unassuming dark brown, earthy crumble comes with a repository of health benefits, including antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. While contributing a shot of sweetness to the dish, gur, when ingested releases energy gradually, making for a great way of building sustenance.
One of the most popular versions is nolen gur, a kind of jaggery made from the sap of the date palm tree Phoenix sylvestris. The sap can only be procured between November to February, making it a lucrative find. While gur does seem like a winning ingredient, pairing it with makhana (lotus seeds) is where the magic lies, and Chef Kunal Kapur has tapped into this with his recipe of gur makhana ladoos.
2. Undhiyu
Who better than baa (grandmother) herself to teach the nuances of making a good ol’ helping of this timeless winter edition staple? “Thandi ke mausam mein undhiya garam garam puri aur thanda thanda shrikhand khane mein sabko majja aata hai (In winter, everyone loves eating undhiyu with hot puris (deep fried bread) and cold shrikhand (traditional Indian sweet)),” she smiles, as she busies herself listing out the ingredients needed.
Eighty-year-old Urmila Asher helms ‘Gujju Ben Na Nasta’ — a brand that prides itself on homemade Gujarati snacks. And today she is here to ensure your undhiyu turns out perfect.
This ‘poster dish’ of Gujarati cuisine, whose appearance on the dinner thali (plate) is indicative of winter onset, goes beyond being a delicious addition. Prepared with seasonal vegetables, such as brinjals, green beans, and sweet potatoes, the dish packs a punch in every mouthful. While every region has its unique spin on the speciality — the undhiyu in Ahmedabad tends to be spicy and slightly heavier on oil, and the one in Surat is garlicky — every version is undeniably a feast for the senses.
3. Dhuaan Maas
Mutton is a winter obvious. And this time-tested recipe borrows from diasporic culinary traditions. It has come down through generations of chef Amrita Raichand’s family, historically being cooked on a desi chulha (earthen stove). “I took it [the dish] back to the roots by re-creating a desi chulha and gave it a final touch with ‘coal smoke’ bringing in the authentic flavours.”
As with many Rajasthani delicacies, the dhuaan maas is reflective of the state’s rich cultural history woven with royal lore. It still imbues the extensive preparatory process that once went into curating the dish for the royals who feasted on it following hunting expeditions. The name too borrows from the meat being slow-cooked over charcoal, allowing the spices and flavours to really seep in. The result is a mouthful of succulence.
4. Kand Tikkis
Swap your guilty pleasure snacks with some kand tikkis this winter! Best selling cookery author Tarla Dalal’s inventive take on tikkis (fried patties) combines the best of flavour with the nutritional quotient of kand (yam).
To know more about kand’s dietary plus points, look no further than the book ‘Tuber and Root Crops’ (2008) in which Mari Sivaswani Palaniswami, Kuruppacharil Varkey Peter have extensively written about root vegetables and their role as an indelible part of our cuisine. “Tropical root and tuber crops are known as the energy banks of nature serving either as primary or secondary staples to meet the calorie needs of about one-fifth of the world’s population.”
5. Shakarkandi Chaat
A single sweet potato contains plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin C, studies suggest. Sweet potato, the eponymous winter staple, is another root vegetable that comes with plenty of flavour and nutritional benefits. Its immune-boosting properties make it a great addition to winter diets.
In fact, shakarkandi roasted with masala and drenched in lemon juice makes for a perfect binge feast. It necessitates no ghee, sugar, or oil. The natural sweetness of roasted or boiled sweet potatoes pairs beautifully with the savoury, tangy, and spicy ingredients used in the chaat.
6. Sarson Gosht
You didn’t presume we’d frame a list of winter recipes and leave out a sarson (mustard) rendition, did you? For eons, sarson has been a cult favourite of winter menus in India, a characteristic of North Indian gastronomy in particular. With the smorgasbord of options that feature this timeless ingredient, it is a tough call to narrow down on any one recipe.
So we decided to pick Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s non-vegetarian interpretation of the classic sarson ka saag with makki di roti (mustard greens cooked with spices and eaten with flatbread made with cornmeal). Sarson is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients, and the meal is suited for anyone looking to increase their iron and calcium uptake. The interplay of ingredients here is smart, and a must-add to your winter menu.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
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