North India especially, during winters provides some irresistible, colourful foods that are a must have if you’re here. Well, even if you’re not living in the north you can enjoy the warming foods if the ingredients are available. They are healthy, yummy and different from the summer foods. Provide variety, colour and good cheer.
1. Sarson ka saag
2. Methi delicacies
3. A variety of foods mage of jaggery and safeon
4. Soups
5. Bajra, makki and use of other flours
6. Sesame preparations
7. Pea preparations
8. Other veggies that we get during winters only and are locally produced giving that juicy yummy taste.
I will keep adding the recipes and pictures of my cooking here. You add on too ❤️
❤Picture number 8 is Sarson Ka Saag. It is made with greens of the mustard plant, that has a typical tangy taste, Spinach leaves, and Bathua leaves, also a part of the green leafy brigade. It is grown in some limited parts of the world and is consumed during winters in a few forms. Mainly as a vegetable or its paste is used to flavour the yoghurt, or then used in this saag. The "saag" is an Indian word, mainly the greens cooked together and eaten with indian bread made of cornflour flour.
These greens are boiled together with ginger, a tablespoon of mustard oil, garlic, green chilli and channa dal (split chick pea lentil). Once done blend it in a smooth paste , temper it with cumin seeds, red chilli, garam masala in pure cow ghee. ( for vegans use olive oil.) Add a dash of cream, that can be avoided for vegans.
Serve this hot with hot freshly made Makki ki roti. Roti's are synonymous with chapatti's that are thin, flattened bread cooked on a skillet.
This food is loaded with iron and other vitamins and minerals. Also Calcium , manganese, Vit C, other flavinoids and phytochemicals.Detoxifies the system, keeps you warm and is the ultimate winter delight.
Serve it with salad, curd, butter, and jaggery. If Eggplant veggie is there it a great compliment to the Makki ki roti and sarson ka saag combo.
❤Picture no 4 is Bajra ki roti Made from kneading the pearl millet flour with hot water, add, a bit of oilve oil ,chopped green chillis, chopped green coriander, salt and ajwain (Carom seeds). Make small balls and pat the dough with hand on a muslin cloth as rolling it with the rolling pin will prove to be difficult. Use olive oil or pure cow ghee to make these parathas (bread) and have it with any veggie or Amla chutney.
Bajra or flour of pearl millet is gluten free, kind on the gut, and a winter comfort food. An alternate to this is the bread that is made without salt and had as a sweet with jaggery.
Bajra has some amazing goodness other than being gluten free. It has a lot of fiber, magnesium, potassium and folic acid. Keeps blood pressure, obesity, anemia, diabetes and other ailments at bay.
❤Picture number 1 and 2 is Mashed smokey egg plant with dill and peas. This too is an amazing winter vegetable. Roast the egg plant (the round variety) , remove the skin and mash it roughly. Take a tsp of mustard oil, add cumin seeds, red chilli powder chopped ginger and chopped onion and garlic. Onion and garlic is optional..avoiding it brings out the taste of the smokey flavour of the roasted egg plant. Put the mashed brinjal in the hot oil with the above mentioned ingredients. Saute it for some time and its ready to eat. Garnish it with fresh chopped dill and coriander leaves.
❤Picture numbers 3, 6 and 9 Are the bonfire lit on the 13th of Jan especially to herald the harvest season for farmers all across India. Its a festival that people celebrate with cooking meals with sesame, peanuts, corn, jaggery,puffed and flattened rice and other winter stuff that they first offer to the fire, pray and thank God for a healthy crop and then partake it amidst a lot of song and dance.
❤Picture number 10 ans 11 Are ingredients for tomato veggie soup. I add tomatoes 8, the fresh juicy red carrots4-5, beetroot 1, a small piece of gourd (lauki), ginger an inch, garlic, about 10 pieces, coriander sprig i, onions 2. Boil it all together, with salt and pepper. Once done, blend it and pass it through the sieve. Add water if it is thick, and a bit of cream (optional). add vinegar to make it tangy and a few herbs like oregano and coriander, basil too. Serve boiling hot. sprinkle a bit of pepper on serving.
❤Picture number 7 is a part of the colourful veggies available during winters. There are so many more.
