The season of chapped lips and cracked feet is here. Cover yourself in warm woolens and drape a shawl around it! A fantastic season for that extra hour curled up under your razai; this is the time when you feel comfortable staying indoors as these months are often associated with flu-like symptoms and dreaded cold. Nature has its own way of keeping your body warm. The market is filled with fresh produce, enjoy the bounty that's available in this season.
Winter is the season when fresh fruits are the sweetest and juiciest like lemons, oranges, kiwis, strawberries. Strawberries, of course, are just right for dessert – make them into a mouth-watering Strawberry Mousse or Strawberry Praline Cake, or simply relish them as Strawberries in Custard Sauce.
Why do we feel hungrier in winter? Have you ever wondered? Cold weather brings a drop in your body temperature, which stimulates your appetite. Eating helps to generate heat and keeps your body warm.
Relish on green leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek leaves, colocasia leaves that helps you build the immunity. The infamous Sarsoon Da Saag from Punjab made using mustard leaves and spinach is a must have treat with warm Makai ki roti in winters. Switch to seasonal vegetable and cook this Hare Lehsun ki Subzi. Green garlic is a nature's bounty and extremely flavorsome, it hardly needs any extra spices to turn into a mouth-watering delicacy.
Boil together an assortment of vegetables along with some seasoning cube and sip on this piping hot bowl of Winter vegetable soup to help past the harsh climate. Don't forget our age old grandmother's nuskha to fight the weather. A cup of hot kadha (concoction) made using anti-inflammatory ingredients like Ginger, turmeric, honey and tulsi will not only boost your energy but also, increase your immunity levels.
Indulge in a range of delicacies made using Bajra, Jowar which are few of the foods that make us feel warm, supported and secured. “Eat wisely to stay healthy” is the only health slogan for cold winter days. Cook this Bajra Khichdi which is extremely healthy and sumptuous. Another ideal meal is a combination of crumbly bhakri with baigan bharta.
Apart from this, sesame seeds are widely used to make heavenly food like til ki chikki and til gur ki roti. Gaund is another heat-giving food that is heartily devoured during the merciless winter months. One of the most popular ways of consuming this helpful ingredient is in the form of delicious Gaund ke Ladoos.
Gujarati's really look forward to winters because of one reason "Undhiyu", it's a traditional recipe in which they stuff vegetables with spices and ideally cook upside down underground in earthen pots. But, you can even make it using pressure cooker.