Just another month and the north Indian winters will be at their peak. For a lot of us, it is the time for cosy clothes, hot beverages and healthy, tasty foods. It is the season of piping hot halwa and kadak chai. Along with that, you can also enjoy a variety of vegetables, fruits and other farms fresh produce that are reaped and sold during the winter season.
Talking of the farms and fresh produce available today, we will be talking about the top vegetables that you should not miss this winter. And, we cannot emphasise enough about the benefits of eating seasonally. In fact, let’s discuss a little bit about seasonal eating and why you should be looking to incorporate it into your diet.
Advantages of Having a Seasonal Menu
Eating seasonal food, or having a seasonal menu is quite a thing that you can add into your culinary experiments at home. Especially in the winter season, when the market is flourishing with a variety of root vegetables, leafy greens and colourful options. When the choice is so varied, who could blame anybody for choosing delicious home-made winter recipes?
While discussing the seasonal vegetables and recipes, we would also like to share why we promote seasonal eating and seasonal menus so much.
- First of all, they are fresh out of the farm and can be consumed without any fear of long-time storage.
- Seasonal foods are high on flavours; they are fully enriched with their natural flavours till the brim.
- Seasonal foods are highest in their nutrient values during their seasons.
- And, last but not least, all the vegetables that are available during a specific season makes you crave for those seasonal recipes which are not available at any other time.
So, all these things would make you think about the upcoming season, and how you can make the best of all the vegetables available during the Indian winter season. So, here we are, with the 5 not to miss, naturally delicious winter vegetables along with their most loved recipes in which to use them.
Top 5 Seasonal Vegetables for Indian Winter
1. Cauliflower
You might have seen it all year long, but winter is the season when cauliflower or Gobhi comes fresh out of the farm. An all-time favourite food of all the Indian households. From kids to the elderly, everybody loves the crunch that comes with the vegetable. You can experiment with it according to your taste and local cuisines. Here is one of our favourite Gobhi recipes that you can try at home.
Cauliflower Recipe- If you are to try something new with Gobhi, then give the recipe of Gobhi 65 a try. This spicy yet juicy dish will serve a great purpose as a starter or you can enjoy it with paratha as well.
2. Carrot
We all can agree with the fact that carrots are the food charmers of the winter cuisine. From the mundane vegetable of Gajar-aloo-matar, to the king of winter desserts; Gajar ka Halwa, it does not fail to impress in any way. The deep red colour of this nutritious vegetable will make you fall for it every time.
Carrot Recipe- Shredded carrots cooked at low flame for a long time, along with milk, khoya, sugar. Loved by all and served with some dry-fruits topping, Gajar Ka Halwa is a winter ritual in North India.
3. Spinach
The energy and nutrition that a green leafy spinach offers can hardly be matched by anyone. You can mend it your way to make the dish that you like and will also be enjoyed by your children. Here is our favourite recipe with a bunch of green leafy spinach.
Spinach Recipe- Spinach ground into a fine paste, swirled into the spicy tadka and topped with paneer cubes is the perfect and healthy dinner recipe. Enjoy Palak-Paneer with rice or paratha.
4. Radish/ Mooli
To enjoy the pungent taste of muli with your meals, you have to wait till winter arrives. So, when it finally is here and radish is now available in the market, then go and shop for a generous bunch of them. Enjoy mooli paratha, sabzi or maybe just as a salad on the side of your lunch. You can also give this recipe a try, that we loved while looking around.
Mooli Recipe- Talk about Mooli and skip Shalgam? Neither possible nor fair. Pungent in taste and smell, the turnip is the root vegetable that only is available during the winter season. A basic sabzi of it with a nice tadka would never fail to impress those who believe in seasonal nutrition. That’s why here is the recipe of good old Shalgam ki sabzi. You must have heard about lauki ki kofta and paneer kofta as well. Just like that, try Mooli ke Kofte to surprise your family with a dish with a twist.
5. Turnip/ Shalgam
Talk about Mooli and skip Shalgam? Neither possible nor fair. Pungent in taste and smell, the turnip is the root vegetable that only is available during the winter season. A basic sabzi of it with a nice tadka would never fail to impress those who believe in seasonal nutrition. That’s why here is the recipe of good old Shalgam ki sabzi.
Shalgam Recipe- Chunks of Shalgam smoked in desi tadka with herbs and spices to be eaten with roti or rice.
Conclusion
So, this way, we came to end with our top 5 winter vegetables along with their recipes. But, if you have any ideas or recipes that are locally made around in your culture, you can always try that. Do not miss the quintessentially Punjabi ‘Sarso ka saag’ with makki ki roti. Warm, homely meals like these will make your winter experience even better.