It’s December and we are in the mood to welcome the chill with some cool winter foods! Be it snacks loaded with sesame and jaggery or makke di roti with sarson da saag or everyone’s all-time favorite, gajar halwa –it’s all here on Holachef!

Pick your favourite from these seasonal hits- foods that are known to keep the body essentially warm. While the cold seeps in, body stiffens and tempts you into the comforts of the quilt, we are putting our best menu forward to ensure you don’t appear cold (pun intended)!

Sarson Ka Saag with Jowar Roti and Moong Dal Halwa

No winter, especially in North India is complete without this meal, the much-loved Punjabi sarson ka saag.  Pureed mustard leaves cooked with simple Indian spices for a classic favourite dish from Punjab; to be relished with flat breads made from sorghum flour; accompanied by a decadent Indian dessert of ground moong dal sauteed in ghee, cooked in milk, flavoured with cardamom powder and garnished with dry fruits.

Gajar Halwa 

Gajar ka halwa is synonymous with the onset of winter. One of the simpler desserts to cook, its claim to fame are the Bollywood scenes and dialogues from the 70s and 80s, making it a popular dessert across the country. Since times immemorial, gajar halwa has been a consistent winter feature in most Indian households. The sweet is made primarily with red carrots which are available during this season and is one of the reasons why it’s prepared when the chill starts setting in.

Baingan Bhartha with Jowar Roti and Lasooni Chutney and Til ke Laddoo

Roasted eggplants mashed and cooked with simple masalas for a classic winter delight; to be relished with flat breads made from sorghum flour; served with garlic chutney; accompanied by little rounds of joy made from sesame seeds and sugar.

Nalli Nihari

Lamb leg pieces (nalli) cooked over a few hours in ghee with fried onions, mutton stock and a special nihari masala consisting of a selection of spices.

Paya Shorba 

Shorba is an Indian version of the soup, cooked with indigenous spices. Kashmiri paya shorba is an absolute must-have during winters and it helps in warming up the body. The ingredients consist of paya or lamb trotters, aromatic whole spices, turmeric and onions. The key to brewing a delightful paya shorba is simmering it over a low flame for a few hours. The slow-cooking is vital for the meat to absorb the flavours of the spices thoroughly.

Undiyon Poori

Undhiyu is a dish synonymous with Gujarat and the traditional method to prepare this demands a lot of hard work. The conventional recipe requires undhiyu to be prepared in an earthen pot which is then inverted and cooked in a fire hole dug in the ground. Nowadays, this dish is made in pressure cookers and works out just as well. Undhiyu is a specialty during this season because of the use of winter specific vegetables. They are cooked together with a masala of peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut and finished off with a final addition of methi muthiya.

Find a special #WinterIsComing menu loaded with all these delicacies on Holachef.