Winter is synonymous with plum cakes, marzipan and rum-infused desserts. But it also means fresh vegetables, soaking in the sun, eating warm and flavourful dishes. India celebrates this bounty with its indigenous menu and no matter what part of the country you are from, it is a toasty treat—Teliya Mah in Himachal Pradesh, Nimona in Uttar Pradesh, Makki ki Roti, Sarson ka Saag across North India, Nolen Gur and Pithas in Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, Kollu Rasam in Tamil Nadu to name a few.
“In India, winter months are exciting for any chef because of quality and availability of produce. From date, jaggery (Nolen Gur) to so many different types of green vegetables and fruits. I have experimented with a wide variety of winter bounty such as persimmon, red carrots, sarson, etc. Also winter means frequent travel to Old Delhi for Nihari and fried chicken,” says Chef Sujan Sarkar of ROOH. Chef Dharmen Makwana of The Leela, Delhi, talks of the winter’s green abundance as well. “From a variety of berries available to sweet lime and mandarins and fresh vegetables like the dark orange carrots that we get locally and are great for Indian sweets or for juicing. I also use fresh peas and turnips, fenugreek leaves heavily in winter. This season also gets the best and fresh beetroot and grapes.”
The cold nights peppered with sunny days also mean rehabilitation for the body and with enhanced appetite and abundance of seasonal ingredients. One such delicacy for Chef Sarkar is Daulat ki Chaat. “Daulat ki Chaat is only available in winter months and no way you can get that in any other time of the year. One of the best-kept secrets of Indian confectionery. This also demonstrates sustainable food culture and seasonality,” he says. An unusual comfort food that is loaded with health boosters for Makwana is braised lamb trotters with shiitake mushrooms, dry beancurd skin and bamboo shoot. “It is cooked with a lot of ginger, garlic, spring onion and star anise, and served with gingerly rice and spiced chili lime sambal. It was one of the first few dishes I learnt from an old Hainanese Masterchef and the benefits are huge as most of the ingredients used have several health benefits. Garlic and ginger have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits coupled with star anise, which is great for treating cough and cold, and aids in digestion and imparts a lovely flavour when cooked in stews. Beancurd is higher in protein than meat and the use of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoot adds more benefits to one’s health. The dish tastes wonderful on a cold winter night,” he says.
As restaurants use winter to showcase their best produce and renditions of seasonal meals, chef and co-owner of Tres, Jatin Malik, says, “Winter means roasts, grilling, BBQs, red meats, bakes, cheese red wines, pies, a lot of root vegetables, corn, pumpkins, beautiful local spinach-like bhatua. I love the rich flavour of pumpkin and butternut squash, which is ideally suited for winters. It is such a versatile vegetable that it adapts to various forms of cooking and also lends it flavour very well with what it gets served with.”
The cold gastronomical comforts, however, vary outside of India, according to Sarkar. “Ingredients-wise, the west is different from India. Red fruits play a massive role, from savoury to desserts, in the west. Plenty of root vegetables, red meat and games are found in abundance there. What is really lacking is citrus fruits and green vegetables. Cured meat and fish, pies and stews are a big part of winter food in the west whereas grilled dishes, green vegetables and good quality sea food are staples of Indian winter diet,” he points out. Malik, however, feels that in India not a lot change. “We pretty much eat the same meats like chicken, lamb and fish. Whereas a lot of changes for vegetarians. Seasonal vegetables come a lot into play like mongra, pumpkins, colaccacia, squash etc. In the west, a lot of things change in the meats as well. A variety of game meats come into play such as goose, quail, venison. So, accordingly their treatment, cooking styles and accompaniments also change. During summers, a lot of raw food is consumed like ceviche, eaw cured salmon etc,” he concludes.