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Winter is the season when we wrap ourselves in a blanket and relish some hearty and cosy delicacies like masala chai, soup, and gajar ka halwa. During the chilly months, we don’t really keep a calorie count and take a dive into rich and warm food. It is also important to protect ourselves from seasonal diseases that are prevalent during the winter, like cold, cough and flu.
Besides covering our bodies with woollen clothes, we also need to consume some healthy and nutritious food this season to boost our immunity and keep diseases at bay. Dry fruits and nuts like almonds, dates, walnuts, figs, and cashews are some of the healthiest food items for winter. But have you ever heard of munakka?
What Is Munakka?
Also known as black raisins, munakka has a very similar appearance to kishmish, but their nutritional profiles are different. Munakka is brown or dark brown in colour, whereas kishmish is slightly yellowish. Apart from this, it also contains a seed inside, unlike kishmish. Munakka is rich in vitamins, dietary fibre, zinc, and iron. According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, black raisins are a decent source of antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds.
Here are three reasons to include munakka in your winter diet:
Improves Digestive Health
As mentioned earlier, black raisins are dense in dietary fibre, which is good for your digestive health. They help in absorbing natural fluids in the body, which results in regular bowel movements and provides relief from constipation. 5–6 munakka in a day is enough for an adult. The best way to consume them is either with milk or soaked in water.
Enriched With Iron
Black raisins are an ideal source of iron that contributes to the production of haemoglobin in red blood cells. According to the National Institutes of Health, this mineral is very important for the growth and development of the body. Iron also prevents severe diseases like anaemia.
A Natural Sweetener
Black raisins have concentrated sugars from grapes that make them naturally sweet. So, besides consuming this dried fruit on its own, we can also add it to our mithais, sweet puddings, and teas. It can also be enjoyed as a chutney with your daily meals.
Date-Munakka Chutney Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup soaked and deseeded munakka
- ¼ cup deseeded dates
- ½ cup in chunks jaggery -
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds -
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- Water
Method:
- Soak raisins and dates overnight. Deseed them before making the chutney.
- Take a mixer blender jar and blend the fennel, dates, and munakka into a smooth paste.
- Now heat ½ cup of water in a pan and add jaggery to it. Once the jaggery is melted, add the dates and raisin paste to it.
- Now let it boil for 5-7 minutes. In around 5 minutes, the chutney will start to get thick.
- Switch off the flame. Let it cool down and add lemon juice. Enjoy.
