Right now, there’s nothing more that I want than to tightly clutch onto my shawl with one hand while holding a hot cappuccino on the other. Is that too much to ask for? Winter in India is an arduous affair. After months of torrid heat, we barely get like a month or two of autumn to acclimatize to the dip in temperature and then we walk straight into winter. At least, this is how it happens in North India, which can better explain my ‘zero motivation to move’ stance nowadays. However, there are plenty of reasons that make the season super special too. Winter food is one of the main reasons we wait for the season every year despite all its shortcomings. Hot chicken soups, paya and rich kormas enthral meat-eaters through the season, but certain veg delicacies can give many meaty preparations a run for their money.
Here are some of our favourite vegetarian delicacies of winter.
1. Sarso Ka Saag
One of the crown jewels of the winter fare of North India, Sarso ka Saag is a thick, green combination of greens like sarso(mustard), palak, chane ke patte, bathua, et al. These are all cooked together with ginger, chillies, garlic and onion until they obtain this bright green, paste-like consistency. This thick saag is served with makki ki roti, naan or rice.
2. Undhiyu
Undhiyu is a Gujarati mixed vegetable delicacy made with a host of winter root vegetables and tubers. Undhiyu means upside down in Gujarati. In olden times people would throw vegetables like surat papdi, purple yam, eggplants, peas, muthiya, rajagiri bananas etc. in one big pot called Matlas and bury it in under earth in a vast furnace and cover the mouth of the stove with dried leaves, it was thus cooked ‘upside down, which is why it is named Undhiyu. You can, of course, cook it in your kitchen with regular pots on the stove.
3. Rasam
The OG hot soup of India. There is nothing about Rasam that does not spell indulgence—made with lentil, tamarind, lemon, tomatoes and pepper. But, this south Indian soup is also effective in declogging your nose and easing a sore throat. And can there be anything better than a soup that also heals in this confusing weather?
4. Aloo-Methi
Methi or fenugreek leaves are everywhere now, from pushcarts to supermarkets. Winters are the time to indulge in greens, and while methi may be infamous for its bitterness. But along with being bitter, they are also slightly pungent, and once you develop a liking for this vegetable, there is just no looking back. This is a dry sabzi, and the boiled potato cubes make the sabzi all the more delicious.
5. Gajar-Matar Ki Sabzi
This dry sabzi is North India’s go-to resort for upgrading a simple dal-chawal meal on a wintry afternoon. It is quick and easy because, let’s admit it, no one likes to spend hours in the kitchen in this cold weather. Besides, it makes use of two of our most favourite winter essentials, carrots and peas. Sugar, spice and everything nice is what best explains the dish.
