Winter means lots of fresh leafy vegetables and festivities galore. Each state in India has its special winter dishes. Here I have shown some of the most popular winter preparations that are loved by most.
GUJARATI UNDHIYU
Undhiyu is a Gujarati delicacy mostly prepared during winter because of the availability of vegetables, like surti papdi, methi and so on. No festive occasion is complete without this amazing medley of vegetables.
Make the Muthiya first, a very important element of Undhiyu.
Ingredients
• Gram flour: 2 cups
• Salt: 2 level teaspoon
• Oil: 3tbsp
• Soda bi-carb: ½tsp
• Coriander powder: 1½tsp
• Cumin powder: 1tsp
• Red chilli powder: 2½tsp
• Garlic: 6 cloves (minced)
• Methi (fenugreek) leaves: 1 cup (finely chopped)
• Turmeric powder: ½tsp
• Sugar: 1½tsp
• Lemon: Juice of 1½ lemons.
• Hing (asafoetida): A pinch
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together and make a soft dough using water (as required).
2. Make small balls and place them on a greased steamer. Steam for 30 minutes. Once done, allow it to cool.
3. In a bowl, put the Undhiyu and pour hot oil over it. This is doing what’s called vaghar.
Ingredients for Undhiyu
• Potatoes: 250g (diced into small pieces)
• Beans: 50g (cut into one-inch pieces)
• Kundru /tindola/pointed gourd: 50g (diced)
• Red potatoes: 50g (cut into chunks; same size as potatoes)
• Suran (elephant foot yam, also called jimikand): 150g
• Brinjal: 150g (cut into chunks)
• Raw banana: 1 piece (cut into chunks)
• Drumsticks: 2 of them cut into two-inch pieces
• Peas: 100g
• Tomatoes: 200g (chopped finely or grated)
• Cauliflower: 100g (cut the florets)
• Garlic, ginger and chilli: Paste of 10 cloves of garlic, and a two-inch piece ginger and eight green chillies (according to taste)
• Cumin powder: 1tsp
• Coriander powder: 1tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1½tsp
• Turmeric powder: ½tsp
• Garam masala powder: 1tsp
• Sugar: 2 level tsp
• Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat one cup oil. Add ¼tsp asafoetida (hing) and ginger-garlic-green chilli paste. Saute for a minute.
2. Add all the vegetables, except cauliflower and tomatoes.
3. Add 2 cups water and cook the vegetables till half done.
4. Add cauliflower, tomatoes, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sugar, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste.
5. Cook for about five-seven minutes on medium flame and then add Muthiya. Cook for another five minutes on medium flame. I like my Undhiyu with little gravy; it should not be dry.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional freshly grated coconut). Serve with roti, paratha or thepla.
SARSON KA SAAG AND MAKKI KI ROTI
Sarson Ka Saag is a classic Punjabi dish made with fresh mustard greens, which are abundant during winter, so it is a very seasonal dish and enjoyed for a short time. I serve this dish with Makki Ki Roti. If you love jaggery, then go for it, and a dollop of hot, pure desi ghee on the Makki Ki Roti.
Ingredients for Sarson Ka Saag
• Mustard leaves: 1kg (washed and roughly chopped)
• Spinach leaves: ½kg (chopped).
• White radish: 2 big (chopped into chunks)
• Green chilli: 4 pieces (chopped)
• Mustard oil: 4tbsp
• Onions: 2 big (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes: 3 big (finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic paste: 2tbsp
• Salt: 1½tsp (according to taste)
• Coriander powder: 1tsp
• Cumin powder: 1tsp
• Red chilli powder: 1tsp (or according to taste)
Ingredients for Makki Ki Roti
• Maize flour: 2 cups
• Lukewarm water: For kneading the dough
• Salt: A pinch
• Red chilli powder: ½tsp (optional)
METHOD
1. Make dough with the above ingredients. Make small balls out of the dough and then roll them out. Don’t make it too thin because it will break and neither too thick because that way the inside won’t cook.
2. Cook on a tawa while adding a little oil. Prepare until both sides are cooked.
Note: If unable to roll the balls into discs then put the ball between two sheets of plastic and then roll. For beginners this is the best method.
3. Let’s make the saag. In a pressure cooker, put the all the greens, radish and green chillies. You may put ½ cup of water. Pressure cook for two whistles. Remove, cool and blend into a puree.
4. In a kadai, heat oil and saute onions till light golden.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
6. Add tomatoes and saute till mushy… around four minutes.
7. Add coriander, cumin, red chilli powder and saute for about two minutes on medium flame.
8. Add the puree and saute on low flame for 10 minutes. The saag will bubble a lot so be careful and cover ¾ of the kadai. Keep stirring from time to time.
9. Once the bubbles subside you know the saag is ready. It should not be too thick.
10. Once done, add a big blob of butter or desi ghee. You can also add cream. But then the saag won’t look very green.
11. Serve hot with Makki Ki Roti.
Mutton/Chicken Nihari
Nihari originated around the 18th century. ‘Nihar’ in Arabic means ‘morning’. It is basically a breakfast dish which is slow-cooked for a couple of hours. You can also make it with chicken.
Nihari Masala
• Fennel seeds: 1½tsp
• Coriander seeds: 2tsp
• Star anise: 1
• Dry red chilli: 6
• Mace: 3 pieces
• Cinnamon: 2 small sticks
• Green cardamom: 4 pods
• Cloves: 4
• Bay leaf: 2
• Nutmeg: 1 pinch
• Dry roast the above ingredients; do not burn them. Grind to a fine powder in a blender.
Ingredients for Nihari marinade
• Mutton /chicken: 1kg
• Ginger-garlic paste: 3tbsp
• Red Kashmiri chilli powder: 2tsp (or according to taste)
• Marinade the mutton with the above ingredients as well as the Nihari masala. Mix well and marinade for four hours or overnight.
Ingredients for cooking Nihari
• Oil: 1 cup
• Onions: 3 (chopped)
• Mutton (already marinated)
• Water: 8 cups
• Salt to taste
• Slurry of 2tbsp wheat flour with litte water. Mix well. No lumps should be present.
Ingredients for tadka
• Desi ghee: 2tbsp
• Onions: ¾ cup (fried)
• Chilli powder: 1tsp
For the garnish
• Mint leaves chopped
• Ginger julienned
• Lemon wedges: For juice
Method
1. In a handi or large pot, heat oil. Add onions and saute till golden brown. Then add mutton with all the marinade and saute well for at least five-eight minutes. In case the masala sticks to the bottom then add two tablespoons of water.
2. Add water according to the ingredient list. Cover and cook on medium flame for at least 1-1½ hours till the meat is tender.
3. Add slurry, slowly whisking all the time. Cook for five-seven minutes.
4. For the tadka, heat ghee, add friend onions and red chilli powder. At once, add it to the mutton.
5. For serving, add garnishes. Or keep garnishes in a bowl and let the guests put on their own. Best had with parathas or naans.
Methi Chicken with Gravy
During winter when methi is in abundance, it is a treat to have Methi Chicken, which is delicious and healthy.
Ingredients
• Chicken: Cut into small pieces
• Methi: 2 bunches (one bunch finely cut and one bunch, whole)
• Ginger: 1-inch piece julienned
• Green chillies: 4-5 green (slit)
• Fresh cream: 1 cup
• Curd: 1 cup
• Bay leaf: 2
• Tomatoes: ½ cup grated
• Garam masala powder: 1tsp
• Onions: 2 big (chopped)
• Cloves: 6
• Garlic paste
• Ginger: Paste of one-inch piece
• Coriander powder: 1½tsp
• Turmeric powder: ½tsp
• Red chilli powder: 1tsp (or according to taste)
• Ghee or oil: 3tbsp
Method
1. In a kadai or pot, heat oil. Add onions and saute till golden. Next add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute. Then add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Saute till you see specks of oil. Now add the chicken and saute for at least six-seven minutes.
2. Add curd and mix well. Cook for two-three minutes.
3. It’s time to add the methi, both chopped as well as whole. Mix well and saute for at least four minutes.
4. Add a cup of water and cook till the chicken is tender. Add a tsp of garam masala powder. Add the slit green chillies. Add cream and mix well. Cook on low fire for only three-four minutes.
5. Garnish with julienned ginger. Serve with parathas, rotis, naans or even rice, since I have kept a little gravy in the dish.
GAJAR KA HALWA
Ingredients
• Red carrots (grated): 1kg
• Ghee: 100g
• Whole milk: 600ml
• Sugar: 1 cup (or according to taste)
• Almonds and cashews: Handful (sliced)
• Cardamoms: Seeds from 4 pods (crushed)
• Khoya/mava (optional): 50g
Method
1. Heat 50g ghee in a kadai. Fry the dry fruits and take it out before it burns. In the same ghee add the carrots and saute for about five minutes.
2. Add the milk with cardamoms. It will take time for the milk to evaporate. Halfway through add the sugar and the khoya (if you are using it). Stir from time to time. The whole process takes about 20 minutes.
3. Add the remaining 50g of ghee and saute the halwa till it turns into a nice red colour and it should not be too dry. Add the dry fruits as garnish or you can mix it in.
Note: You will know the halwa is cooked when you see specks of ghee in the kadai.
Daal Baati Churma
Daal Baati Churma is a traditional winter delicacy from the state of Rajasthan. It is associated with the festivals of Makar Sankriti and Diwali in the Dhundhar region. It is also prepared on special occasions. It’s a complete winter dish and extremely easy to make.
Ingredients for the dal
Moong and toovar dal: 250g mixed (soak in water for 30 minutes)
• Ghee: 2tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1tsp
• Garlic: 6 cloves (minced)
• Green chilli: 4 (finely chopped)
• Dry red chilli: 2 (broken in half)
• Hing: A pinch
• Onion: 1 (chopped finely)
• Tomato: 1 (chopped finely)
• Turmeric: 1tsp
• Juice of one lemon
• Coriander leaves: ¼ bunch
• Salt to taste
Method
1. Boil lentils in three cups of water for 30 minutes. (You can pressure cook if you want).
2. Heat ghee in a pot. Add cumin seeds. After it splutters, add garlic, green chilli, red chilli, hing and onions. Saute for five minutes till the onions become light golden.
3. Add turmeric, salt and tomatoes. Saute for about five minutes and then add the dal. Cook for another five minutes. It should not be too watery. Finish with lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
Ingredients for Baati
• Whole wheat flour: 500g
• Ghee: 150g
• Water: 1½ cups
• Salt: 1tsp
Method
1. Knead the flour with ghee, salt and water. Make a hard dough. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Then shape the dough into balls. Size depends on your needs. It should not be too big or too small.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
3. Place the baatis on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Remove once they turn golden.
Ingredients to make Churma
• Half of the Baati
• Caster sugar: 200g (or according to taste)
• Cardamon powder: 1tsp
• Mixed nuts of your choice: 1tbsp (chopped)
Method
Grind half of the baatis to a powder. Add sugar, cardamom and mixed nuts. Mix well.
To serve
1. Crack open the remaining baatis by slightly pressing them between your palms.
2. Pour 150g of melted ghee over the baatis and allow them to soak up the ghee.
3. Serve hot dal along with the baatis and churma.
Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her at @DurriBhallaKitchen on Instagram, Durri's Kitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube