From Punjab to Kerala, Gujarat to Assam, every region has a special way to rejoice the coming of winter. While some do so by celebrating festivals such as Lohri on the eve of the winter solstice, some prepare dishes using winter’s best harvest.

“Since the produce growing in each region differs, there is so much diversity in terms of winter-based delicacies found in India,” says Chef Paul Kinny, Intercontinental Marine Drive.u00a0Take for instance the western states of India such as Maharashtra,u00a0Gujarat and Goa where the markets get flooded with vegetables such as green beans, raw banana, red carrots and green garlic among others.

Similarly, if you happen to travel up north, you will see flashes ofu00a0mustard leaves or sarson, turnips, sweet peas, cherries and applesu00a0in abundance.
“While most winter cuisines focus on including heat-generating foods such as dry ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, pepper and root vegetables into the diet, some regions also lay emphasis on heartwarming soups and broths,” adds Kinny.

West
Undhiyu, Gujarat

Ingredients:
100 gm raw bananas, chopped
100 gm purple yam, cubed
100 gm sweet potato, cubed
100 gm surti papdi
100 gm brinjal, cubed
3 green chillies, slit
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
4 tbsp oil for cooking
1 pinch asafoetida
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain
½ tbsp sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup Bengal gram
½ Fenugreek leaves
1 cup grated coconut
Salt as per taste