From Punjab to Bengal, Indian dishes eaten in the winter months come packed with heat-inducing ingredients. Here's where to taste the best Undhiyu and Badam Pak
Most Indian communities have a season-based cuisine, making the most of ingredients that are available in particular months. With a slight nip in the air, The Guide decided to bring you five tasty winter foods, and the best eateries to try them. 
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pics/Mahanand Gupta</td></tr></tbody></table> Ingredient: Vindaloo masala Dish: Mutton Vindaloo From: Goa At: Cafe Goa, Agnelo, Khadeshwari Mandir Marg, Bandra (W). call: 26404115 For: Rs 270 What goes in: The Vindaloo Masala is made from Goan chillies, cardamom, garlic, ginger, and vinegar For those who were born yesterday, Vindaloo has nothing to do with aloo. Derived from the Portuguese words for vinegar (Vinho) and garlic (or Al'ho), it's a Portuguese hand-me-down. And with Christmas around the corner, it curries favour with those who prefer mutton over the more traditional pork or the experimental chicken. The spicy, red dish is served best with Pea Pulao, plain rice or fresh pav. Ingredient: Dry fruits Dish: Badam Pak, Gundar Pak From: Gujarat At: Chheda Dry Fruit Stores, 92, LN Road, 14, Bhanu Jyoti, Matunga (E). call: 24186913 For: Rs 600 to Rs 800 What goes in: Cashews, pistachios, almonds Dry fruits act as natural health capsules during winters. As your body becomes more susceptible to common cold and flu, dry fruits provide the essential nutrients to counter them. The Badam Pak packs in lots of almonds, while the Gundar Pak (with edible gum) comes with the goodness of almonds, cashews and pistachios. The Kaju Roll, like the other sweets on offer, comes in pretty packaging. The unusual pick: Amla Pak, a sweet-sour dessert that's perfect for an immunity boost. Ingredient: Sarson (Mustard greens) Dish: Sarson da Saag From: Punjab At: Urban Tadka, 7 Bungalows, Andheri (W). call: 26328172 For: Rs 146 What goes in: Mustard leaves, spinach, onions, tomatoes, ginger and cornmeal flour In what became an iconic Bollywood scene, Shah Rukh Khan once wooed his lover in the canary yellow mustard fields of Punjab. Back in Mumbai, where the weather can get pleasant at most, a steaming bowl of Sarson da Saag is comfort food for many. Team it with its other half a makkhan-laden Makke di Roti and you have the quintessential Punjabi dish. At Urban Tadka, the creamy, green saag goes well with the crisp rotis. Don't count calories while you whip up generous dollops of white butter. Ingredient: Hilsa fish Dish: Bhapa Ilish From: Bengal At: Oh! Calcutta, Hotel Rosewood, Tulsiwadi Lane, Tardeo. call: 23539114 For: Rs 725 What goes in: Hilsa Darne, mustard paste, mustard oil, green chilli paste, curd, turmeric The silver streak that is the Hilsa fish moves upstream from the seas to the rivers in monsoon. It's this catch from the rivers, far tastier than the ones from the sea, that finds a place on Oh! Calcutta's tables in the winter months. Steamed Hilsa steeped in a pungent mustard sauce and doused in mustard oil is a Bong favourite. Soft and succulent, every bite of this signature spicy dish unlocks juices that leave you with a heavenly aftertaste. Ingredients: Root vegetables Dish: Surti Undhiyu From: Gujarat At: Hiralal Kashidas Bhajiawala,u00a0 |2-4, Vithalbhai Patel Road, off Thakurdwar Main Road, CP Tank. call: 22423716 For: Rs 45 What goes in: Surti Papdi (beans), Surti Ravaiya (brinjals), potatoes, sweet potatoes, semi-ripe bananas, yam, green garlic Gujaratis are passionate not only about their food, but also the way it is made. It's hardly surprising that what gets dished out at this 63-year-old family-run restaurant has veggies sourced directly from Surat. An employee is constantly travelling back and forth on the Flying Rani to get you fresh veggies from the land where the dish originated. Undhiyu which derives its names from "undhu" meaning upside down (because it is cooked under a fire in the fields of Gujarat) uses massive amounts of oil and can be quite heavy on the tummy, but its heat-inducing ingredients leave you with a feeling of being too full and yet, content.

From Punjab to Bengal, Indian dishes eaten in the winter months come packed with heat-inducing ingredients. Here's where to taste the best Undhiyu and Badam Pak

5 of the hottest winter foods

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5 of the hottest winter foods

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