There are many reasons for a warm-weather country like ours to celebrate winter. Misty mornings, colourful blankets, badminton games on lazy Friday afternoons, and let’s not forget the food. Winter brings us an abundance of wonderful vegetables, packed with all the good stuff. If your resolution for 2020 was to eat better, here are four tasty meals to help you along.
Classic kumro bhaji
When the weather outside is blustery and cold, the heart craves simple comfort, and this traditional favourite is just the ticket.
Ingredients:
½ sweet pumpkin, julienned
1 tsp Bengali five spice blend (paanch phoron)
½ shallot, chopped
2 dry chilli peppers
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Handful of chopped cilantro
Process:
In a hot skillet add 3 table spoons of oil. Toss in the chopped shallots and the dry red pepper and five spice blend. Add the pumpkin when the oil is hot. Lower heat and add salt and sugar. Cover and cook in slow heat. When the pumpkin is cooked through, add the chopped cilantro before taking off the heat. Serve with paper thin rice chapattis or whole wheat chapattis.
Spring in winter
Spring onions or scallions are usually seen as herbs you add to your soup or veggie dish to add flavour, but can be stir-fried into an enjoyable side dish by themselves.
Ingredients:
Spring onions
Nigella seeds
Salt
Process:
This is a really quick dish. Throw in some cooking oil, spring onions, a pinch of nigella, and salt into a hot skillet. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, turn off the heat, and serve. You want to stop cooking while the spring onions are still vibrant and green.
Serve with hot rice.
Cabbage with beef
This one is a favourite that my sister and I keep coming back to. The best part? This recipe requires no onions!
Ingredients:
Small head of cabbage, shredded
½ kg beef (bone in)
Garam masala
1tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
Process :
Add oil to your skillet, put in the meat and all the spices, and sauté on low heat until the meat releases all the liquid. When it is half cooked, throw in the shredded cabbage on top. Cover and cook on low heat for a good 1 hour. Frequent stirring is required to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn or stick.
Tip:
For a flavour boost, add a few tablespoons of Ruchi pickles
Serve with roti or rice.
Spinach soup
Lal shak, or red spinach, is a healthy dish when sautéed and eaten with rice, but as a soup, it becomes a delicious treat you’ll want all winter long.
Ingredients:
2 bunches of red spinach
3 tsp butter
Salt
Pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Chicken or beef or vegetable stock
Process :
Wash and clean your spinach and chop it up. Throw it into a big pot with the stock cubes and butter. Sauté lightly and then add 3 cups of water and the cream
Cook for 10 mins
Take off heat, and let it cool, before blending everything together until it is a smooth puree
Pour back into the pot and warm up, adding salt and pepper according to your taste
Serve and enjoy!
