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Staying Healthy in Winters: Keep These Things in Mind

Make Your Food High Nutrition

Repeated switching between the cold temperature outside and dry/heated temperature indoors can expose you to higher risks of infection. The best way to strengthen your immune system is by cashing in on the daily nutrients you can get from food. Go seasonal! Be on the lookout for regional and seasonal stuff like pumpkins, radish, chicory, root vegetables and cabbage that are winter-specific and fruits that are harvested in late autumn like apples, pomegranate, grapes and pears.

Additionally, onions, leeks, garlic and chives that are available all year round contain valuable ingredients that have a disinfecting and antibacterial effect. Then, there are foods that act as antioxidants to protect you from the harmful free radicals and are found plenty in red fruits. Since Vitamin D can really uplift your mood but isn’t abundant in winter, alternatively you can derive it from your diet that includes fish (salmon, cod or tuna), eggs, mushrooms and avocado.

Add Warming Ingredients for Winter

In winters it’s not just how well you insulate yourself from the cold with layers of warm clothes but also what you consume for additional warmth that matters. There are a variety of foods, spices and drinks that can help generate heat in the body naturally and can be useful for those who don’t do well with low temperatures or are low on immunity.

For instance, dried fruits can keep you warm and come in the form of figs, dates and are rich in calcium and iron. Ghee is an Ayurvedic wonder to keep warm and keep your body energetic, while root vegetables get digested slowly in the body, thereby generating more heat. If you swap your normal dose of sugar with honey it can help keep you warm and healthy. But if you’re a diabetic, go easy on feasting on honey. You can also explore the use of spices like cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves for warmth and extra flavour.

A Regular Health & Fitness Routine

Exercise and following a fitness regime regularly will not only prevent weight gain but also help you steer clear of any disease that’s associated with obesity and weight gain. During the winters, exercise will keep you active and beat any sluggishness, boost your immunity and keep you healthy. Engaging in low-level aerobics, jogging in place or practicing jumping jacks for 5-10 minutes indoors will help you warm up before you head out. You can also explore incline walks, climbing stairs, biking and brisk walking.

Top Winter Desserts and Sweet Dishes You Can Try

Moong Dal Halwa

Source myheartbeets.com

A classic Rajasthani recipe that’s a popular dessert during winters, Moong Dal Halwa is not only considered auspicious for festive occasions and is rich in texture, but also requires a good amount of labour for making every bite worth the effort!

Ingredients for 3 cups:-

  • 1 cup yellow moong dal
  • Method–

    Soak the dal in enough water for 3 hours and then drain well. Blend it in a mixer to a coarse paste with 1 tbsp water and keep it aside. Next, dissolve the saffron strands in 1 tbsp warm milk and keep aside. Now, heat the ghee in a deep kadhai, add the dal paste and cook on a medium flame for 25 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add the cups of milk and warm water to it and stir it well, cooking on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously. Now, add the sugar, mix it all well and cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium flame with continued stirring. Add the saffron milk mix, cardamom powder and mix well, cooking for further 4 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously. Serve it hot with a garnish of the almond slivers.

Gulab Jamun

Source www.cookwithmanali.com

A classic Indian dessert, Gulab Jamun is an all-time favourite, enjoyed the most after meals and on festive occasions. Conventionally made with khoya, it can be tedious to make at home, but you can also make it with milk powder.

Ingredients for 14-18 jamuns

  • A cup of milk powder
  • 5 tbsp maida, 1 tsp ghee
  • 1 tbsp ghee (for greasing)
  • 2-4 tbsp milk
  • 1 tbsp curd, a large pinch of baking soda
  • Ghee for deep frying and 1 tsp chopped pistachios

For Sugar Syrup

  • 1 ¼ -1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • ¼ tsp elaichi powder
  • 1 tsp rose water

    Method –

  • Begin by mixing water, sugar and elaichi powder in a pot, and boil the syrup till it turns slightly sticky. Turn off the heat before it goes to a 1 string consistency. Add the rose water to it and mix. Set aside. Now fluff up the maida in a jar with a fork and measure it accurately. Mix it with milk powder and soda in a bowl, and mix it uniformly. Add the ghee to it and mix well. In another small bowl, mix some yogurt and 2tbsp milk and then pour 1.5 tbsp of it into the flour mix. Bring the flour together and knead it into a dough. If it becomes too dry, you can add some milk and curd till there’s a smooth dough. The dough turns sticky, grease your fingers and make a ball. Ensure the dough isn’t soggy and is smooth without any cracks.
  • Divide the dough into 14-18 equal sizes pieces and roll into smooth balls. Now, heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat and check on the syrup for its hot texture. Now, add the balls to the medium hot oil and fry them on a medium flame for a minute or two and then lower the heat, frying the balls till they turn golden. Keep stirring gently to fry the balls uniformly. Now add the balls to the hot (not too hot) syrup and allow them to be for about 3 hours. Garnish the gulab jamuns with the chopped pistachios.

Apple and Blueberry Crumble

Source www.bakewithstork.com

Extremely delicious, apple and blueberry crumble is a perfect winter dessert and goes best with a drizzle of creamy vanilla custard or ice cream!

Ingredients for the crumble

  • A cup of rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 4 peeled and cored washington apples
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ½ cup brown sugar and 2 tbsp butter

    Method –

  • Mix the apples, berries, sugar, butter and honey in a baking dish to begin with and in a separate dish, mix the crumble ingredients. Lightly spread the crumble ingredients over the apple berry mix and bake in the oven at 180°C for ½ hour. Serve the crumble hot with vanilla ice-cream!

Gajar Halwa

Source www.vegrecipesofindia.com

Another classic from Indian cuisine, the ever famous Gajar Halwa is relished by almost everyone! It can either be made using whole milk, or condensed milk or even khoya.

Ingredients:-

  • ½ kg young carrots
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp elaichi powder
  • 2 tbsps ghee
  • 20 mixed nuts and 2 tsps raisins (optional)

    Method –

  • Wash the carrots, peel and then grate them. Next, chop the mixed nuts and then fry them in 1 tbsp ghee until they turn slightly golden. Add the raisins and fry till they turn plump. Remove it all to a plate and keep it aside. Now boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan, add the grated carrots and cook them on medium heat, stirring frequently. Don’t leave the pot unattended as the milk can get scorched. When the milk evaporates completely add sugar and stir it well. As the sugar releases moisture the halwa will become gooey. Sauté the halwa well in ghee until the moisture evaporates and when the halwa emits a delicious aroma and thickens, its ready to be sprinkled with elaichi powder and garnished with the nuts and raisins.

Molten Black Forest Pudding

Source www.taste.com.au

The molten black forest pudding is a gooey weekend winter dessert that will have you asking for more before you polish off the last bite!

Ingredients:-

  • 160gm premium dark chocolate (chopped)
  • 160gm chopped unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs, 2 extra egg yolks
  • 1/3 cups castor sugar
  • 30gm sifted plain flour
  • 240gm jar drained and juice reserved amarena cherries
  • cocoa powder and vanilla beans
  • Ice cream to serve alongside

    Method –

  • Preheat the oven at 180°C and grease 4 (250ml) molds, lining the bases with a small circle of baking paper. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring it until the chocolate melts and turns smooth. Set it aside then and let it cool down a bit. Now, place the eggs and the egg yolks in a blender and whisk on high power for about 5 minutes and then fold the cooled down chocolate mix into the egg blend. Fold in flour next, and fill the molds to half with the batter, topping with 3 cherries in each mold. Top the remaining batter in the molds and then bake for about 9 minutes or till the tops turn firm with a molten center. Remove the molds from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before inverting the puddings on warmed plates. Dust with cocoa and top each pudding with the remaining cherries, serve them with vanilla bean ice cream.

Gajak

Served especially during winters, Gajak is a must during festive occasions like Lohri and Makar Sankranti. With a crispy texture, it is made of jaggery and sesame seeds usually and is known to improve one’s immunity and keep the body warm from the winter chill.

Ingredients:-

  • ½ cup roasted sesame seeds
  • 200 gm sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ¼ halved cashews and 2 tbsp ghee

    Method–

  • Grease a rectangular tray with ghee and keep aside. Now, in a heavy bottom kadhai, dry roast the sesame seeds on low heat till they turn brown and set aside. Next, combine the sugar, ghee and 2 tbsp water and cook on medium heat till it turns thick and syrupy. Take the mix off the heat and fold the cashews and roasted mix, mixing it well. Then transfer the greased tray, levelling it with a large flat spatula. While still hot/warm, cut in slices and then separate them when the pieces cool down. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Apple and Cinnamon Creme Caramel Cake

Source www.delicious.com.au

Apple’s an all seasons’ fruit and cinnamon is a significant ingredient in all apple desserts and this gooey apple and cinnamon crème caramel cake is a finger-licking delicious treat during the winters!

Ingredients:-

  • A cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp each of vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon powder and fresh lemon juice
  • 2 apples cut into small pieces

    Method –

  • Preheat the oven at 180°C and butter your baking dish. In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together and in another bowl, mix the sugar cup and oil together. Add the eggs to this mix and whisk it well and then add the vanilla extract. Now, fold in the flour mix and spread it evenly in the prepared baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon and remaining tbsps. of sugar and then add the apples and lemon juice to it. Put the apples on the top of the batter, pressing them gently into the batter and let it bake for ½ hour or until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean. Serve this delicious Apple and Cinnamon Cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Nolen Gurer Sandesh

Source www.delicious.com.au

A unique Bengali sweet, Nolen Gurer Sandesh is hugely popular among the Bengalis owing to its extraordinary flavor and irresistible deliciousness. A tender milk and jaggery fudge, this sweet melts into the mouth at each bite!

Ingredients:-

  • 1 liter full cream milk
  • A lemon to curdle the milk
  • 5 tbsp date palm jaggery (grated)
  • 1 tbsp milk (optional) and 1 tsp ghee to grease the molds and hands

    Method –

  • Keep the milk to boil on medium heat in a heavy bottom pan, stirring it occasionally. Once it's boiled, turn the heat to low flame and then squeeze the lemon juice into the milk. Stirring gently for a couple of minutes, let the milk curdle on low heat. Now take a colander and a put muslin cloth over it. When the water separates from the milk, switch the heat off and pour the pan contents into the colander/cloth and with a spatula stir the Chenna gently for a minute to cool it down.
  • Now, gathering the ends of the muslin cloth, put the Chenna under running water and wash it carefully to remove any flavor of the lemon and let it cool down. Squeeze out the excess water and tie a knot to the cloth, hang it for ½ hour. Now transfer the Chenna into a grinder jar and shut the lid, pulse it for ½ minute to a smooth paste. Now, take a pan and put it on low flame. Add the pulsed Chenna and grated date palm jaggery one after the other into the pan. Mix the ingredients together well and cook them on low flame for 5 minutes or until the jaggery melts completely. Be sure to continue stirring to avoid it sticking to the pan base. Add a tbsp. of milk into the mix and blend well. Cooking for another 5 minutes, see the contents thicken gradually with occasional stirring. Continue cooking till you see the mix transform into a thick mass, releasing sides.
  • Now switch the heat off and pour the Sandesh mix to a plate, letting it cool down to room temperature. Taking small portions of it, make small balls of the mix and flatten them slightly with your palm. Using a mold, design them and then serve or store in an airtight container.

Panjiri

Source recipes.timesofindia.com

A traditional Punjabi winter treat made of whole wheat flour, powdered sugar and ghee, Panjiri comes with different variations and is quite popular in North India.

Ingredients:-

  • A cup of whole wheat flour,
  • ½ cup raw sugar
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 15-18 cashews and almonds
  • 15-18 raisins and
  • 4 tbsp ghee

Method –

  • Powder the ½ cup of sugar in a dry grinder and then keep it aside. Take the whole wheat flour and pour it into the Kadhai, roasting it on low heat, stirring often to even out the roast. Continue till the colour of the flour changes and you get a nutty fragrance. Next, add the ghee into the flour and mix well, now add the cashews and almonds (roasted separately) and continue stirring and roasting for 5-6 minutes. To check if its cooked properly, taste the flour mix. Now, off the stove, add powdered sugar to the mix and blend well, adding raisins and mixing again. Allow the Panjiri to cool then and serve or store in an airtight container.

Oreo and Peanut Butter Pie

Source www.greensnchocolate.com

A 5-minute recipe, the Oreo and peanut butter pie is rich and perfectly accented with a chocolate cookie crust with chopped Oreos mixed into it.

Ingredients:-

  • A cup of peanut butter
  • A cup of heavy whipped cream
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 10 oreo or chocolate sandwich cookies
  • 1 chocolate cookie pie crust
  • Chocolate sauce
  • Peanut butter and Oreos for garnishing

Method –

  • Blend the peanut butter, cream, powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla in a blender/hand mixer to a smooth consistency. Chop the Oreos and fold them into the cheesecake mix. Now, pour the mix into the chocolate cookie pie crust and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Ready to serve, garnish the pie with chocolate sauce, some peanut butter and more crushed Oreos to your liking.

Bonus Tips: Best Veggies to Eat in Winters

Source greatist.com

Even though modern processing techniques have made it easier to access a variety of fruits and vegetables all year round, there’s something about consuming their fares seasonally that will help improve your health and maintain it through each season.

  • Carrots – have the highest amount of carotene comparatively and are an excellent source of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. you can have them as is or cook them per your desire.
  • Oranges – are the best source of Vitamin C and empower your body to fight against germs, acting as the perfect source of potassium, minerals, folate and fibre, while being low on calories!
  • Turnips – are root vegetables, sweet in taste and starchy in texture. They come loaded with fibre, folates, minerals and vitamins.
  • Mustard Leaves– are highly nutritious with vital antioxidants, carotenes, vitamins and minerals.
  • Fenugreek Leaves– are packed with lots of fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals and help in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels, amid other health benefits.
  • Spinach - is considered one of the healthiest veggies in the world with a variety of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenes, vitamins A, C and K and Omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Radish - is either pungent or sweet and has lot of roughage, folic acid, potassium and ascorbic acid to offer. Edible both raw and cooked.

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From our editorial team

Go Natural for Dessert

The fruit is naturally sweet; abundant this time of year, super nutritious, and everyone loves it. So use fruits to make desserts and to top pudding, or sweets. Fruit lets you increase the portion size and nutritional goodness of desserts. There is nothing wrong with an occasional calorie-dense piece of sweet.