Mumbai Food: Traditional winter dishes with a gourmet twist

Kachi Haldi Ki Sabji
Raw turmeric is commonly eaten in winter because it provides heat and also boosts the immune system. At the all-vegetarian restaurant 29-Twenty Nine at Kemps Corner, a winter favourite is Kachi Haldi ki Sabji.

"This is a simple dish made with fresh haldi, tossed in oil and with a tadka of cumin seeds, and a gravy with tomatoes, onions, garlic and green chillies. It is finished with yoghurt," says head chef Prakash Dhanmeher. The dish is served with a wholesome tukkad (a thick roti made with corn and wheat flour). "This dish is usually made in Rajasthan. It provides adequate warmth, and is good for the joints," he adds.

At: Babulnath, Papanas Wadi, Tardeo.
Call: 69992929
Cost: Rs 425 plus taxes

Masoor Ma Gos
This Parsi delicacy is a simple dish with mutton cooked on the bone and whole masoor dal. At SodabottleOpenerwala, they serve a version of the dish as a daily special.

"This is an authentic Parsi dish, which is essentially lentils with mutton. The masoor (red lentils) add a lovely warmth to the mutton. We slow-cook the dal and mutton together for an hour and a half," says Danesh Gustad Vakshoor, chef de cuisine. The mildly spicy dish is eaten with rice or roti. "Our version is more flavourful since we add more spices to the dish."

At: Ground floor, The Capital Building, G Block, BKC
Call: 40035678
Cost: Rs 425

Satwar Piste Ka Shorba
Shorba is a warming soup that is typically had in winter up north. At The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar, they serve a Satwar Piste ka Shorba (in pic) with toasted pistachio and an asparagus creme.

The simple dish is made using haldi, onion, dry rock salt, ginger, garlic and dahi. Another favourite is the Purvanchal Ka Saag (Rs 900). "We use all green vegetables and spices. These include palak, mustard leaves, bathua (cheel bhaji), methi, spring onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, and rock salt. "My mother used to make this dish and I always wanted to recreate it," says junior sous chef Vinod Mamgai.

At: The St Regis Mumbai, 462, Lower Parel
Call: 61628000
Cost: Rs 450

Barley & Ponkh Salad
Atâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088the Bombay Canteen, winter brings in indigenous and local vegetables. One of the popular dishes is the Barley & Ponkh Salad made with puffed grains, pomegranate seeds, and a spicy hung curd dressing. "This is a healthy grain salad. We make a puffed barley and jowar in-house and mix it with a tomato vinegarette, cilantro and top it with hung yoghurt. Ponkh has a mild flavour and a crunchy and spongy texture. We lightly steam it," says executive chef Thomas Zacharias.

The dish, serve chilled, is balanced in terms of flavours and textures, from the crunch of the puffed grain, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds to the spiciness of the chilli, and the curd. "People are pleasantly surprised when they taste it because in a salad, they expect green leaves. The salad adds a good balance to a meat-heavy meal," he adds.

The other dishes on the menu include Maa ki Dal with Topli Paneer (Rs 450) - charred sweet potato paratha with topli paneer adding the creamy element; Sarson Ka Saag with Radish Paneer (R450) and Guava Tan ta Tan (R375) - where pink guavas are transformed into a tarte tatin and served with a red chilli ice cream.

"Winter isn't about only warming dishes but also seasonal ingredients such as ponkh, sarson, pink guavas and others," adds Zacharias.

At: Process House, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Call: 49666666
Cost: Rs 300

Dalim Shakkarkandhi
Every winter, Delhi street food welcomes the Shakarkandi Chaat, a charcoal-roasted snack. A light and simple snack, it pays tribute to the sweet potato.

At NRI, they make their own version of the popular snack, Dalim Shakarkandhi with charcoal-roasted sweet potatoes, pomegranate kernels, spiced pomegranate reduction, sweet yoghurt foam, tamarind and ginger chutney, toasted cumin, coriander and a special, homemade chaat masala.

"The dish is essentially a simple one. We have taken the essence of the original and made it our own. We roast the potato in a closed tandoor, dice it and top it with a tamarind chutney and chaat masala. The yoghurt foam is a mixture of cream and yoghurt mixed with sugar and aerated. We use roasted coriander seeds and cumin seeds, fried moong dal and pomegranate seeds to give it a different texture. The pomegranate reduction has black salt, cumin and pepper," says Siddharth Kalyanaraman, head chef.

The winter dish, introduced last year, is one of the stars on their menu. "Everyone loves it and they appreciate the sweet, tart and spicy flavours and all that crunch," he adds.

At: Maker Maxity, North Avenue 2, BKC
Call: 30005040
Cost: Rs 300 plus taxes