5 of the hottest winter foods

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.

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.

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