Winter season is still here and with the chilly breeze all over it is impetuous to adjust for the cold weather and keep yourself under warmth. In order to save energy and keep your body warm, your metabolism tends to slow down when the temperature falls down in the cold winter season. And this is the reason for you feeling a little lazy during the winters. But there are some classic desi winter foods and dishes that help in regulating your metabolism by keeping you active and energized, comforted all throughout the day. These desi foods specially prepared and taken during winters give you a comfortable warmth feeling as they reach your taste buds all the way satisfying your hunger.

GINGER - PUNJABI RAJMA CHAWAL

Ginger is popular for its thermogenic warmth properties that keep your body comfortable during cold nights by chasing away the cold. Ginger helps in boosting the body metabolism and promotes blood flow easily. The best way to consume ginger on daily basis is to include it in the regular cuisine as a curry dish or to brew the raw ginger root as in a hot cup of ginger tea. Let’s take the punjabi rajma chawal which adds a great taste when cooked along with chillies that are a perfect source of heat. Chillies add their spiciness to ginger and compliment the whole dish. Try this Punjabi Rajma Chawal recipe once in a while. 

ONIONS - MATAR PANEER CURRY

Onions add an extra crunchy feel to your dishes and also keep you warm. Onions, when consumed regularly, increase perspiration and keep the body warm to handle cold weather. Blend these onions into a deliciousMatar Paneer Curry served with crispy fried onions and chopped coriander on top.

AMARNATH GRAINS

Amarnath and bajra grains keep you warm and toasty by using them in cereal with berries along with honey or as a lunch instead of rice. Millets such as bajra, ragi promotes energy during the lazy winters. These are your high energy foods that contain starch, a long time taking food to digest and so it generates energy over a good period of time.

DESI GHEE - TASTY CHURMA SWEET

Desi Ghee is the most easily digestible fat frequently used for cooking as it provides sufficient warmth to the body during the winters. Ghee is a natural source of warmth that acts as a remedy for balancing the heating element of the body. Ghee often helps in digestion by preventing constipation and excretion of toxins. It also increases your immunity to protect you against cold and other flu. To soothe a sore throat, eating onions fried in desi ghee is the best. Take a look at this Churma Sweet made with desi ghee for special winters.

SARSON OR MUSTARD 

Whether it be mustard seeds, fresh mustard leaves or mustard oil, popularly known as Sarson, all these are warm and hot by nature. Due to their high warming properties, they aid in building up a lot of heat in the body when consumed. Sarson ka tel or mustard oil is regularly used for massaging chapped feet during cold winters. You can also try including the mustard leaves in your lunch or dinner dishes as in this punjabi sarson ka saag recipe.

SESAME SEEDS - SESAME RICE (NILHARA)

Sesame seeds are great for body warming and that's the reason they are often used in desserts, sweets like chikkis, halwa during the winter season. Sesame seeds are heavily packed with iron and calcium. To efficiently get those vitamins fully into your body, you should soak them overnight and then consume them in the morning. The tasty sesame seeds together with jaggery are made into small balls and consumed once per day to keep iron intake regular in the body. These sesame jaggery balls keep your body warm and energized.  Sesame oil is also mostly used by many while cooking as it is one of the most effective ways to get full vitamins out of them.  Try preparing the recipe Sesame Rice also known as Nilhara and I bet you will repeat the dish often.

Fill up your winters with these heat-generating foods and enjoy.