Come winter season and we are looking for the warmest of comfort meals to relish. Isn’t it? And with a wide range of fresh seasonal produce, winter season is a great time for foodies. Indian cuisine, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, have a diverse range of delicacies that taste all the more better during the chilled winter season. From heavenly Nalli Nihari to a heart warning bowl of Sarson Ka Saag, the list is endless and truly a paradise for food lovers. I love to plan dinner parties with friends and family during the winter season- be it a Sunday brunch or Friday night get-together, it is always great to bond over food with your closed ones. What we generally do is a potluck, where each guest gets one dish each to the party. Not only does it bring a variety on the table, one also gets to sample flavours of different households. I remember trying Nargisi Kofta at one of our family friends' parties, a specialty of one of their relatives. And honestly, I haven’t had a better version of that dish.
I think the best time to truly appreciate such heavy, spice-laden, rich Indian curries are the winters. You truly do have the appetite for the warmth they have. Planning a party anytime soon? We’ve got a list of Indian curries and stews you must not miss out on.
1. Nalli Nihari
Let’s just take a minute to thank the royalty of Mughals for all the culinary gems they have left us with. Nihari is a stew-based dish, which dates back to the 17th-18th century and is made by slow cooking meat along with the bone barrow. Paired with Khameeri Roti, it makes for one of the most loved breakfasts of that time. Although in Old Delhi, it is still eaten with as much love by many people right in the morning. The warmth and richness of this dish is sure to make you drool.
2. Mutton Korma
There is something amazing about flavourful, juicy and aromatic korma that we just cannot stop drooling at it. With succulent meat chunks dunked in a thick gravy of yogurt, aromatic spices along with cashew paste or cream, mutton korma makes for a delightful curry to nosh upon this season.
3. Rogan Josh
Straight from the heavenly belt of Kashmir, Rogan Josh is one of the signature delicacies of the cuisine of the valley. Made with red meat, Rogan Josh has a dense, aromatic curry made with a range of traditional Indian spices like red chilli powder, fennel powder, ginger powder, cumin powder, dried fengureek leaves and much more.
4. Mughlai Zaafrani Murgh
Here’s a rich chicken curry cooked wholesome cashew nut paste and delicious spices for a delightful dish, flavored with saffron.
5. Sarson Ka Saag
The ultimate winter staple, ‘Sarson da saag’ is a traditional Punjabi delicacy that is today a very popular in many parts of the country and even abroad. ‘Sarso' means ‘mustard' in Hindi or Punjabi and ‘saag' translates to ‘greens.' This bright dark green curry is a wholesome mix of the goodness of mustard leaves and spinach, which makes it a perfect mix healthy and tasty, once it is cooked with a whole range of spices. It is often relished with Makki ki roti – flatbread made with maize flour, along with oodles of butter on top and gur (jaggery) on the side.