As the winter season approaches, we all get excited as the cosy, cold winters bring hot delicacies to help you get closely connected with the culture of India and savor the country’s multiple cuisines that offer a wide variety of dishes across India that need to be tried in this pleasant and chilly season of the year. Take a look at what you shouldn’t miss out eating when travelling to these cities in India.

Lapsi and Kadhi in Rajasthan

Being a Rajasthani, I have always seen Lapsi being cooked in my home during the winters. Trust me, this sweet dish of Rajasthan is fabulous that features the goodness of broken wheat and the tantalizing aroma of cardamom. The dish is cooked using a little amount of ghee and later served by pouring a teaspoon ghee on Lapsi along with Kadhi which is made up of yogurt. Yes, Kadhi, which you must have heard or have tasted Kadhi from Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttarakhand but the Rajasthani version is pungent and spicy which goes best with the sweet lapsi. This light and healthy dish of Rajasthan is a staple diet and is preferred by the people of Rajasthan during the winter season.

Thukpa in the Himalayan Region

The Tibetan noodle soup is so good that a single bowl wouldn’t be just enough and I am sure you would end up grabbing another bowl. Adding a pinch of Garam Masala, the soup is a perfect Indo-Tibetan food that is really soothing to the throat during the winters. Even though you can find Thukpa everywhere but the best to try out is in Northeast, particularly in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, and Darjeeling in West Bengal. Also, if you have plans to travel to Ladakh, then you can even get the best Thukpa to try out in Ladakh where it is popular and also in some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Nolen Gurer Sandesh in Kolkata

I have grown up eating Bengali Dishes and what I liked most is the Sandesh ( though I have always heard it being pronounced at SONDESH). The Nolen Gurer Sandesh is a typical mouth melting Bengali sweet dish which is made of date palm jaggery and hence it could only be found fresh during the winter season which is only found in winters. So if you happen to visit Kolkata during the winters, then make sure you try out the ultimate mouthful of sweetness.

Beetroot Thoran in Kerala

You must have heard that Turmeric has healing properties. Have you? If not then yes, it has been advised to consume turmeric during the winter seasons as it helps you get healed from a lot of health issues. Here I am talking about Beetroot Thoran which is a  traditional dish from Kerala, and is cooked with turmeric and chilies is generally served with rice. The only reason why it is preferred to eat during the winters is that of enough amount of turmeric used in the dish which is only good to consume during the winters as it helps you keep your body warm. Beetroot Thoran is easy to prepare and stir-frying beetroot gives a rich flavor to the dish that is a perfect treat for your taste buds. So don’t miss out pampering yourself with Beetroot Thoran when visiting Kerala during the winters.

Makki ki Roti & Sarson ka Saag Punjab

So winter is the time when the vegetable market is loaded with lush green leafy vegetables. Talking about the Sarson (Mustard) Leaves, it has a distinctly bitter taste which goes when cooked to a certain extent. Sarson Ka Saag goes best with Makki ki Roti and is considered to be the perfect combination. Also, white butter and jaggery is served to enhance your taste buds crave. If you are visiting Punjab then at some places (perhaps the dhabas) you would witness Makki Ki Roti & Sarson Ka Saag being cooked in the traditional way, i.e., cooked in earthen pots with charcoal underneath that helps give a smoky flavour to the whole food. So include the goodness of sarson leaves in your diet this winter season.

Gajar Ka Halwa in Delhi

So here comes Gajar Ka Halwa for which I am mad about (for that matter I even become selfish at times as I don’t feel like sharing it with anyone weird but that’s okay). Filled with immense flavor, Gajar Ka Halwa is a winter food. Every time I eat Gajar Ka Halwa my only motive is to finding hidden cashew nuts and scraping the bowl for last crumbs. So, I would urge you to ditch any other dessert this winters and grab the bowl of Gajar ka Halwa when in Delhi which would be the best thing to do in winters. The popular ones are Chaina Ram Sindhi Confectioners (Chandni Chowk), Shyam Sweets (Chawri Bazaar), Anupam Sweets (Kailash Colony Main Market), Giani Di Hatti (Chandni Chowk), Shiv Misthan Bhandar (Chandni Chowk) and more.

Undhiyu in Gujarat

For Gujaratis, winter isn’t without Undhiyas, which is a traditional Gujarati Signature Dish and a combination of vegetables and fenugreek (methi) dumplings cooked using aromatic spices. There is no doubt, that this food item in Gujarat is not just unbelievably delicious, it is also healthy to eat. So here you go. If you haven’t tasted Undhiyu yet, then why wait. Visiting Gujarat during the winters you can get the opportunity especially during Makar Sankranti where you could make the most out of the festival by having Undhiyu and Poori.

Raab in Rajasthan and Gujarat

This is one such drink which has always been my favorite since childhood. Basically, Raab is a healthy drink that is perfect for the winter chills in Rajasthan. Found as a part of both Rajasthani and Gujarati cuisines, Raab is essentially a type of porridge prepared using millet flour (Bajra) which is loved by the people of Rajasthan. The taste of the Raab is sour and tempting which could be consumed both hot as well as cold. Another form of Raab is the sweet one, which is called Gur Raab i.e., made up of Gur (Jaggery). It is sweet and generally consumed after meals as it is considered as good for digestion and help increase body immunity.