Last Sunday, we looked at recipes for the monsoon. This week, we’re turning to the season that comes next — winter. In India, the transition into winter has its own charm and nothing reflects it more so than seasonal fare like black carrot kanji or sarson ka saag in the north, warm gajar ka halwa made from supple, pink Delhi carrots — and the shalgam gosht and shab deg from my city, Lucknow.
Lucknow is the city of unani medicine, the city of taseer. Old Lucknow residents still swear by the seasonality of cuisine. There is a sudden change in the aromas from the chowk area, also known as the “lungs” of Lucknow, and fluffy and flavoursome nimish or makkhan malai becomes a popular breakfast along with warming nihari and black carrot halwa. And you can’t forget Kashmiri chai (in no way related to kahwa, but essentially, milk cooked in copper and craftingly poured and repoured from heights to get a light pink hue). It is served with a crumbled filo-like kagazi samosa, making it a soul-warming experience.
I’m proud to be a part of the new breed of Indian chefs who believe that our country does not need to look West for culinary inspiration, especially when it comes to winter-focused supergrains and millets. In greater India, variants of wheat and cereals have been dated to 8000 BC, with millet production in Mehrgarh around 6000 BC. An old underdog is the finger millet (or nachani, as it’s commonly known in Gujarat and Maharashtra), where it’s used in porridges, bhakris and rotlis. High concentration of methionine makes nachani a valuable grain. In fact, the porridge-like use of amaranth, nachani, raagi and the panicums mixed with ghee and/or milk lend a creaminess and an unforgettable texture to die for. So this winter go local, go seasonal — and do try these recipes.
Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar is seen as a judge on Masterchef India
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Nachani Upma with Soy Kheema
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Ingredients
- 1 cup whole nachani; soaked, cooked in a pressure cooker and drained (instructions below)
- 1 cup soy kheema, cooked (instructions below)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- cup carrot, cut into small cubes and cooked
- cup green beans, cut same size as carrots and cooked
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp split urad dal
- 1 tbsp broken cashewnuts
- tsp asafoetida
- 3-4 curry leaves
- tbsp lime juice
- A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt, to taste
Method
For the nachani and soy: Soak the nachani in water for 4-5 hours. Cook it in a pressure cooker until done (you may need to give it about three whistles). Drain it and set aside. Soak the soy kheema in water for 20 minutes. Cook it in a pan with water and salt. Then squeeze out all water and set the kheema aside.
For the upma: lHeat the oil in a broad non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. lWhen the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, broken cashew nuts, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies, onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the carrots, green beans and sauté on a medium flame for 1 more minute. lNow, add the previously cooked nachani and soy mixture, add salt as per taste and sauté again, on a medium flame, for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle a little water on the upma while stirring continuously. Add the coriander and lime juice, mix well and cover the upma and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.
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Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp onion, chopped
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Salt, to taste
- Crushed black pepper, to taste
- cup chopped apple
- 1 cup chopped pumpkin
- 1-2 tbsp oatmeal
For the garnish
- 2 tbsp celery, chopped
- Parmesan cheese, as per taste
- Crushed black pepper, to taste
- Gorgonzola cheese, to taste
- A few drops of honey
- A pinch of degi mirch
- Garlic bread, as required
Method: lIn a pan, heat olive oil, and add the garlic, ginger, onion, curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, crushed black pepper, chopped apple, chopped pumpkin. Pour in some water, then cover the pan and let the ingredients cook for 5-7 minutes. Then, take off the lid and set a little of the mixture aside for the garnish. Add more water to the pan mixture, then put it into a blender and give it a whizz. Sieve it back into a pan. Now, boil this sieved soup, add the oatmeal to it and let it cook further. Add the celery and parmesan cheese (from the garnish ingredients) to this. Remove the soup in a bowl. Add gorgonzola cheese at the centre and the little bit of mixture you had set aside. Sprinkle degi mirch and drizzle a few drops of honey on top of the cheese. Serve immediately with garlic bread.
