10 Foods That Keep You Warm in Winter

As temperatures drop, consuming foods that naturally generate heat, boost metabolism, and provide long-lasting energy helps keep the body warm throughout the winter months.

 

Ghee (Clarified Butter): A cornerstone of winter nutrition, ghee supplies essential healthy fats that fuel natural body heat. Drizzled over hot khichdi or rotis, it lubricates dry joints, aids digestion, and delivers sustained internal warmth.

 

Sesame Seeds (Til): Packed with healthy fats, iron, and calcium, tiny sesame seeds possess powerful thermogenic properties. Traditionally enjoyed as til-jaggery ladoos or chikki, they support bone density and maintain steady body heat during chilly weather

Pearl Millet (Bajra): This nutrient-dense whole grain provides complex carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing continuous energy to keep cold weather at bay. Enjoyed as warm bajra rotis paired with white butter, it keeps you full and cozy.

 

Fresh Ginger: Rich in gingerol, fresh ginger acts as a natural circulatory stimulant that accelerates blood flow to keep extremities warm. Steeped into steaming teas or added to hearty stews, it soothes scratchy throats and staves off winter chills. 

 

Jaggery (Gur): Unrefined palm or sugarcane jaggery acts as a natural heater, rich in iron, magnesium, and essential antioxidants. Replacing refined sugar with jaggery after meals boosts metabolic rate, cleanses the respiratory tract, and maintains internal body temperature.

 

Sweet Potatoes: Complex root vegetables like sweet potatoes digest slowly, driving up core body temperature through the natural process of thermogenesis. Loaded with fiber, Vitamin A, and minerals, roasted sweet potatoes offer a delicious, comforting winter snack

 

Almonds and Walnuts: A daily handful of nutrient-dense nuts delivers concentrated healthy fats, protein, and essential Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating soaked almonds or roasted walnuts in the morning fuels your body's cellular metabolism to generate consistent, long-lasting physical warmth.

 

Spiced Golden Milk (Haldi Doodh): A warm cup of milk infused with turmeric, black pepper, and nutmeg promotes restful sleep while heating the body from within. The combination of warm fats and active spices boosts immunity and improves blood circulation.

 

 

Mustard Greens (Sarson): Seasonal winter greens like sarson are packed with antioxidants, iron, and essential vitamins that stimulate internal body heat. Cooked slowly into traditional sarson ka saag, these bitter greens nourish the digestive tract and combat winter fatigue.

 

Garlic: Allicin-rich garlic is a potent thermal food that increases metabolic rate and defends against seasonal viral infections. Incorporating fresh crushed garlic into warm dabs, broths, and curries keeps the immune system strong and blood flowing warmly. 

 

 

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Chickpea Sandwich

Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. After a long overnight gap, a balanced morning meal can help provide energy and keep hunger at bay. However, busy schedules can make it difficult to prepare something nutritious and satisfying every day. If you are tired of eating the same poha, parathas or toast, a chickpea sandwich is worth adding to your breakfast menu. 

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups boiled chickpeas, 

1 medium onion (finely chopped), 

1 medium tomato (finely chopped), 

14-15 garlic cloves, 

1 tbsp sesame seeds, 

1 tsp chilli flakes. 

1 handful chopped coriander leaves 

2-3 tbsp mustard sauce, 

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt to taste, 

3 tbsp yoghurt, 

1 tsp black pepper pdr

10-12 mint leaves,

2 tbsp olive oil, 

bread slices of your choice.  

 

Preparations

 

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pan over a medium flame. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Add sesame seeds, chilli flakes and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and sauté for another minute. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a blender with the mustard sauce, salt and lemon juice. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Your homemade garlic dip is ready. 

Step 2: Place the boiled chickpeas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher. You can leave a few chickpeas partially intact for a chunkier texture. Add the finely chopped onion and tomato, followed by the prepared garlic dip, yoghurt, black pepper pdr and chopped mint leaves. Mix everything thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly combined.  

Step 3: Spread a generous portion of the chickpea filling over a bread slice. Cover it with another slice and repeat the process for the remaining sandwiches. 

Step 4: Toast the sandwiches using a sandwich maker, grill or pan until the bread turns crisp and golden. Cut them into halves and serve hot with tomato ketchup or mustard sauce.

Tips To Make Your Chickpea Sandwich Even Better
Choose whole-wheat bread, it can provide more fibre than many refined-white-bread options. Reduce the chilli flakes for a milder flavour or add more if you prefer a spicy filling. Prepare the filling in advance; refrigerate it in an airtight container and assemble the sandwiches when required. If the mixture feels too wet, add the tomato gradually and avoid including excess liquid. Grated carrots, chopped capsicum or cucumber can provide extra crunch and variety. 

 

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Orange Peel Pachadi

Ingredients

For the pachadi

1 cup Orange Peel finely chopped, removed from two oranges

3 tsp Green Chillies finely chopped

2 tsp Tamarind Paste

1 tbsp Jaggery

1/2 tsp Turmeric pdr

1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

3/4 Cup Water

Salt to Taste 

For the tempering 

1 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/8 tsp Asafoetida / Hing

One Sprig Curry Leaves

  

Preparations

For the orange peel

 Peel the outer skin from two small oranges. Wash it well and pat dry.

Using a sharp knife, gently scrape the white skin on the inner side.

Chop the peel into small bits.

For the Sesame Powder

Dry roast the sesame powder on a hot pan, allow to cool and grind to a powder.

Prep for the pachadi

Heat a pan with oil, temper with mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, hing and saute.

Next add the chopped green chillies, and saute.

Add the chopped orange peel and combine well.

Cook for few minutes, next add turmeric, salt and mix well.

Now add tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes, next add jaggery and let it melt.

Cook and let the orange peels soften.

Simmer till the jaggery melts. Turn off the heat.

Add roasted sesame powder and mix well.

Cover and let the pachadi rest for 5 minutes.

Check the consistency and water, if needed.

Taste and salt or jaggery to balance the tastes.

 

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Healthy Avil Balls

 Ingredients

Thick Aval (Poha) – 1 cup

Peanut – 1/2 cup

Pottukadalai (Fried Gram) – 1/2 cup

Sesame (Til seeds) – 1/2 cup

Jaggery Powder – 1 and 1/2 cup

Cardamom – 4 to 5

Cashew nuts – few (optional)

Raisins – few (optional)

Ghee – 2 to 3 tablespoons

  

 

Preparations

In a thick bottom kadai put a tablespoon of ghee and fry the avil (poha) till it becomes crisp and slightly changes its colour. Remove and put it on a plate. 

Same kadai put the peanut and fry till it becomes light brown. Remove and set aside.

Fry the pottu Kadalai till it’s hot to touch and remove.

Then add sesame and fry till it starts crackling and remove.

Allow all the fried items to cool.

First put the avil along with cardamom in a mixer jar and grind it to a powder. Transfer it to a broad vessel.

Then add fried peanut, pottu Kadalai and sesame and grind it to a fine powder.

Before removing from the mixer jar, add jaggery powder and run the mixer for few seconds.

Add this to the avil powder and mix well.

If you are using cashew and raisins, fry in a teaspoon of ghee and add to avil powder.

Heat the remaining ghee and add it to the avil powder and mix well.

Take a handful of the powder and press it into a small lemon size ball. Finish all the powder like this.

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Amaranth Seeds Ladoos

  Amaranth seeds

 This tiny yet power packed seed is a store house of many essential nutrients. It has a significant amount of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and Vitamin C. Another good thing is that it is gluten free so people who are celiac or gluten intolerant can be easily incorporate it in their meals.

Ingredients

Dates –  1 cup pitted (good quality)

Popped Amaranth / Rajgira Seeds – 1 Cup

Chopped or Powdered Mix dry fruits ( Almonds, raisins, cashews. walnuts etc. ) – 1/2 cup

Any seeds ( flax seeds sesame seeds) if you desire – 2 tablespoon

( If you have the  wet dates then no cooking is required but if the dates are dry then they need to be heated a bit. )

Method – 

Pit and chop the dates fine.

Dry roast the nuts and chop or powder them as per your taste. If using seeds then dry roast them too but take care not to over roast. Just light roasting is fine.

If  you are using dry dates then heat a non stick pan and add chopped dates to it.

Keep the flame low and stir till the dates soften.

Add the nut mixture,  seed mixture and popped amaranth, give it a nice sir and switch off the gas.

Remove the mixture in a plate and mix it thoroughly so that everything gets incorporated nicely.

Make small balls of the mixture and let them cool before putting them in an airtight container. Eat these  nutritious power packed ladoos any time of the day. I am sure kids would love them too. Do give it a try.

If you are using the soft, wet dates then just chop them and put the dates and powder/chopped dry fruit mixture in a blender and mix till a gooey mix is obtained. Take it out in a bowl and make small bite size balls from it.

 

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Sukhi Bhaji / Farali Potato

 INGREDIENTS

 1 large or 125 grams or 1 ½cupsPotatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed

 2 Cloves

 a tiny piece Cinnamon stick, size of a clove

1 tbsp Oil

½ tsp Cumin seeds

½ tsp Sesame seeds

1 Green chili, chopped finely

3 tbsp Peanuts, crushed

1 ½  tbsp Desiccated coconut

Rock salt  to taste

½ tsp Sugar

2 tsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped finely

 

PREPARATIONS 

Boil The Potatoes: You can boil potatoes in instant pot (manual 7 minutes). Or use a traditional pressure cooker (takes 2 whistles). Once potatoes are cool to touch, peel the skin and cut into small cubes.

Take cloves and cinnamon. Crush using mortar and pestle into a fine powder and keep it ready. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Then add sesame seeds, within few seconds they will start to pop/fly. Immediately add green chilies and saute for 30 seconds. Add boiled potatoes, rock salt, sugar, cloves-cinnamon powder and mix well. Then add crushed peanuts and dry coconut. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon (lime) juice. Add chopped cilantro and mix. Suki bhaji is ready to serve. 

NOTES-

If you prefer slightly mashed potatoes in your sukhi bhaji, then mash some of them with the back of the spatula.  

If you prefer the nice clean pieces of potatoes (not mushy) here is the tip for you. Let the boiled potato cool down completely and then cut into cubes. When you chop the potato while it is warm or hot, it will break and crumble. 

 

 

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 INGREDIENTS

40 pieces Bhindi

4 tbsp Oil

⅓ cup Desiccated coconut

2 tbsp Peanuts

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

⅓ cup coriander leaves,

1 Green chili finely chopped

½ tsp Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed

1 tsp Turmeric pdr

1 ½ tsp Coriander pdr

½ tsp Cumin pdr

1 tsp Red chili pdr

1 tsp garam masala

3 tsp Sugar

2 tbsp Lemon juice

Salt to taste

 

PREPARATIONS

To make the stuffing, take dry coconut, ground peanuts, sesame seeds, green chili, ginger and cilantro in a bowl. Mix well.

Add salt, sugar, lemon juice and spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala).

Mix everything really well using your fingers and keep it aside.

Now cut off both the ends (head and tail part). Make a vertical slit in the center, but be careful not to break the bhindi into two pieces. Now using your one hand hold the bhindi and insert the thumb inside the slit, so it makes a gap in the bhindi to fill the stuffing. After stuffing all of them you will have leftover stuffing; we will use that later in this recipe. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. I recommend using a wide non-stick pan because non-sticks require less oil and we can arrange them in one layer if it is wide. If not using the nonstick then you might need more oil. Alternately, you can cook them in an air fryer (see the details below in the notes section). Once hot arrange stuffed okra and sprinkle some salt (be careful we already added salt to the stuffing). Cover it and cook it for 12-15 minutes or until okra is cooked perfectly. Stir or flip the okra in between for even cooking. Make sure that okra doesn’t stick to the bottom. Add remaining leftover stuffing and mix well. Cook it for 2 minutes uncovered or until added stuffing gets heated through.

Notes

Air Fryer Bharwa Bhindi:

 

Place the stuffed okra in an air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray some oil or lightly brush the oil.

 

Cook at 360°F (180°C) for total 12 minutes (cook for 8 minutes + flip okra + cook 4 minutes).

 

When you flip the okra and you feel that okra are too dry then again spray with oil.

 Buying okra: They should be fresh-looking and dark green in color. Don’t buy those who have blemishes, cut or leaked internal juice. Try to buy those that have fewer seeds in them. Buy the same size of okra so all of them cook evenly.

Please do not skip the sugar here. It will not taste sweet like dessert because we are adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to balance out the flavors.

 

 

 

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