Gastronomical delights to indulge in this winter

While winter is synonymous with sarson da saag in North and nolen gur in Bengal, Nashik too has a wide variety of delicacies to offer that have evolved over time. From the Gujarati undhiyu to the traditional til laddoos, here’s a lowdown on the delicacies one can gorge on in the city.
Thalipeeth Approx Cost: `30 per plate Considered as one of the healthiest and quickest food options, dhapate also known as thalipeeth is a popular street food during winters.This spicy dish is a good for calorie-conscious people. Mainly made up from jowar flour and besan, thalipeeth is made by mixing multiple grains like bajra, chana, rice and wheat together. Chutney and curd make for good accompaniments for thalipeeth which is also eaten with white butter.
Hurda Approx Cost: `240 per kilo Hurda is tender jowar (Indian millet) which is coal roasted and served along with an accompaniment of various chutneys and jaggery. Hurda is roasted on coal in mud pits which gives it an earthen flavour. This freshly roasted hurda is then consumed with various types of chutneys made of sesame seeds, groundnut, dry coconut, garlic and red chillies. Hurda parties are also commonly arranged at farms nearby Pune to gorge on this winter special snack.
Undhiyu Approx Cost: `85 for 250 gms This Gujarati delicacy is made specially in winters as a majority of ingredients used in the dish are available only during this season. A concoction of vegetables like baby brinjal/eggplant, small potatoes, sweet potatoes, purple yam, green beans, raw bananas and muthia (dumplings made with fenugreek leaves and spiced chickpea flour), undhiyu is traditionally cooked in earthen pots and tastes best when consumed with jowar, bajra or multigrain roti. “There is a huge demand for homemade undhiyu in winters as the variety of rare vegetables and its unique flavor makes it highly nutritious. We start keeping it in our shop around the end of November till January,” informed Vaishali Thatte, a shopkeeper.
Kothimbir and Alu vadi Approx Cost: `200-300 per kg These make for perfect starters or tea-time snacks during the cold winter months. Coriander (kothimbir) and taro’s (alu) root leaves grow in abundance during winters and go into these tasty seasonal delicacies. While kothimbir vadi is made by combining fresh coriander leaves, chickpea batter and a variety of spices, the alu vadi is made using stacks of alu smeared with sweet, spicy and tangy gram flour paste.
Fenugreek, Gum and Aliv Ladoo Approx Cost: `70-200 per 200 gms These ladoos usually made of ingredients like wheat flour, milk, ghee, dry fruits, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger powder and jaggery/sugar are high in nutrition and have medicinal properties. This winter speciality has a host of health benefits other than being delicious. The aliv ladoos with significant amounts of iron, calcium, iodine, and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C make for excellent savouries and sweet meats during the cold winter months.
Til vadi, ladoo, revdi, papdi Approx Cost: `60 per 200 gms A healthy option to snack on in winters, these goodies are made of sesame or til seeds, jaggery, groundnut and cardamom powder. Apart from keeping our body warm during winters, sesame seeds are full of superior protein, magnesium and other nutrients which are known for their nutritional value.
Barbecue nights An ideal winter evening cannot be complete without barbecued veggies and meat. Winter being apt for barbecue nights, try taking a portable barbecue stand to short trips for a perfect dinner under the stars or try it at home. Rahul Ranjan, an IT professional and foodie said, “Barbecue parties turn out to be more fun than the regular ones. It is always easier to marinade meat and veggies and barbecue them over a good discussion than ordering food or cooking at home.”
— Inputs by Swapnal.Tilekar@timesgroup.com