Gajrela, sarson ka saag, makki ki roti with dollops of ghee—for these confirmed foodies winter calories simply don’t count

Come winter and those crispy paranthas with dollops of butter taste extra-special, as does piping hot gajrela with a fair smattering of dry fruits! Sarson ka saag drenched in desi ghee or melt-in-mouth alsi ki pinnis, winter in North India is rich in food and flavour. Confirmed foodies share their favourite winter delicacies with us…

Global flavour

An actor and musician, Alexx O’Nell spends considerable time in India and shares with enthusiasm his love for all winter delicacies, especially chai. “There is nothing better than a piping hot cup of masala chai in winter. A ‘cutting’ tea on the streets of Mumbai streets is simply the best.” He fondly talks about gajrela and peanuts too. “One eats gajrela telling oneself, ‘Oh, it’s a vegetable, it’s healthy’, but no, let’s admit it’s super unhealthy with ghee, khoya and sugar! However, anything for the tastebuds.” Alexx also likes peanuts here, especially warm ones. “I have had peanuts boiled and roasted, and they just taste different.”

The Ae Watan Mere Watan actor is such a foodie that he lists his winter favourites from across four countries. Growing up in the US, winter was the time for some hot chocolate, pumpkin pie and sugar cookies. “Rich, creamy milk, topped with marshmallows in the US and whipped cream in Holland (his mother is Dutch) has been a favourite. Spiced pumpkin pie with custard filling and sugar cookies shaped in a gingerbread man; Christmas tree and reindeer with insane amount of sugar dusted on it were a favourite in the US too.”

His Dutch winter is full on stroopwafel— a cookie with syrup filling, Oliebollen— fried dough balls, often with raisins, dusted with powdered sugar; Poffertjes—small, fluffy pancakes topped with butter and powdered sugar, and Speculaas—spiced biscuits, typically flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Germany being a close neighbour of Netherlands has had its effect on his food preferences as well, and he merrily picks up Glühwein—warm mulled wine, often served at Christmas markets and Fleischfondue (German oil fondue). “Fleischfondue is a popular dish for cosy gatherings during the winter months, especially around Christmas or New Year. It involves cooking pieces of meat and other ingredients in hot oil at the table. With not just one person labouring in the kitchen but all gathered around a table and dipping bite-sized food, it’s fun, especially for children as they have something to do!”

All the indulgences in place, he ensures to work-out every morning. “Winter is great, holiday is time to indulge but nothing feels worse than an unfit body after it, so I enjoy my food but also burn it out diligently each morning,” says the actor, who will next be seen in Phule, The Untold Story of C Sankaran Nair, L2: Empuraan, Devi Chowdhurani: Bandit Queen of Bengal and The Brave Child.

Love for saag

Jahankilla actor Jobanpreet Singh started winter on the other extreme. Giving in to a strict physical regimen, he is all focused on his work-outs. On a strict diet usually, his discipline goes for a toss at the sight of sarson ka saag. “I am not supposed to but I just cannot let sarson ka saag go missing from life in winter.”

“My father gets fresh saag and my mother makes it, so visits to the pind in winter are special with ghar ka desi ghee to top it up.” While so long he’s banked on his mother’s cooking, now he’s taking the reins of his meals in his own hands. “My mother is rather free with ghee. I use a fourth of what she puts, so nowadays I like to cook myself with generous help from her,” says the actor, who is looking forward to the release of his film Kikli.

For singer Joban Sandhu, who is generally dal-fulka kind of a simple person, winter translate to saag, makki ki roti and dollops of desi ghee. Couple it with alsi ki pinnis, and he is set to rock in the winter. Not bothered about these seasonal indulgences, he says, “Winter is also wedding season, which means we have shows almost every night. After performing for two-three hours at a stretch, 700-800 calories are gone, so I eat to my heart’s content.” Soon he will be releasing his song Lobby, a duet that he has sung with Deepak Dhillon.

Punjabi palate

For actress Flora Saini, winter calories just don’t count. A huge foodie, she loves to gorge on staple winter stuff alongwith not so typical ice-cream. “I was born in Chandigarh, and grew up in Amritsar and Delhi; food up North is just heavenly.” She fondly remembers nani ke ghar ke mathi with achar and chai. “Winter at nani’s house was rich in food and memories. Gajrela tastes the best in winter because of the quality of carrots in those months is awesome. Nani would make all the kids grate carrots and then make the most delicious gajrela that there ever can be.” Ghee is another of Flora’s favourite. “Punjabiyon ko ghee nahi chadhta,” says the Stree actress. She makes a strong case for ice-cream too, “Just like they say garmi main chai garmi ko marti hai, similarly, if you haven’t had ice-cream in winter, you haven’t lived it fully!”