Seasons change... and your diet must too

In this series, we have talked about the major seasons of India and how to eat well and stay healthy in those seasons. For this Sunday, I’d like to touch upon the transition between seasons. India has six major seasons as listed in scriptures: Vasant Ritu or spring, Grishma Ritu or summer, Varsha Ritu or monsoon, Sharad Ritu or autumn, Hemant Ritu or pre-winter and Shishir/Shita Ritu or winter. Life adjusts to these changing seasons in its own way — vegetation sheds leaves, animals stock up food or get ready for hibernation. But we modern human beings refuse to adjust.

In the Indian system of eating, a lot of stress was placed on the food consumed between seasons during the transition, especially before summer and winter. It’s believed both in Chinese and Indian medicine that the entire ecosystem adjusts to the change of seasons in its own way, whether by shedding leaves or by changing fur, the flora and fauna is sensitive to environment change. We human beings are losing that sensitivity with time and modernisation as we have created micro-ecosystems that shield us from these weather conditions and hence allow us to eat the same food throughout the year. In the process, we detach ourselves from the surroundings, making our immune system weak and vulnerable.

If you look at the fasting culture across the world — whether it’s the Navratras or Ramzan — all fasting happens when we are switching seasons and it was meant to allow our body the space and time to adjust to this transition. As a general rule, eating a lot of fruits and light food allows the digestive system to rest and adjust to the change.

Seasons form the natural backdrop for eating. Here’s a rough guide to seasonal eating to sum up our conversation:
In spring, focus on tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate.

In summer, sticking with light, cooling foods in the tradition of Chinese medicine helps. These foods include fruits like strawberries, apple, pear, and plum; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower and corn; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro.

In autumn, the more warming harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions and garlic anchor the adjustment of our body from hot to cold weather. Also, emphasise the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns and mustard seeds. In winter, remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category. So do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts.

Here are some fruit recipes for you to try…
Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar is seen as a judge on Masterchef India

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Ananas Nadru Ki Bhajiya
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Ingredients

• ¼ of a lotus stem
• ¼ of a pineapple
• Oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp gram flour
• Salt, to taste
• Crushed black pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tsp red chilli powder

For the batter

• 1 cup gram flour
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1-2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• 1-2 tsp carom seeds

For the garnish
Green chutney, as required

Method

1. To prepare the batter, in a bowl, mix the gram flour, chilli flakes, turmeric powder, salt and carom seeds with water and stir well. Rest for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Chop the lotus stem into slices.
3. Chop the pineapple into slices and with the help of a ring cutter, discard the centre.
4. Heat oil in a pan for frying.
5. In a bowl, add gram flour, salt, crushed black pepper and mix well. Mix the pineapple slices in this.
6. Coat the pineapple slices in the prepared batter and deep fry them in hot oil. Remove them on a tissue.
7. Put the lotus stem slices in gram flour mixture and add red chilli powder.
8. Coat these lotus stem slices in the batter and fry them in hot oil. Further remove them on a tissue paper.
9. Place butter paper in the martini glasses and arrange the lotus stem bhajiya.
10. Arrange pineapple bhajiyas on a plate and serve with green chutney.

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Kiwi Papdi Chaat
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Ingredients

• 28 flat papdi
• 1 cup, sliced kiwis (golden and green)
• 1 cup boiled, peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
• 1 medium, chopped tomato
• 2 cups yogurt
• 8 tbsp kiwi-khajur ki chutney (instructions below)
• 6 tbsp green coriander chutney
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli powder

For the garnish

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped kiwi
• 1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango
• 4 tbsp nylon sev

Method

1. Arrange the papdis on serving platters.
2. Top each with a slice of kiwi. Then, put a little sweet potato and tomato on each papdi.
3. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on each papdi. And top each with a little kiwi-khajur ki chutney and green chutney.
4. Over this, sprinkle a little salt, chaat masala, cumin and chilli powder.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with coriander, chopped kiwis, chopped raw mango and sev.

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For the kiwi-khajur chutney
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Ingredients

• 15-20 dates, stoned and chopped
• 1 cup green kiwi pulp
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp dry ginger powder
• ½ tsp black salt
• 1 cup water
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. In a pan, dry roast cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Cool slightly and grind to a powder.
2. Combine dates, kiwi pulp, cumin, red chilli powder, dry ginger powder, black salt, salt to taste and water.
3. Cook on medium heat till it comes to a boil, reduce heat and continue to cook for six to eight minutes. Cool and serve.