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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
17/12/2025
Winter warrants pretty secretive lists of sweets along with hearty meals and hot dishes, which we can usually overlook when it's hot outside. But what's truly intriguing is that every city has its own slightly different winter character—different sweets, snacks and rituals that do not shine in the same way at any other time of the year.
In this piece, we look at how cities across India celebrate winter through food—from Delhi's smoky street corners to Kolkata's date-palm jaggery sweets to Punjab's classic sarson-laden meals, to Mumbai's heartwarming late-night snacks, and to Rajasthan, which offers its own wholesome 'Desert' winter food. A trip through the story of India's colder foods, cultural memories, farming cycles and the celebrated way that families in India welcome winter by cooking.
Delhi is one of the cities that changes the most when winter comes. Suddenly, the misty streets seem like outdoor kitchens. Roast sweet potatoes with lemon and masala directly on the thelas. Corn is grilled until the smoky kernels pop. Even vendors will be warming gajak, rewari, and peanuts on the spot. Then there are the traditional winter treats that Delhi families rely on, like pinni and gond ke laddoo. They're simply comforting in the way that only home-seasoned food can be; they're not fancy.
Kolkata worships winter, not just celebrates it. Nolen gur, that enchanted date-palm jaggery with the smoky caramel scent, takes over the city as soon as December arrives. Mishti stores enter a festive mood. Everything instantly gets softer, more fragrant, and somehow more sentimental—rasgullas, sandesh, payesh. Markets for vegetables also fluctuate. Families bring home fresh peas for the well-known korai matar, winter carrots appear for gajar'er halwa, and cauliflowers arrive in enormous snowball-like clusters. In Kolkata, winter is like someone turning on a seasonal filter.
Punjabi winter cuisine isn't averse. They are robust, resilient, and designed for those who have toiled in the fields for generations. With makki ki roti, sarson ka saag turns into a major event. Ghee flows guilt-free. Every plate has jaggery on the side. Additionally, pinni, panjiri, gond sweets, and warm milk flavoured with fennel or turmeric seeds are still found in many homes. Punjabi winter cuisine is essentially your grandmother's way of saying, "Beta, eat properly, it's cold."
In Rajasthan, winter consists of two things: long, chilly nights and food that genuinely knows how to make you feel better. This is the time of year when ghee-cooked food feels totally justified, bajra roti takes centre stage, and churma tastes even sweeter. Even crisp air enhances the flavour of street food, such as fried snacks, hot kachoris, and mirchi vadas. Warmth that clings to your bones is the primary focus of Rajasthani winter cuisine.
Mumbai enters "slightly-winter" mode even though it doesn't get very cold. Bhutta by the sea, piping-hot idlis, warm corn bhel and early-morning misal pav are all unexpectedly served by street vendors in December. The city's Gujaratis begin preparing undhiyu, one of India's most distinctive winter dishes. Once that little nip comes, even the unassuming gajar halwa appears in home kitchens.
Despite Bengaluru's mild winter, the city's culinary scene continues to evolve exquisitely. There are frequently stands selling roasted peanuts and sweet potatoes close to parks and bus stops, hot thatte idlis feel fluffier, and darshinis serve more piping-hot sambar. Bengaluru's favourite winter produce, avarekai (hyacinth beans), is available in local markets. Both homes and restaurants enter a state of "avarekai everything": snacks, curries, pulaos, dosas, and more.
Winter cuisine in Kashmir is survival cuisine, but in the most delectable form. This is the season for dried vegetables stored all year, harissa, yakhni, and noon chai. Intensely flavoured and slow-cooked, the dishes are designed to keep the body warm during the long, cold months. Kashmir's winter cuisine is an example of how food can be poetically and practically adjusted to the climate.
The most exquisite aspect of Indian winter cuisine is its strong connection to seasonal ingredients. These foods—carrots, mustard greens, jaggery, sesame, Bajra, and fresh peas—signal the arrival of winter and are more than just ingredients. Every city in India celebrates winter in its own unique way, reflecting the country's diverse climates and cultures.
The sensation—food that slows you down, fills you, warms you, and brings back memories of the kitchens you grew up in—remains universal. India eats from the heart during the winter.
