Ten

Seasonal Foods

To Eat In March For Seasonal Wellness

Drumsticks

Moringa pods peak in late winter and early spring, which makes March the right time to use them. They're packed with calcium, iron, and vitamin C. In Tamil Nadu, drumstick sambar is almost a daily food. Kerala makes drumsticks in coconut-based curries. In Karnataka, nuggekai (drumstick) is added to everything from rasam to rice-based dishes. The leaves are equally nutritious as drumstick leaf dal, and stir-fried moringa leaves are common in South Indian homes.

Kathal

Raw jackfruit arrives in March and stays through the summer. It's high in fibre, has a meaty texture that takes spice extremely well. Kathal ki sabzi cooked in mustard oil is a UP and Bihar classic. In Bengal, echor, a raw jackfruit dish cooked with potatoes and spices, is a regular meal. Kerala makes chakka curry with young jackfruit in coconut gravy. In Goa and coastal Karnataka, raw jackfruit goes into curries with tamarind and coconut.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are available year-round, and as tendrils of heat start dehydrating you, you need this water-dense and cooling gourd. They're low in calories and help the body transition into the heat ahead. Khamang kakdi, a Maharashtrian cucumber salad with peanuts and fresh coconut, is a good example of how to eat cucumber. In Tamil Nadu, vellarikkai pachadi is a curd-based cucumber dish that doubles as a side and a cooling agent. Eaten raw or lightly dressed, but do include cucumber in your diet this March.

Pumpkin

Red pumpkin is available across March and is one of the more nutritious vegetables in the seasonal spread. High in beta-carotene, fibre, and antioxidants, it's also easy to digest. In Bengal, kumro bhaate – a mashed pumpkin with mustard oil and green chilli dish becomes commonplace. Maharashtra uses dudhi (bottle gourd) and red pumpkin in the traditional kadhi. Rajasthan and Gujarat make a sweet-sour pumpkin sabzi. In the South, pumpkin features in kootu, a lentil-and-vegetable preparation from Tamil Nadu.

Raw Mangoes

Mangoes, particularly raw ones, are in season from March onwards, and there starts a beverage craze to make aam panna, a drink made with roasted raw mango, jaggery, and cumin – it’s one of the best things for heat and dehydration. In Bengal, aam dal with masoor and mustard oil is a summer-start classic. South India makes mavinakayi chitranna (raw mango rice) in Karnataka, and mamidikaya pappu (raw mango lentils) in Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra's kairi chi kadhi uses raw mango in place of tamarind.

Neem

The body needs bitter essences, and with bitter gourd yet to be in season, neem leaves should be added to your diet. Ayurveda recommends eating fresh neem leaves at the start of spring to purify the blood and build immunity against seasonal illness. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, neem flowers (vepampoo) are eaten raw with jaggery and raw mango, and in Bengal, some homes fry the leaves into a crisp dish, called neem begun, with brinjal pieces in it. 

Grapes

Grapes peak from February through March before the heat takes over. They're rich in antioxidants, particularly resveratrol and vitamin K. Treat them as the sweet and hydrating fruit they are and add them to fruit chaats, raitas, and fresh salads. In Maharashtra and South India, grape juice or fresh grape drinks are common in this season. Eaten as is, they're one of the easiest March fruits to incorporate into your diet.

Melons

Musk melon and watermelon begin appearing at local markets near you around March. Both are extremely hydrating, high in vitamins A and C, and naturally cooling and eating them in any form is a great way to prepare the body for the heat ahead. Melon is eaten fresh across India, but in some communities, the seeds are dried and used as snacks or ground into chutneys. In Rajasthan, melon-based drinks are common in the desert heat. 

Grab The Best of Spring

March is a short window for many seasonal greens, fruits and vegetables, be it the gourds, greens, drumsticks, and raw mangoes, which peak in March and are gone by mid-summer. The eating principle is simple: lighter cooking, more water-rich vegetables and fruit, less dairy-heavy and oily food. The seasonal ingredient list hasn't changed in centuries, and neither have the cooking styles. The only thing to do is follow it.