The

Winter Pantry Reset

: 20 Ingredients That Make Cold-Weather Cooking Effortless

Quick Summary

These 20 ingredients will get you through the winter months—not just because they don’t require extensive prep work, but because they represent easy-to-follow components that multiply your flavour (and comfort level) while making cooking much simpler.

Deep Dive

Should you think of these items as “winter pantry staples”, they also function as food “reset” buttons. With easy-to-follow recipes derived from the Indian food tradition, as well as the inherent flavour that is placed in so many of these items, you won’t lose a minute of sleep about what to create for dinner/out of the fridge.

The “winter pantry” formula will have you cooking with lighter ingredients while creating comforting meals that energise, keep you warm, are easy to prepare with no stress on the cook, and nourish by providing a lot of energy. Suppose you have the following 20 items in your winter pantry. In that case, you can create healthy, easy, hearty meals that give you the comfort of home-cooked meals but also keep you from spending that long in the kitchen – so you can create a winter lifestyle that is not only easy but uplifting in every way.

Essential Winter Foods:  

Ghee: Ghee is a wonderful way to enhance your food, create satiety, and make simple dishes hearty & full of flavour in cold weather. Ghee also helps temper spice flavours in the winter months.

Jaggery (Gur): Jaggery is a naturally occurring sweetener that has a warm profile. It makes a great accompaniment to curries, dals, porridge and rotis. It can help to balance out other spices without excessively sweetening your dishes.

Bajra Flour: Bajra flour has an earthy taste and a richness that is particularly suited for winter cooking. Bajra helps to keep you feeling full for longer, is good in rotis and porridge, and also generates body heat naturally.

Ragi Flour: Ragi flour is an extremely nutrient-dense grain that does well with a lot of cold-weather meals. Ragi provides warmth to meals, minerals, and is an excellent source of fibre in breakfast recipes and other dishes.

Whole Wheat Dalia: Whole wheat dalia is a quick and comfortable grain that can meet your sweet/savoury mood. Whole wheat dalia provides steady-release energy ideal for cold winter mornings.

Tur Dal: Tur dal is the foundation of easy winter cooking. Tur dal is filling, strongly nutritious, and works well with warming spices including hing, jeera, and garlic.

Masoor Dal: Masoor dal is an easily cooked lentil and a true winter workhorse. It can quickly thicken soups and stews and provide subtle earthy tones.

Kala Chana: Adding kala chana increases the taste, feel, and body of a salad, dry sabzi, or gravies. Kala chana is the heavy component of a satisfying meal—perfect for long winter days requiring warmth.

Rajma: Rajma is the quintessential cold-weather comfort food that provides immense warmth in a bowl of comfort when slowly stewed and refrigerated overnight. The flavours actually get better the next day.

Cinnamon, Cloves, and Cardamom: A trio of spices that is acclaimed by various cultures as the 3 essentials for winter cooking. They add warmth, flavour and depth of flavour to beverages like chai tea and vegetables like lentils (dal).

Black Pepper: Black Pepper has a warming effect on the body while providing a strong spiciness. It is great for adding flavour to soups, rasam (i.e., spicy sambar), eggs and other food items that are heavy in texture.

Ginger: A wonderful root for winter that is like a built-in heating element for the body when it is either grated or sliced. Ginger gives any dish a nice, warm, bright colour and flavour.

Garlic: Garlic has a deep flavour that gives curry a savoury edge. Garlic is very versatile in cooking and works well with lentils and leafy greens.

Gond (edible gum in English): Gond is a traditional strengthening food that is used in laddoo (sweet Indian balls) and porridge (the milk), and is thought to help strengthen bones and joints.

Til (Sesame Seeds): Til (sesame seeds) provide a nutty flavour to many Indian food items, including chutney, roti (whole grain bread), laddoo (sweet Indian balls) and sabzi (vegetables). Its warming effect makes it ideal for winter cooking.

Peanuts: Peanuts provide a protein source and add crunch and flavour to food. They can turn simple poha (flattened rice), sabzi (vegetables), and chutney into a more nutritious and filling meal.

Almonds: Almonds are a great winter nut for providing energy quickly. They can be crushed, sliced, or ground to create both sweet and savoury flavours.

Mustard Oil: Ideal for pickles and North Indian cuisine, its pungent odour and warming quality are both winter staples.

Tomato Purée: When fresh tomatoes don't have enough flavor during the winter months, tomato purée is an excellent way to create thicker, tangier gravies with little work involved, creating thickness without much work involved.

Ready-to-Use Masalas: During the winter season, you can save time and still enjoy a bold and vibrant dish with ready-to-use spice blends such as Sambar, Pav Bhaji, and Chole Masalas.