Ayurvedic Winter Recipes: 10 Warm, Nourishing Dishes
According to Ayurveda, winter is when the digestive fire is strongest: you can eat more substantially, as long as it is warm, spiced and seasonal. Ten dishes for the whole winter, from breakfast to dessert.
In this article 10 sections
Ayurvedic winter recipes are warm, cooked, slightly rich and spiced dishes: spiced porridges, dals, root vegetable soups, curries of seasonal vegetables, carrot or rice desserts. Tradition considers the digestive fire (agni) stronger in cold weather, which allows more nourishing dishes than in summer; it also advises moving more and, towards the end of winter, starting to lighten up (less sugar and dairy) as Kapha sets in.
The principles of winter cooking
- Warm and cooked at every meal, drinks included.
- A little more good-quality fat in early winter: ghee, sesame oil.
- Warming spices: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, cardamom.
- Seasonal vegetables: carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, leeks, cabbages, winter squash, beetroot; citrus, cooked apples and pears.
- Late winter: lighten gradually, more greens and spices, less sugar.
Breakfast
1. Chai porridge
Serves 2: 80 g rolled oats, 400 ml milk or plant milk, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 crushed cardamom pods, 1 clove, a pinch of ginger and pepper. Infuse the spices in the hot milk for 5 minutes, remove the clove, add the oats, 5 minutes. Vata ↓ — Kapha: half water, no sugar.
2. Spiced buckwheat porridge
Buckwheat, lighter and warming, suits late winter: our spiced buckwheat porridge. Kapha ↓.
Main dishes
3. Mung dal with spinach
The base of our mung dal, with 200 g of spinach added two minutes before the end and a tadka of cumin and ginger. Serve with basmati rice. All doshas.
4. Winter root vegetable kitchari
Our comforting kitchari, with carrots, parsnips and a pinch of extra pepper. The complete dish for cold evenings. Vata ↓ Kapha ↓.
5. Winter vegetable sabji
A spiced vegetable stir-fry, Indian style: our vegetable sabji, with cabbage, carrots and potatoes in winter. Vata ↓.
6. Cabbage braised with cumin, fennel and turmeric
Serves 2: ¼ green cabbage, shredded, 1 teaspoon ghee, ½ teaspoon each of cumin, fennel and turmeric, 3 tablespoons water. Sizzle cumin and fennel, add turmeric and cabbage, cover 10 minutes, uncover 3 minutes. Fennel makes cabbage more digestible according to tradition. Pitta ↓ Kapha ↓.
Soups
7. Root vegetable soup
Carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, ginger and cumin: our root vegetable soup, the winter soup par excellence. Vata ↓.
8. Mulligatawny
Lentils, vegetables, gentle spices and a little apple: our mulligatawny soup. Vata ↓ Kapha ↓.
Drink and dessert
9. Golden milk or chai
Golden milk in the evening, or a masala chai in the afternoon, rather than a late coffee. Vata ↓.
10. Carrot halwa
Northern India’s winter dessert: grated carrots slowly cooked in milk with cardamom and a little ghee: our gajar halwa. In a small portion, it is a dessert, not a meal. Vata ↓ Pitta ↓ Kapha ↑.
A winter day of meals
| Moment | Dish |
|---|---|
| Morning | Hot water with ginger, chai porridge (1) |
| Lunch | Basmati rice, mung dal with spinach (3), braised cabbage (6) |
| 4 pm | Chai (9) |
| Evening | Root vegetable soup (7) or winter kitchari (4) |
| Sunday dessert | A small portion of carrot halwa (10) |
Adapting winter to your dosha
| Profile | In winter |
|---|---|
| Vata | The trickiest season for Vata: warmth, regularity, ghee, velvety soups, little raw food. |
| Pitta | Winter suits Pitta well: more substantial food is fine, keeping strong spices moderate. |
| Kapha | Careful in late winter: less dairy, sugar and napping, more spices, greens and movement. |
For the underlying principles, read our articles on seasonal eating and ritucharya.
What science says about winter and spices
The body really does change with the seasons. In a Japanese study, ten healthy men followed over five seasons went to bed and got up later in winter than in summer, and their body temperature and melatonin rhythms were also shifted (Honma et al., 1992): one more reason to look after morning light and regular hours in winter. As for spices, a laboratory analysis of more than 3,100 foods places them among the products richest in antioxidant compounds measured in vitro (Carlsen et al., 2010), without that proving a health effect at culinary doses.
Precautions
These are everyday dishes. Large amounts of turmeric with anticoagulant treatment: talk to your doctor. Diabetes: halwa and sweet porridges in moderation. Winter colds and sore throats call for medical advice if they come with fever or linger. See our safety guide.
To live each season the Ayurvedic way, our practical guide “Ritucharya: the Seasons” brings together a card for each season, twenty recipes and a gentle transition week to do at home at each change of season.
Your questions about ayurvedic winter recipes
What should you eat in winter according to Ayurveda?
Warm, cooked dishes, a little more substantial than in summer: porridges, dals, root vegetable soups, curries of seasonal vegetables, with a little ghee and warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Towards the end of winter, lighten up gradually.
Can you eat raw food in winter according to Ayurveda?
Tradition advises against large amounts, especially in the evening and for Vata types. A small salad at lunch with a spiced dressing is fine if you digest it well.
Which spices should you use in winter?
Warming spices: ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cumin, in porridges, dals, soups and drinks such as chai.
Does winter suit every dosha?
According to tradition, winter is harder for Vata (cold, dry) at the start, then for Kapha (heavy, damp) at the end. Pitta generally copes well and can enjoy more substantial dishes.
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