The coming of the winter season means different things to different people. Although, one immediately relates cute, cuddly laziness around with the coming of the winter. You know about the arrival of winter when you are yawning perhaps in broad daylight, wanting to snuggle up the feeling of being cozy inside the quilt, never choosing to finally wake up or get out of the insatiable comfort of the bed. To most others, winters are about experiencing the chill, going for the dreamy long walks, leaving behind the dreary-eyed and drudgery feeling of being captive in a 9-to-6 existence.
Winters are purely delightful and about so much fun. As a welcome respite, they aren’t about the sweat and grind one experiences during the hot, burning summers; winters are about fathoming about the pleasures of life and about taking it a bit easy, after all!
But is that all? What about the food in winter? In a classic Indian household, provided one that loves its food, relishes a good meal, if you happen to be up north in the country, then the cold season can be about eating unhealthily.
Perhaps, 8 in 10 Indian households up in the North region, in cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, winters are more often than not, about consuming something we all so adore- Parathas! Isn’t it?
But then, there’s also this invariable threat or concern that comes along inadvertently with eating parathas; it’s the simple fact that those aren’t the healthiest of things to eat, after all. Dripping of “shuddh desi ghee,” and composed of copious amounts of butter, at the end of it all, there’s nothing more than a great taste in the sumptuous and quintessential wintery offering called a paratha. What is nutrition and what has it ever got to do, one doesn’t know where it comes to this staple diet in the winters in India?
But how about some moderation. In fact, what about some experimentation?
Can there be something like a healthy paratha? And if yes, then what are the 5 healthy parathas that you must try during a season you just can’t get enough of?
Well, here’s looking at the 5 healthy parathas that you must try during the winters:
Methi Paratha
While all of us have had liberal doses of the paneer and aaloo ka parathas (parathas made of Indian cottage cheese and potato), there’s got to be some sort of experimentation, at least.
Try eating some Methi Paratha, among the 5 healthy parathas you must have during the winters.
Containing the goodness of fresh leafy greens, one of the big reasons to have the Methi Ka Paratha is that Methi is a big source of iron, folate, zinc, potassium and other vital essentials.
Palak Paratha
Perhaps all of us have, at least, during some point of time in our childhoods watched the famous cartoon show Popeye the sailor and enamored the way in which the boozy sailor turns into a man-hammer by biting into some spinach! Well, that funny but effective dramatic representation, does, after all, carry some weight.
In real life, you must try the Palak paratha, one of the 5 healthy parathas you must have during the winters for the simplest of reasons that having spinach has myriad benefits for the body.
Not only is Palak (or spinach) a great source of folate, but it also provides iron and other essential minerals. Adding the same to the parathas will only up the health quotient!
Green garlic Paratha
The green garlic paratha is actually one of the 5 healthy parathas you must have during the winters. While taste, in itself, is a major pull toward the concept of eating the traditional Indian bread (i.e., the parathas), why not add some essential nutrients too?
Garlic boosts the immune system of the body and above all, adding green garlic to the parathas is such a big plus because it contains a healthy amount of allicin, which is a vital antioxidant. Apart from that, adding green garlic to the parathas is always a great idea because of the manganese and iron content in green garlic, which contains elements that are linked to promoting good cholesterol.
Mooli Paratha
In most Indian households, where the concept of eating parathas is something as common as sneezing during the winters, having Mooli Ka Paratha is not only down to good taste but also has some pertinent health benefits.
Radish (Mooli in Hindi), is a natural source of iron and fiber and it’s always a great addition to the taste apart from being a provider of benefits to the body.
Broccoli Paratha
While at the face of it, it may actually seem like a bit of an unusual combination, but it appears that there’s a great sense in eating Broccoli paratha, one among the top 5 healthy parathas that you must have during the winters.
Cooking this paratha in a butter-free way, and mashing the broccolis along with a melange of spices can really tug in a relishing flavor to your paratha.