Volume I · Margashirsha – Paush
December
Deep Nourishment & Winter Greens
Hemanta · early winterVolume II plan for December →
The season
Hemanta (early winter)
| Aspect | In the book |
|---|---|
| Hindu months | Margashirsha – Paush |
| Ritu | Hemanta (early winter) |
| Weather | ≈ 8 – 21 °C, cold nights, dry |
| Agni | Very strong — nourishing food is essential |
| Dosha | Vata rising with cold and dryness; Kapha begins to gather |
| Favour | Sweet, sour, salty; warm, heavy (in measure), unctuous; ghee, sesame, jaggery, nuts |
| Limit | Cold, dry, light-only meals; long fasts; cold water; raw salads |
In season
Vegetables
Sarson, bathua, methi, palak, peas, carrots, turnip, radish, cauliflower, sweet potato, fresh turmeric
Fruit
Oranges, kinnow, guava, amla, apples, pomegranate
Other
Fresh jaggery, sesame, peanuts, walnuts
Festivals & observances
| Occasion | In the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Gita Jayanti (Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi) | Panchamrit, sheera; ashram satsang prasad. |
| Datta Jayanti / Margashirsha Purnima | Kheer and sattvic thali. |
| Christmas & New Year guests | Warm baked apple with dates, ginger–jaggery cookies (soft), eggless whole-wheat fruit-and-nut loaf. |
Kitchen guidance
- Full Vata protocol from the source Kerala plan: warm, unctuous, grounding, easily digestible.
- Ghee 2–3 tsp daily across meals; sesame in sweets; warm water all day.
- Lunch is the main meal; dinner light and by 7:30 pm (cold nights + heavy dinner = poor sleep).
- Watch elderly guests for chilblains, joint stiffness and dehydration (people drink less in cold).
Daily rituals
- On waking
- Warm cumin–ginger water
- At bedtime
- Golden milk with turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom & ½ tsp ghee
Seven-day menu
The week at the table
Monday
- Lunch thali
- Bathua–moong dal
- Shalgam (turnip) bharta
- Gajar–matar–shakarkandi
- rice & phulka
- Bathua raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- Herbal spice tea · sesame–walnut mix
- Dinner
- Carrot–ginger soup · ghee rice
- Sweet
- Gajar halwa with dates (40 g)
Tuesday
- Breakfast
- Methi–moong chilla · mint–curd dip
- Lunch thali
- Sarson–palak saag
- Gobhi–matar adraki
- Aloo–methi
- rice & phulka
- Amla chutney
- Evening
- Badam milk
- Dinner
- Moong khichdi
- Sweet
- Til–gud ladoo
Wednesday
- Breakfast
- Gajar–matar upma · orange
- Lunch thali
- Masoor–methi
- Palak paneer
- Mooli bhurji
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Haldi–adrak kadha
- Dinner
- Palak–moong soup · phulka
- Sweet
- Atta panjiri
Thursday
- Breakfast
- Ragi porridge · walnuts
- Lunch thali
- Panchmel (light)
- Matar paneer
- Beans–carrot thoran
- rice & phulka
- Mint–coriander chutney
- Evening
- Roasted makhana
- Dinner
- Vegetable dalia khichdi
- Sweet
- Moong dal halwa
Friday
- Breakfast
- Paneer–palak paratha (soft) · curd
- Lunch thali
- Whole moong
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- Cabbage–peas
- rice & phulka
- Steamed carrot–beet salad
- Evening
- Stewed apple
- Dinner
- Methi khichdi
- Sweet
- Date–walnut barfi
Saturday
- Breakfast
- Rice kanji with ghee · 5 almonds
- Lunch thali
- Toor–lauki
- Shalgam (turnip) bharta
- Gajar–matar–shakarkandi
- rice & phulka
- Bathua raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- Til–gud ladoo
- Dinner
- Moong yusha · phulka
- Sweet
- Gur rice kheer
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Sweet-potato porridge
- Lunch thali
- Chana dal–lauki
- Gobhi–matar adraki
- Aloo–methi
- rice & phulka
- Amla chutney
- Evening
- Roasted shakarkandi
- Dinner
- Bathua–moong dal · rice
- Sweet
- Sweet-potato halwa
Nutrition
Energy in the featured recipes
Energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate
kcal per serving (protein & carbs × 4, fat × 9)
This month's six recipes
Vol I · Dec 1December
Spiced Steel-Cut Oats with Dates & Ghee
BreakfastWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
274 kcal8.1 g proteinSoft porridge
View recipe →
Vol I · Dec 2December
Bathua–Moong Dal
Lunch · DalWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
178 kcal10.5 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Dec 3December
Shalgam (Turnip) Bharta with Ginger
Lunch · SabziWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
84 kcal1.5 g proteinMashed
View recipe →
Vol I · Dec 4December
Herbal Spice Tea with Toasted Sesame–Walnut Mix
Evening · Drink & SnackWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
163 kcal4.2 g proteinLiquid + small crunchy mix
View recipe →
Vol I · Dec 5December
Carrot–Ginger Soup with Ghee Rice
DinnerWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
279 kcal6.1 g proteinPureed soup + soft rice
View recipe →
Vol I · Dec 6December
Gajar Halwa with Dates (No Khoya)
SweetWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
193 kcal4.6 g proteinSoft
View recipe →Signature dish