Volume I · Paush – Magh
January
Warmth, Sesame & Winter Greens
Shishira · late winterVolume II plan for January →
The season
Hemanta → Shishira (deep winter)
| Aspect | In the book |
|---|---|
| Hindu months | Paush – Magh |
| Ritu | Hemanta → Shishira (deep winter) |
| Weather | ≈ 7 – 19 °C, foggy mornings, dry cold |
| Agni | Strongest of the year — nourishing, unctuous food is digested well |
| Dosha | Vata aggravated by cold and dryness; Kapha begins to accumulate |
| Favour | Favour sweet, sour and salty; warm, moist, freshly cooked food with ghee and sesame |
| Limit | Cold drinks, raw salads, dry crackers, stale leftovers, long gaps between meals |
In season
Vegetables
Sarson, bathua, methi, palak, carrots, peas, radish, turnip, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potato, fresh turmeric
Fruit
Guava, oranges/kinnow, amla, ber, apples (hill), papaya
Other
Fresh jaggery, sesame, peanuts, bajra, makki
Festivals & observances
| Occasion | In the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Lohri (13 Jan) | Til, gur, makhana and roasted peanuts — serve soft til–gud ladoo instead of hard rewri for elders. |
| Makar Sankranti (14 Jan) | Moong–rice khichdi with ghee, til–gud; Haridwar Ganga snan day — expect visitors. |
| Basant Panchami (late Jan / Feb, lunar) | Yellow kesari rice, boondi-free besan barfi (soft). |
Kitchen guidance
- Serve the largest meal at lunch (12:30–1:30 pm); keep dinner light and by 7:30 pm.
- Include 2–3 tsp ghee across the day; use sesame oil for winter abhyanga-linked menus.
- Every dish served hot or warm — re-warm curd-based raitas to room temperature only.
- Leafy saags only well-cooked and blended smooth for guests with dentures.
- Offer a warm kadha at 4 pm to counter Kapha build-up and fog-season coughs.
Daily rituals
- On waking
- Warm water with crushed cumin and a slice of ginger (150 ml)
- At bedtime
- Golden milk with turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom & ½ tsp ghee
Seven-day menu
The week at the table
Monday
- Breakfast
- Methi–moong dal chilla · mint–curd dip · guava
- Lunch thali
- Sarson–palak–bathua saag
- Gajar–matar–shakarkandi
- Gobhi–matar adraki
- rice & phulka
- Bathua raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- Haldi–adrak–gud kadha · roasted makhana
- Sweet
- Til–gud ladoo (1 mini)
Tuesday
- Breakfast
- Bajra–moong soft dalia with ghee · stewed apple
- Lunch thali
- Yellow moong dal tadka
- Shalgam bharta
- Aloo–methi
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Til–gud ladoo (mini) · CCF tea
- Dinner
- Palak–moong soup · soft phulka
- Sweet
- Gajar halwa (40 g)
Wednesday
- Breakfast
- Gajar–matar upma · amla–ginger tea
- Lunch thali
- Masoor–methi dal
- Mooli bhurji with mooli greens
- Palak paneer (sattvic)
- rice & phulka
- Amla–ginger chutney
- Evening
- Stewed guava with cinnamon
- Dinner
- Carrot–ginger soup · ghee rice
- Sweet
- Atta panjiri (1 tbsp)
Thursday
- Breakfast
- Steel-cut oats with dates & sesame · kinnow segments
- Lunch thali
- Whole moong dal (soft)
- Matar paneer, light gravy
- Beans–carrot thoran
- rice & phulka
- Steamed carrot–beet salad
- Evening
- Badam–kesar milk
- Dinner
- Vegetable dalia khichdi
- Sweet
- Date–walnut barfi (1 pc)
Friday
- Breakfast
- Paneer–palak soft paratha · fresh curd
- Lunch thali
- Panchmel dal (light)
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- Cabbage–peas with ginger
- rice & phulka
- Mint–coriander chutney
- Evening
- Roasted shakarkandi chaat
- Dinner
- Lauki–moong dal · soft phulka
- Sweet
- Sweet-potato kheer (60 ml)
Saturday
- Breakfast
- Ragi–wheat soft dosa · coconut–coriander chutney
- Lunch thali
- Bathua–moong dal
- Gajar–matar–shakarkandi
- Gobhi–matar adraki
- rice & phulka
- Bathua raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- Ginger–cinnamon tea · sesame–walnut mix
- Dinner
- Methi–moong khichdi · warm takra
- Sweet
- Sesame-chikki crumble on kheer
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Sweet-potato–jaggery porridge · 5 soaked almonds
- Lunch thali
- Toor dal with lauki
- Shalgam bharta
- Aloo–methi
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Orange–ginger infusion · 2 soaked figs
- Dinner
- Mixed vegetable soup · jowar phulka
- Sweet
- Moong dal halwa (30 g)
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 · Jan 1January
Methi–Moong Dal Chilla with Mint–Curd Dip
BreakfastWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
223 kcal12 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Jan 2January
Sarson–Palak–Bathua Saag (Sattvic)
Lunch · SaagWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
125 kcal7.3 g proteinPureed / smooth
View recipe →Vol I · Jan 3January
Gajar–Matar–Shakarkandi Soft Sabzi
Lunch · SabziWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
140 kcal3.6 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Jan 4January
Haldi–Adrak–Gud Kadha
Evening · DrinkWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
29 kcal0.2 g proteinThin liquid
View recipe →
Vol I · Jan 5January
Makar Sankranti Moong–Rice Vegetable Khichdi
DinnerWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
248 kcal9.4 g proteinSoft / porridge
View recipe →
Vol I · Jan 6January
Til–Gud–Saunth Mini Ladoo (soft-set)
SweetWinter
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
83 kcal1.6 g proteinSoft-chewy
View recipe →Signature dish