From Bajra to Gond, 6 Winter Foods Our Grandmothers Trusted — And Why We Should Too

Every winter, supermarket aisles fill with “superfoods,” vitamin powders and energy bars. Yet long before wellness trends arrived, Indian kitchens already knew how to nourish the body in the cold — with seasonal grains, natural fats, spices and slow-cooked wisdom. 

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Today, many of those humble winter staples have faded from city plates, replaced by store-bought shortcuts. But across rural India, families continue to prepare them, preserving traditions that are as therapeutic as they are flavourful. 

Here are six forgotten winter foods that quietly deserve a return to our tables.

Gond ki laddoo

In North and Central India, gond ke laddoo made their appearance as soon as temperatures dipped. Made using edible gum, whole wheat flour, ghee, dry fruits, and ginger, these laddoos weren’t just festive sweets — they were medicine. 

Rich in calcium, healthy fats and warming spices, they were especially given to postpartum women to build strength, immunity and bone health through the winter months. Their slow, earthy sweetness was nourishment disguised as indulgence.

Click here to try the recipe. 

Bajra khichdi

From the northern plains to western India, bajra khichdiwas the winter evening staple — simple, smoky and hearty. Pearl millet, rich in iron and fibre, is naturally warming and helps tackle winter sluggishness and anaemia, especially in rural regions. 

Traditionally paired with ghee, curd or kadhi, it offered sustained warmth and energy to farming communities working in harsh weather. Today, as conversations around millet revival grow louder, bajra khichdistands as proof that our ancestors were much ahead of their time.

You can try this traditional winter recipe, full of vegetables for a healthy and filling meal. 

Panjiri

Further north in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, panjiriwas winter comfort in its purest form. Prepared using whole wheat roasted in ghee along with nuts, gond and herbs like methi, this crumbly mixture was believed to lubricate joints, strengthen bones and protect the body from the cold. 

Served warm with milk or eaten directly, panjiriacted as a gentle, home-grown immunity builder long before the term entered our vocabulary.

Here’s a simple panjiri mix that you can carry during your travels as well.

Undhiyu

In Gujarat, winter meant a pot of undhiyu slowly cooking over a low flame — a dish that celebrated seasonality like few others. Purple yams, surti papdi, raw bananas, peas, methi dumplings, fresh turmeric and sesame came together with generous oil to create a dish that was as nourishing as it was festive. 

Rich in fibre, antioxidants and natural fats, undhiyushowed how winter produce could be turned into a celebration of earth, time and patience. It was a reminder that nutrition can be joyful and community-rooted.

Click here to try the Undhiyu recipe. 

Sattu

In Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, sattu is often associated with summer, but its warm version — stirred with hot water, jaggery and a touch of ghee — was once the winter breakfast of farmers and labourers. Made from roasted gram flour, it is packed with plant protein and minerals, offering steady energy and improved digestion during colder months. 

Affordable and filling, warm sattu drink was, and still is, the original desi protein shake — without preservatives or packaging.

Know more about its historical significance here. 

Ragi mudde

Down south, particularly in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, ragi mudde or ragi malt helped communities stay strong through winter. Ragi, one of the richest natural sources of calcium, also contains iron and fibre and keeps blood sugar stable. 

Eaten with dal or meat curries or prepared as a warm porridge, ragi provided warmth, stamina and bone health, a natural nutrition plan long before modern supplements took over.

Here’s a simple, quick recipe of ragi mudde you can try at home. 

These dishes aren’t relics — they are blueprints for how India nourished itself through changing seasons with intelligence, restraint and deep respect for the land. Bringing them back isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about embracing food that is seasonal, affordable and rooted in biodiversity. 

Perhaps this winter, alongside soups and seeds and vitamin jars, we can revive one dish from our past. In doing so, we honour a quieter, wiser culinary tradition — one that believed food was not just fuel, but a way of caring for the body and the community around it.

Feature image from Hindustaan Times