winter recipe Archives

January 22, 2023 By Sunita Arora 2 Comments

5 Healthy Hot Winter Drinks to Warm You Up!

If you’ve begun feeling the slight chills in the morning, you know that winter is coming – intended GoT reference. While an epic fantasy drama can turn the heat up in an instant, your body needs a little more warmth or spice, depending on what your taste is like, to help you push through those cold mornings. In this article, I’m going to share some of my favorite hot winter drinks that I include in my diet on a regular basis.

These drinks have numerous health benefits. They will help you boost your immunity, increase your brainpower and remove toxins from your body – these are still just a few benefits from the reservoir of goodness they can offer!

You can’t deny that winter beckons warm, hot, spicy and often something sweet as well. Now, if you want to make your drink healthy, then you must try one or all of these hot winter drinks!

1. Hot Ginger Tea

This brew is quite effective during winter. It promotes good digestion, boosts your immunity, aids weight loss and helps provide relief in Arthritis. This drink is your ally while battling cold and cough as well.

Ingredients: 1 cup of water, 2 tsp of freshly grated ginger and 1 tsp of raw honey (optional)

How to Prepare: Boil ginger in water for 5-10 minutes, strain it, add raw honey if you want to and sip it hot. Simple, isn’t it!

2. Spiced Green Tea

Do you love Green Tea? Let’s spice it up! This aromatic tea is a wonderful blend of taste and good health! It is rich in antioxidants, aids weight loss, boosts metabolism and the best part is that you can consume this any time during winter!

Ingredients: 1 cup of water, a pinch of cinnamon, ½ tsp crushed ginger, 2 tsp of green tea leaf, ½ lemon and 1 tsp of raw honey (optional).

How to Prepare: Add green tea leaf, crushed ginger and cinnamon in hot water. Cover and steep for 5-6 minutes. Pour it in your favorite mug, then add lemon and honey and start sipping immediately!

3. Warm Turmeric Milk

This popular household drink is an excellent remedy for treating inflammation and joint pains. It helps in resolving sleep-related issues as well.

Ingredients: 1 cup of organic milk, ½ tsp of ground turmeric, a pinch of cinnamon powder, 1 tsp of raw honey (optional).

How to Prepare: Mix all the ingredients in a blender for 1 minute. Then, boil it on low flame for a few minutes till it is hot enough. Add raw honey if you want to and serve! The perfect hot winter drink! For sleep disorders, drink this milk 30 minutes before bedtime daily.

4. Spiced Almond Milk

This is a treat for vegans! Purely because it is naturally dairy-free! It can also be consumed by people with dairy allergy or those who are lactose intolerant. Be sure to try this one though, it has an exotic flavor and is quite easy to prepare.

Ingredients: 1 cup of Almond milk, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp of ginger powder, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.

How to prepare: Take a saucepan and combine all the ingredients. Slowly bring it to a simmer for a few minutes and serve hot. If you want to make your own almond milk, Click Here.

5. Masala Chai

Everybody’s favourite! If you’re a tea person, this has to be the beverage you wake up to, or the thing that keeps you going late afternoon! If you want to know about the benefits masala chai offers, read my article on The Magic of Indian Masala Chai. To keep it short, it regulates the digestive system, prevents people from gaining weight, stimulates the appetite and boosts the immune system among other benefits!

Ingredients: ½ cup of Water, ½ cup of milk, 1 tsp of loose tea leaf, 2-3 cloves, 1 cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 small slice of ginger, 1 star anise, 2-3 peppercorn, 1 tsp of jaggery powder or brown sugar (optional).

How to Prepare: Crush cinnamon, clove, ginger, star anise, and peppercorn. Add them in boiling water. Then, add the tea leaf and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the jiggery and milk. Simmer it 2-3 times and then turn the gas off. Pour it in your favorite mug and enjoy the weather!

Whenever you feel like drinking something hot or spicy, these hot winter drinks are your best picks! We hope you enjoy these recipes in the days to come. Try them and let us know your experience in the comments below!

Click here for more Healthy Recipes or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching.

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January 29, 2022 By Aruna Bhatia 2 Comments

Healthy Eating: Masala Gur – The Best Winter Dessert

Winter is the favorite season for many of us but it brings the challenge of keeping our bodies warm and staying healthy enough to fight off infections. On the other hand, it also leaves the body craving for food. You’ve noticed being hungrier during winter, especially for something sweet. Keeping this in mind, let’s look at a recipe that can help us satisfy that sweet craving, keep warm and boost immunity. Let’s learn how to prepare Masala Gur (Jaggery)!

What You Will Need

Jaggery – 100 gms
Makhana (fox nuts) – 10 to 12
Ghee – ½ tsp
Sonth (dry ginger powder) – 1 tsp
Ajwain (carom seeds) – ½ tsp
Pinch of Black Salt
Raw Peanuts – 2 tbsp
Almonds – 10 to 12 (roughly chopped)
Jeera – ½ tsp

How To Prepare

Grate the Jaggery into a bowl and keep it aside
Take a pan, add half a tsp ghee and roast the makhana in it till crisp. Move them to a bowl.
Next, dry roast peanuts and rub their skin off.
Now, add the grated gur into a non stick heavy bottom kadai and let it melt on medium flame.
When you feel the gur is melted and is in a semi-liquid state, add the ajwain, sonth, jeera and black salt one by one into this melted gur. Stir well so that the spices blend well with the melted gur.
Next, add the makhana, peanuts and roughly chopped almonds to it. Switch the gas off and mix well.
Grease a thali or a plate and pour this hot gur mix in it and let it cool. Once it cools down and gets hard again, break it into small pieces. Your Masala Gur is ready!

Benefits of the Masala Gur Recipe

This masala gur can be a healthy substitute to high fat and refined sugar desserts
The saunth, jeera, ajwain and black salt aids good digestion, improves metabolism and provides heat to the body
This treat should be enjoyed in small candy size pieces

We hope you enjoy making and eating this tasty Masala Gur winter dessert. Do try it and let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce

January 23, 2022 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: The Ultimate Winter Soup

With everyone seeking to build their immunity, especially due to the change in weather and the ongoing pandemic, eating the right food is quite essential to our wellbeing. There is nothing that fuels your body with the right nutrients and warms your soul like the way soup does. So here’s the delicious Ultimate Winter Soup that’s loaded with the goodness of vegetables, herbs and protein.

What You Will Need

Finely chopped onion – ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Finely chopped carrot – ¼ cup
Finely chopped sweet potato – ¼ cup
Chopped french beans – ½ cup
Finely chopped tomato – ½ cup
Soft boiled chick peas – 1 cup
Vegetable broth/ water – 5 cups
Coriander – ½ cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp

How To Prepare

Heat a pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and allow it to sauté until soft.
Then add the ginger garlic paste, give it a quick stir and allow it to cook for a minute.
Add the carrot, french beans & sweet potato. Let them cook for 2 minutes.
Now add the vegetable broth or water and partially cover the pan with the lid and allow the veggies to cook.
After 10 mins, once you see the carrots are tender, add the tomato and mix everything well. Add the turmeric and salt during this time.
In another small bowl, mash the chick peas with a fork and transfer it to the soup pan. Also add the coriander, red chilli paste and black pepper at the same time. Give it a quick mix and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Time to serve the hot colorful looking soup and enjoy.

Note: Instead of chickpeas, you can use any pulse of your choice like chana, sprouts, mung, etc.

Highlights of the Ultimate Winter Soup

An absolute delight for your body, it will boost immunity, heat you up and clear your throat.
Very fulfilling due to the use of a variety of seasonal vegetables.
Great for people healing from any type of viral infections.

We hope you enjoy this Ultimate Winter Soup! Do share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce

December 26, 2021 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

Gond Ladoo: Your Much Needed Winter Essential

As winter knocks at your door, you might have noticed your Granny prepare Gond Ladoo. It is loved by both kids and adults alike. Gond Ladoo is the best warming food during winter and is quite a healthy snack especially in North India. It contains natural Gond (edible gum) which is extracted from the bark of trees.

Benefits of Gond Ladoo During Winter

It helps to keep the body warm in falling temperatures.
It prevents the body from cold, seasonal virus infections and keeps one safe from winter illnesses.
It helps improve eyesight.
It boosts immunity and improves stamina if prepared with Jaggery (Gud).
It is enriched with protein, fiber, calcium, and magnesium which makes bones and tissues strong.
Anti-inflammatory and good for arthritis as it lubricates the joints and provides relief for back & joint pain.
Due to high fiber it is effective in treating constipation.
It also improves sexual inadequacy or weakness in men.
Nourishing food for pregnant women as it helps in strengthening bones and prevents back pain after birth.
The combo of fat, fiber and protein is good for lactating mothers to meet the extra calories requirement and to speed up recovery. It increases milk production as well.
It is a wholesome, nourishing food for winter if someone lacks energy and feels tired.

Generally, Gond Ladoo is prepared with desi ghee, gond, coconut, lots of chunky nuts and dry fruits. Want to try it out if you haven’t already? Here’s the recipe!

What You Will Need:

Wheat Flour – 1 and ¼ cup
Gond (edible gum) – 4 tbsp
Dry Dates Powder – ¼ Cup
Jaggery Powder – ¼ Cup
Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
Coconut Powder – 2 tbsp
Almond and Cashew Powder – 3-4 tbsp
Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) – 1 tbsp
Dried Ginger Powder (optional) – ¼ tsp
White Pepper Powder (optional) – ¼ tsp
Desi Ghee (clarified butter) – 8-10 tbsp

How to Prepare

Take a Kadhai, add 2 tbsp of ghee and roast all the Gond till it gets puffed and becomes crispy. Take it aside and grind the Puffed Gond in a mixer.
Now add the dates powder Jaggery powder, cardamom powder, nut powder, poppy seeds, ginger powder, and white pepper powder and grind all together in a grinder.
In the same Kadhai, add 2 more tbsp of ghee and roast wheat flour on low flame till it turns golden brown and you get a nice aroma!
Add the previous mixture to the kadhai with wheat flour and mix well. Cook for 5-7 minutes more and add the remaining ghee.
The whole mixture should look wet. Take it off the gas.
Grease your palm with a few drops of ghee and start moulding them into a Ladoo shape. You can use a little more ghee while rolling them.
You can store these Gond Ladoos in an airtight container easily for a month and serve it anytime.

Please note that excessive intake may cause mild abdominal discomfort and increase your calorie intake as well. You must eat only one Ladoo in the morning or evening with warm milk.

If you have an allergy to any of the ingredients above, avoid eating this. If you’re unsure, please consult your doctor before you prepare.

We hope you enjoy this recipe and the winter season as well. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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