Round-up: The best winter vegetable dishes near you

With a few more weeks of winter left, the markets are still brimming with all sorts of root vegetables, leafy greens and grains. From green garlic to fresh jowar (sorghum), these ingredients add colour, unique flavours and texture to dishes. A round-up of some upbeat, creative winter dishes at restaurants near you.

Gluten-Free Florentine

A vegetable-focused alternative to the decadent Eggs Benedict, the Florentine consists of a pumpkin and beetroot roesti, 63-degree poached eggs, sautéed spinach with garlic, topped with a cashew and pumpkin hollandaise. The roesti is made by grating roasted vegetables and then searing them in a pan, says chef Nirvaan Thacker. The rich yolks of the delicate poached eggs and the nutty hollandaise blanket all the ingredients to make every bite perfectly wholesome.

La Folie Lab, Mumbai. Rs320

Barley & Ponkh Salad

Chef Thomas Zacharias is known to think local while picking out his ingredients, so the three uses of jowar are right up his street: The fresh green jowar (ponkh) is steamed, dried jowar is boiled, and puffed jowar is thrown in for that extra crunch. The chewy barley, sweet pomegranate, sour reduced tomato vinaigrette, spicy green chillies and nutty pumpkin seeds give the salad a great balance of flavours and textures.

The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai. Rs300

Eshkaneh

Chef Vivek Kumar prepares the classic slow-cooked Iranian winter soup with dry apricots, yogurt and walnuts. The sweetness of the apricots works well with the sour yogurt. A touch of mint makes for a memorable after-taste.

Malt Bar by Oxford Golf Resort, Pune. Rs450.

Fricassee of Artichoke

Fricassee of Artichoke

Chef Sahil Narvekar carefully sautés a medley of winter veggies— artichokes, edamame beans, snow peas and root vegetables—to ensure there is no browning, and allows them to cook through in their own juices. He finishes off with a saffron béchamel, lifting the mild, earthy flavours of the vegetables with the sublime fragrance of the spice.

AKA Bistro, Mumbai. ₹ 375 plus taxes

Radish Bites

Converting a backbencher into a star, this dish calls for radish and carrots to be grated and slow-steamed in moulds. Once set, they are cooled in an ice-bath and cut into thick sticks, dipped into a tempura batter and deep-fried, tossed in a sticky-spicy glaze and plated with pickled ginger, sambal and cucumber slaw.

Monkey Bar, Kolkata. Rs240

Sweet and Sour BrusselS Sprouts.

Sweet and Sour BrusselS Sprouts

Nostalgic about his days back in the US, chef Alex Sanchez invented this cracker of a dish to get his dose of America. Brussels sprouts are trimmed, cleaned, blanched and caramelized in butter for a crisp-chewy texture while the egg-based sauce gribiche and balsamic agrodolce add richness. Roasted onions and walnuts round off the dish.

The Table, Mumbai. Rs715

Tempered ‘palak paneer’, Malabari ‘paratha’ quesadillas

Attempting to invoke Punjab and Mexico with this dish, chef Saurabh Udinia replaces spinach and cheese with palak paneer and corn tortillas with crisp Malabari paratha. The flaky texture of the bread and the Indian spice-tempered cottage cheese-winter spinach medley are a perfect reflection of the restaurant’s food philosophy.

Farzi Café, Mumbai. Rs285

Sri Lankan tea curry with winter veggies and brown rice.

Sri Lankan tea curry with winter veggies and brown rice

Chef Bhakti Mehta’s tea curry is a soothing, warm curry that is lightly simmered with vegetables and fresh tea leaves. Traditionally made with chickpeas and potatoes, this rendition comprises sweet potato, yam, chives and baby carrots. The fragrant herbed brown rice keeps the curry good company.

Little Food Daily, Mumbai. Rs275

Bajra and Ricotta Gnudi

After working at Italian restaurants overseas, chef Chirag Makwana wanted to add a local and seasonal touch to the traditional ricotta gnudi. He incorporates bajra flour into the gnudi—a dumpling—and serves it with creamed amaranth and spinach, toasted pine nuts, a local greens velouté and fried onions.

Toast & Tonic, Bengaluru. Rs325

Confit winter vegetables on truffle mash

Confit winter vegetables on truffle mash

Inspired by the beautiful gardens of Delhi, chef Rahul Gomes Pereira uses the confit technique with asparagus, beetroot, butternut squash, zucchini, broccoli and pak choi and serves these on a bed of truffle-flavoured mashed potato along with micro greens. The perfect representation of a garden on a plate.

A Ta Maison, Delhi. Rs500

Sautéed Winter

Come winter and Chef Rohit Kanojiya tosses up a healthy mix of sautéed vegetables—asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, French beans, grilled tomatoes, spinach and caramelized onions—in olive oil with the sole idea of letting the natural flavours shine.

Door No.1, Mumbai. Rs250+taxes (Available only on request)