JOIN USThe North Indian’s love for non-vegetarian dishes in quite well-known.
Come winter and the meat intake goes up phenomenally, because winter is the ideal time to gorge on steaks, stews and piping hot curries.
Non-vegetarian dishes, especially the ones prepared from red meat are more popular as they are replete with proteins and nutrients that fortify one against the cold.
So what are the hot winter favourites? Topping the list is mutton made with sarson ka saag.
It is a perfect winter dish with all the goodness of mutton and sarson, both perfect heating agents for the body.
Other winter dishes are Kachche Gosht ki Biryani, Mutton ki Nihari and Gosht Mussallam.
Some of the international favourites for winters include Shepherd Pie, which is basically a bread dough filled with minced meat, along with red meat steaks.
But how much red meat should one have?
According to Pankaj Rana, executive chef of Club Rhino, Gurgaon, “Technically, only 240 gms per meal should be eaten because it is very difficult to digest the tissues of red meat. Red meat is also an excellent source of zinc, which contributes to the development of bone tissue, stimulate the growth and division of cells, tissue regeneration and brain development. Unfortunately, most people suffer from zinc deficiency. Zinc is an active agent responsible for triggering internal enzymes that are required to metabolise food and nutrients.”
Faisal Nafees, director, Food and Beverage, The Royal Plaza, says, “A three ounce serving of red meat provides you with half of the recommended daily protein intake i.e., about 25 gm and is also an excellent source of vitamins B6 and B12, which give energy; zinc which helps maintain the immune system and iron, which helps the body use oxygen efficiently. The other non-veg dishes which are excellent in winter are grilled chicken breast with Rosemary, steamed fish, roasted duck, salt and pepper prawns, tandoori raan. Chicken soup can also warm your body. One can also try out crab and squid to keep their body warm.”
At Zerzuram there is a wide variety of red meat dishes to choose from, like chelo kebabs, adana kebab, tabei kebab and closer home, the shami and the bukhni kebab.
Biryani is cooked in dum or a claypot, tagines cooked over wood-fire in tagine pots and piping hot soups are hot favourites here.
Innovative dishes like lamb tagines, bukhni kebab which is meat pounded with red chillies and cardamom are all warming agents, Moroccan harira soup, a lamb and chickpea broth flavoured with cinnamon are also available at Zerzura.
According to Chef Piyush Jain, The Hiatus, “Research has shown that having red meat less than twice a week can result in zinc deficiencies, which is important for healthy skin and a healthy immune system. Red meat is a major source of protein which is needed for muscle and organ health. Red meat is also one of the best sources for vitamins, found only in animals and which help to maintain nerve cells and normal blood formation.”