Winter vegetables play a major role in pregnancy nutrition as to keep the immunity system safe and protected, which keeps pregnant women from falling sick around the season. Common winter vegetables include cauliflower, capsicum, spinach, carrot, garlic, onion, sweet potato, green peas, fenugreek leaves, broccoli, drumsticks, yam, brinjal, and more. Here are two recipes to try:

Yam curry

Ingredients: Yam 500 gram, Fresh coconut 5, mustard seeds 2 teaspoons, coconut scraped 1/4 cup, oil 2 teaspoons, curry leaves 15, salt to taste, turmeric powder 1 teaspoon, green chillies slit 2, tamarind pulp 2 teaspoons, jaggery (gur) grated 1 tablespoon.

Method: Peel and cut the yam into one inch cubes. Wash them well. Grind three red chillies, one and a half teaspoons mustard seeds and coconut with a little water to a coarse paste. Heat oil in a pan, add remaining mustard seeds, remaining red chillies and curry leaves. When the seeds begin to splutter add yam pieces, salt and turmeric powder and toss. Add one cup of water, cover and cook on medium heat till almost done. Add green chillies, tamarind pulp and jaggery and mix. Add the ground paste and mix. Lower the heat, cover and cook till the yam is completely cooked. Serve hot.

Radish chutney

Ingredients: 2 tsp oil, 1 tbsp chana dal, 1 tbsp urad dal, ½ tsp jeera, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 3 dried red chilli, 3 clove garlic, 1 inch ginger, 1 cup radish chopped, ¼ tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp water, small piece tamarind, ½ tsp salt.
For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp mustard, few curry leaves, pinch hing / asafoetida.

Instructions: Firstly, in a tawa, heat 2 tsp oil and add 1 tbsp chana dal, 1 tbsp urad dal, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds and 3 dried red chilli. Sauté on low to medium flame, until the dal turns golden brown. Now add 3 clove garlic, 1 inch ginger, 1 cup radish and ¼ tsp turmeric. saute for a minute. Furthermore, add 2 tbsp water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.

Cool completely and transfer to the blender. Also, add small piece tamarind and ½ tsp salt. Blend to a coarse paste without adding water. Now prepare the tempering, by heating 1 tbsp oil. Add ½ tsp mustard few curry leaves and pinch hing. Allow to splutter and pour tempering over mulangi chutney. Finally, mix radish chutney and enjoy with hot steamed rice, idli or dosa.

(The author is a senior clinical dietitian, Apollo Cradle, Brookefield)