November is when Indian sabzi mandis start to change colour. Bright red carrots, heaps of green methi and palak, fresh peas in the pod and baskets of amla begin to replace the monsoon and festive-season stock. Eating what is in season is one of the easiest ways to add variety to your plate, and it is often cheaper too.
What is in season around November
The exact mix depends on where you live, since winter in Punjab looks very different from winter in Kerala. In much of north and central India, these are usually easy to find from now until February:
- Leafy greens: palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek), sarson (mustard greens), bathua and radish leaves
- Vegetables: carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, green peas, radish, turnip, beetroot and sweet potato
- Fruits: amla, guava, oranges and kinnow, and in some regions strawberries towards the end of the season
How much should you eat?
The Dietary Guidelines for Indians, released by ICMR’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in 2024, recommend about 400 grams of vegetables a day for an adult on a 2,000-calorie diet. That total includes green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, and roots and tubers. NIN’s “My Plate for the Day” puts the share of leafy greens at around 150 grams.
For fruit, the guidelines suggest a daily portion of locally available seasonal fruit and advise choosing whole fruit over juice. A guava or a couple of amla a day is an easy way to start.
Simple ways to use winter produce
- Add a fistful of methi or palak to dal, paratha dough or a plain aloo sabzi.
- Make a quick carrot, radish and peas mix with a light tadka instead of deep-frying.
- Keep amla handy as a chutney, a pickle with less salt, or simply cut with a pinch of salt.
- Swap a sugary drink for a whole orange or a sliced guava.
Cook smart to keep the nutrients
The NIN guidelines carry a few practical kitchen tips. Wash vegetables before cutting them, not after, so fewer nutrients are lost. Prefer steaming to frying. Avoid reheating or reusing oil that has already been overheated. Mixing up how you cook, as curries, raitas, chutneys or in dal, also keeps meals interesting through the long winter.
Leafy greens carry soil and grit, so soak and rinse them well in clean water before chopping.
Please note: This is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, a thyroid condition or follow a special diet, consult a doctor or a qualified dietitian before making big changes to what you eat.
Based on information from ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Nutrition Connect and The Core.
Featured image: Bernard Gagnon, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
