Big, fat, juicy tomatoes, rich red carrots; huge heads of pearly white cauliflower; long, white radishes, violet-tinged turnips, gems of green peas and heaps of green garlic, crisp leafy mustard greens — sweetish, rich, colourful, textural, nutritious and delicious — there is so much happening on the veggie front in winter. As temperatures scale down and appetites crave hearty, hot, sweet and spicy delights, chilly days call for full flavoured, substantial meals that bring the taste buds alive and keep the body warm and healthy.

Winter being also the festive season with weddings and parties, it is a tad difficult to escape kunna, paaya, platefuls of steaming gaajar ka halwa, sizzling hot qeemay ke parathay, mutter ke parathay, and mooli ke parathay with a blob of melting desi ghee. However, winter doesn’t need to be a time for heavy-eating a la ancestral style.

Your grandmother may have a point when she glorifies walnuts, sesame seeds, desi ghee and halwas being must-eats in cold weather but all these can be twisted and tweaked to create recipes that are more customised to our lethargic, desk-bound, couch potato lifestyles.

We could make winter a time to over-indulge in vegetables and fruit with healthier options like warm salads, grilled vegetables and soups that are equally satisfying to the palate and much kinder to the waistline.

Chopped onion, green garlic, a carrot and a medium potato, sauteed in some olive oil makes a standard base for any soup. Let it soften in its own steam; add the main vegetable like chopped cauliflower or tomatoes or peas, then add a cup or two of chicken broth or water if you want to be strictly vegetarian. Let it cook for a while till the vegetables become soft. Then puree or blend with one of those very handy blenders that create wonders in the cooking pot instead of those liquidiser-thingies that create a lot of dish washing and spillage. Fresh or dried herbs like sage, parsley, thyme, oregano and rosemary unlock the full flavour when slow cooking vegetables. Sage and rosemary go well with potatoes as do green garlic and leeks while thyme, basil and oregano make tomatoes magical.

Vegetable soup can be prepared in half the time that it takes for meat oriented soup or broth as overcooking may destroy nutrients. Before serving, jazz up the soup with a swirl of fresh cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Another way to eat winter vegetables is to enjoy them raw. Chop tomatoes, carrots and radishes lengthwise like chips. Toss them in some chaat masala and lemon juice and voila! Healthy munchies, to be eaten as an accompaniment with meals or as a crunchy snack.

In winter, one tends to drink less water so vegetables and fruit juices and soups help keep the body hydrated and clear the system of toxins. Not only can you go crazy eating the incredible variety of oranges — keenu, maalta, mausambi and grapefruit — whole but also create medleys with carrots, beets, pomegranate and apples.

This season brings the best of leafy greens like spinach and mustard. Traditionally, sarson ka saag is cooked with makai ki roti and generous lashings of butter and desi ghee which is a definite winter must at least once in the season with all its sinful richness. Alternatively, cornmeal can be used to make roti with jaggery, or baked with buttermilk to make soft, light cornbread.

Mustard greens are heavenly in Lebanese-style salads with warm olive oil, sesame rich tahini and home-made humus, while spinach can be either sautéed with garlic and olive oil or be pureed to make soup.

With the incredible bounty of seasonal fruit and vegetables available in winter, you can abandon diet plans and calorie count, eat furiously and fearlessly, stock up on vitamins, and detox for the rest of the year. For once you are allowed to over-indulge and eat without guilt and self-persecution.