The winter mood is upon us. Besides choosing to curl up under a warm blanket, our favourite thing to do in this season is eating — eating delicious, flavourful and comforting winter food. From slurping healthy spinach soup and Mutton Shorbas to relishing Chicken Rassa, Sarson Ka Saag and Gajar Halwa, our eating spree during this season seems endless.  
 
The fun of biting into delicious foods during the season doubles up when prepared and eaten with family. If you are planning a family meal together anytime soon, we bring you some chef-special winter recipes that you can make at home and enjoy a full-fledged meal.  
 
Citrusy Carrot and Pineapple Shorba

Ingredients:
Pineapple -1 
Carrots - 4 
Apple - 1 
Onion - 1
Orange juice - 1 
Olive oil - 4 tbsp 
Water - 1/4 cup 
Vegetable broth - 3 cups 
Curry powder - 1 tbsp 
Sour cream - 1 cup
lemon juice - from 1/2 squeezed lemon
Pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup 
 
Method:
1. Chop the pineapple and carrots into rough cubes.
2. Dice the onion.
3. Add the oil to a large pot and heat it on medium flame.
4. Add the chopped pineapple, onion and carrots and fry gently for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Chop the apple and keep it ready.
6. Add the pumpkin seeds, curry powder, chopped apple and one-fourth cup of water and fry for another two minutes.
7. Add the vegetable broth, and orange juice and let it all simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Finally, add the cream and give it a good stir.
9. Use a masher or hand blender to give the soup a quick pulse. To finish the soup off add a pinch of salt and pepper and lemon juice. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon juice as per your taste.
10. As you serve the soup, add chilli oil and serve hot.

Recipe by Chef Jerson Fernandes, executive chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach
 
Bouillabaisse Soup

Ingredients:
Seabass, Salmon bones, Cod - 200 gm
Mussels or clams - 50 gm
Squid or crab - 100 gm 
Extra virgin olive oil - 50 ml
Onions, thinly sliced - 50 gm
Leeks (white and light green parts only) - 20 gm 
Diced carrot - 20 
Thinly sliced fennel bulb - 1/4 
Crushed garlic - 10 gm 
Roughly chopped large tomatoes - 3 
Bay leaf - 1 
Sprigs fresh thyme - 10 gm 
Saffron threads - 10 gm 
Salt - 15 gm
Long, wide strip of orange zest - 1
Clam juice or fish stock - 1 cup 
Freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Sliced rustic French bread, plain or toasted - 1 
 
Method: 
1. To cook fish stock, take a thick pot base. Start by heating the oil. Then add onion, garlic bay leaf, fish trimming bones, and fish stock. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. 
2. Keep aside the stock. Now start making the soup. 
3. In another pan, heat the olive oil, and add garlic, onion, and fresh herbs. Sauté it well. Now put all the vegetables in it and cook it for a while to soften.  
4. Now add some fish meat or chunks. Add the fish stock and bring to a boil. 
5. Severe the soup with bread. 
 
Recipe by Chef Amit Shetty, Cafe Noir
 
Saag Paneer Tarkari